


Pokedex One-Shots

by Ysavvryl



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Gen, Many Styles, Pokedex, many genres, short story collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 16:33:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 340
Words: 521,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6863509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysavvryl/pseuds/Ysavvryl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short stories based on the Pokedex entries, because any Pokémon can be valuable if you care enough to give value to it.  All Gen I through Gen V Pokémon are covered.  To make a request, simply leave a comment asking for one to three Pokémon that have not already been covered.</p><p>Request status: Open to Gen VI Pokémon only, none on to-do list</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Magikarp

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is likely the first thing you'll see on checking out this collection, welcome to POS! Around 2008, I decided to make a writing exercise out of taking the Pokedex entry flavor texts and making a story out of that. I posted them as I went along; now I'm well over halfway through the current count of Pokémon.
> 
> This collection covers many many genres. Some are short like this one, others got quite lengthy. Only a handful are connected, so you can pick and choose which ones to read as you please. Aside from here, my author notes will be at the end. I hope you like this!

It was a tranquil summer afternoon in the country. Nincadas and Kricketots hummed and chirped, while at least five different birds from Pidgey to Taillow sang in the trees. The home was well off the main route, so few people came out here. A woman hummed half-songs to herself as she hung out laundry to dry. So lovely and quiet, it was a good place to raise a family.

"Momma!"

She stopped at the frightened cry. Her seven-year-old daughter ran up in tears. Forgetting the laundry, she knelt down and hugged her. She was shaking. "What's wrong, dear?"

"Muh, my..." she gulped, her brown eyes wide. "My Tuna got ate by a big scary d-dragon!"

"How terrible." She hugged her daughter tightly and let her cry for a minute.

Tuna had been one of the family pets, but especially little Lisa's. It had all started three years ago when Lisa's father and older brothers had taken her out fishing, to catch some Magikarps for dinner. Nearly anything that ate meat would eat a Magikarp, and still they were so common that nobody paid much mind to them. Certainly they had never heard of someone training the red fish.

But then one of the boys pulled up a strange yellow Magikarp. It was beautiful, a glistening golden scaled fish with slightly curled whiskers. Lisa had fallen in love with it at first sight, begging her father not to kill it, but to let her keep it as a pet. After hardly any thought, he said yes. One of her brothers lent her a Pokeball to catch the fish with and from then on, Tuna was part of the family.

As expected, Tuna was no trouble to take care of. They lived near a river and a small lake, so Tuna could play in the waters a bit each day. He was a playful fish, splashing anyone who came near. He liked to swim deep, then rush up to the surface, leap out as high as he could, then crash back down in a huge explosion of water. At least, as huge as he could make them, mostly about a foot high.

And he would laugh too, a "Gweh heh heh," that was hoarse and hilarious just by itself. Guests would see Lisa and Tuna sitting in chairs next to each other; although a fish, he did not mind dry land so long as Lisa was near. The guests would ask if they seriously were keeping a Magikarp instead of, say, a Horsea or a Barboach. Then Tuna would go, "Gweh heh heh," making the guests laugh as well.

There had been some problems. They didn't show up until Lisa started school. When her classmates would talk proudly of their Pokemon, Lisa would happily tell them about her beloved Tuna. Then they'd laugh at her, teasing her for having a pet that most anybody else would have eaten. She got upset and frustrated by this. Nobody would make fun of Billy and his Tauros, and several kids kept a Miltank for a pet. But they all made fun of Tuna.

Despite the teasing, she never once thought about letting him go. She loved Tuna, no matter what anybody else thought of him. With encouragement from her family and teachers, she endured the teasing. Eventually, she made some friends that saw just how funny Tuna could be.

There was still a risk of something else eating Tuna. Tame Pokemon would refrain from such behaviors, so there were no worries about one of her brothers having a Fearow. But wild Pokemon wouldn't care if the Magikarp was a pet. They would see Tuna as a potential meal. Still, a dragon? Lisa's mother couldn't think of any dragons that lived in this area.

"What kind of dragon was it?" she asked.

"Big scary dragon," Lisa murmured.

"We can't have a dragon hanging around. It'll scare all the other fish away. We'd better drive it off."

"But momma, what if it eats us too?"

"We'll be fine. Sparkler, come here." She clapped her hands.

The Manectric bounded over to them, holding her mane high. "Hzzzkizzk?"

"We may have to do battle. Come." She went to the lake, Sparkler trotting beside her. After a moment, Lisa followed, holding her mother's hand.

The lake was quiet of even Pokemon noises. Whatever this dragon was, it was scaring off everything. The myriad of trees were still, perhaps not moving a leaf to attract the enemy's attention. The lake surface was smooth, occasionally betraying the dragon's presence with a long ripple. Sparkler sniffed the air, then whined. She had her head down with anxiety. But with her family there, she would stay and make sure that they were okay.

The open Pokeball was still on the dock where Lisa had dropped it. "See, I was playing with Tuna," she whispered. "Then he dove down and there was a bunch of thrashing underwater, and then it showed up."

Her mother picked up the Pokeball, noting the status display. There was a green light. "Funny. This says that he's alive."

"Is he?" Lisa asked in a puzzled and nervous voice. "Tuna! Where are you? Come back!"

The water's surface rippled close to them, then exploded upwards as the serpentine dragon burst out of the lake in front of them. It had cinnamon red scales, long winding whiskers, and a mouth full of sharp white teeth. "GWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH!" it called in a deep booming voice that echoed through the woods. Numerous alarmed calls answered from the local wildlife.

Lisa shrieked and clung to her mother's waist. Sparkler growled, determined to protect her family. But then she stopped and sniffed the air. The Manectric walked to the edge of the dock, tail held high in curiosity.

The red dragon swam forward and sniffed back. It appeared to grin, a dangerous looking smile. "Hah hah."

"Hzzzou," Sparkler replied, in a glad sound she used to greet her friends.

"What's going on?" Lisa asked, looking puzzled at Sparkler.

Her mother patted her head. "Sweetie, I think this is Tuna. He seems to have evolved."

"T-Tuna?" She took a step forward, then hesitated. "But you're so big."

"I've heard of a pseudo-dragon called Gyarados," she added. "Maybe this is it? I certainly never heard of a Magikarp evolving."

"Hah hah," Tuna said again. He leaned forward and nosed Lisa. "Gyooo." He appeared to be apologizing for scaring her.

Lisa gave a short laugh. "Hey, that tickles. Are you really Tuna?"

"Gweh-heh." He came closer to the dock so that he was sitting sideways to it. He looked back at her and growled contentedly.

The mother smiled and nudged her daughter. "I think he's offering a ride around the lake."

"Really?" She ran forward to hug Tuna's head and squealed, best friends with him again.

…

Magikarp Fire Red entry: It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic POKéMON in the world.


	2. Skitty

Old Man Thomas was a grouch. People steered clear of him, as far away as they could get. If a person got unlucky enough to be in a conversation with Thomas, he or she would be subjected to hour long rants about how the youth of today were no good, or on the invasion of technology, or on the annoyances of bugs. Thomas had a complaint about everything.

He was most often found wearing his patched-up tan coat ("All the clothes they got now are wimpy."), his brown pants ("Them jean-wearing young bucks ain't got no respect."), an old shirt ("New ones are all stiff and starchy."), brown boots ("Sandals? What are you, crazy? You'll get your feet all muddy!"), and a floppy fishing hat with a long tan feather sticking out top ("It belonged to my dear Pidgeot, may he rest in peace. We knew how to train critters in those days, not like these snippity young hoodlums that have to catch every durn type out there. Ridiculous!").

Every day, Old Man Thomas followed the exact same routine. He got up early and yelled at the neighbor's Zigzagoon for barking. He did any shopping in the morning, subjecting the attendants to gruff critiques. He went fishing, even though he never seemed to catch anything. He had a sandwich for lunch, then took a nap under a tree. In the afternoon, he fished again, this time yelling at any trainers or Pokemon that got too close. In the evening, he went home for supper and yelled at the Zig'oon again. Then he watched TV, complaining about anything that was on until it was time to go to bed.

And at that fateful time, it was quarter to one on a warm day. A light breeze blew through the area. Old Man Thomas turned on his radio to catch the relaxing Clefairy song broadcast. Instead, he heard, "This just in: there are reports of an unusual amount of Skitties on Route... fizzz."

"Blasted wind," he muttered. "Messing up the signal." Eventually he got the Clefairy station in clear and settled down for his daily nap.

"Mew? Skiiiity."

Thomas opened his eyes to find a small pink feline sitting on his cooler. It was, undoubtedly, cuter than any being had the right to be. It had wide hazel eyes and tufted pointy ears. It had tiny paws and a poofy tail. Leaning over his head, the little feline was pawing at the Pidgeot feather that had been swaying in the breeze.

"Buzz off," Thomas said sharply.

"Skiii!" The Skitty dashed away.

"Blasted no good feline," he muttered. He closed his eyes again.

"Skiiiity."

This time, there were two Skitties, twice the unnatural cuteness. They were swaying their heads to the Clefairy music, but didn't seem particularly sleepy. They were watching him and the Pidgeot feather.

"I told you to buzz off!"

"Skiii!" "Skiii!" The two bounded off.

Thomas glared at them for a moment. How dare they disturb his daily nap. Next time, he wouldn't be nice. After waiting for a minute to see if they'd reappear, he leaned back against his napping tree again. "Not even the critters show decent respect anymore," he grumbled, then went back to sleep.

"Skiiiity."

Not two, but five appeared now. They all sat on his cooler, swaying their heads to the Clefairy music and watching the feather. In an eerie manner, they mimicked each other exactly.

The grumpy old man flung his arm out over the cooler. "STOP pestering me, you little punks!"

"Skiii!" "Skiiii!" "Skiii!" "Skiiii!" "Skiiii!" With a grace that was also cute, they dodged his arm and rushed off into the tall grass.

Now he glowered. "I thought you buggers were supposed to be rare!"

"Mew?"

"Get outta here!"

"Skiii!" There was a rustling in the grass.

"I outta let that doggone Zig'oon go at you." He watched for several minutes. After hearing and seeing nothing more of the pink felines, he settled back down for his nap. He was going to lose some serious fishing time if this went on.

"SKIIIITY!"

This time, he jumped up. What greeted his eyes was a mass of pink tails and tufted ears. A whole flock of Skitties had shown up. Like an ocean of cuteness, their heads swayed back and forth in waves to the Clefairy music. Every single one of them stared up at him.

"YOU MISERABLE LITTLE BEASTS!"

This time, they did not run. They continued swaying their heads, looking up at him.

Old Man Thomas ran in a panic, screaming back into town. Too many Skitties.

"Mew?" A few of the Skitties looked at each other.

"Mew!" They all ran after Thomas.

…

Ruby entry: Skitty has the habit of becoming fascinated by moving objects and chasing them around. This Pokemon is known to chase after its own tail and become dizzy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that this one has an extra inspiration. I wanted to catch a Skitty, but could never find it in the wild. That is, until I ran into five in a row...


	3. Torkoal

The Route was beautiful in green grass and bright wildflowers. Putting her hands behind her head, Nadia strolled along in no hurry. "I'd almost think the map was outdated," she said to no one in particular. "Given that I'm going to a volcanic area known as the Fire Path on this nice grassy meadow."

She stretched, then checked her wrist computer. She scrolled the Poketch screens to her email bin. There, she had a message from Professor Oak: 'Current Pokedex pictures of wild Slugma are unacceptable. Please seek out replacements. Recorded areas of Slugma habitats: Fire Path, Hoenn; Sevii Islands volcanic region, Johto. Payment for replacements will be determined upon previews.'

It also had an attachment of the unacceptable pictures, or picture as it was. It was a low-quality image of two or three Slugmas. The group was huddled together to where the untrained viewer couldn't tell where one Slugma ended and another began.

'This should be easy', she thought. Just about anything would be better than that picture. No fee was set, but she knew Oak paid well for good pictures. Although she'd never met the man in person, she had made enough sales to him to trust that he'd equal her effort.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an impatient whinny. Before she could even get to saying, "Now what?" she saw the problem. An enormous tortoise was crawling...ever...so...slowly toward the entrance of the Fire Path. Its tough skin was the color of clay while its tougher shell was the color of charcoal. The shell had a few holes in it, from which tendrils of black smoke curled out. The Pokemon stood five feet tall, but was easily eight feet wide, leaving only a margin of error for it to enter the cave.

Next to the tortoise was an irritated Ponyta, flipping his fiery tail and stomping his foot because the tortoise was blocking the way. He was also five feet tall, but only if he held his head up. The tortoise was unfazed by the Ponyta's tantrum.

Nadia gave a quick whistle. "Marcus, come here."

The Ponyta gave one last snort and one last stomp, then walked back to Nadia. He had a 'I'm only doing what you say because I like you,' look on his face.

"I appreciate your cooperation," she told her Pokemon. "But I'm not sure what that is. We'd better not bother it too much."

Even though they'd better not, Nadia could never resist taking a picture of a Pokemon she had not seen before. She could squeeze both identification and an extra fee out of Oak if she got a good photo of this beast. However, getting the south end of a north-bound Pokemon did not make for a valuable photo. She would have to get around it, or in closer.

The unknown Pokemon took...another...slow...step...forward...and...dragged...its...body...along. Nadia crept alongside the giant tortoise, signaling Marcus to stay where he was. He pawed at the ground, nervous about letting her get close to a Pokemon bigger than he was. When the photographer got to the outer wall of the tunnel, she aimed her camera and clicked the first shot.

At that, the tortoise...turned...its...head...and...blinked...at...her. It...snuffled,...sending...twin...ribbons...of...charcoal...smoke...into...the...air.

Nadia was able to take several shots before Marcus got too antsy and rushed to her. He growled, letting the tortoise know, in no uncertain terms, that it was not to harm the photographer. In response, the tortoise snapped its neck out to bite the Ponyta.

Seeing it move quickly startled Nadia into tumbling backwards. Marcus hopped out of the way and growled again, asking if the strange creature dared to challenge him. The tortoise responded with, "HOOOOOOOOO," that sounded somewhere between a horn and a whistle. It released a thick cloud of smoky ash that momentarily blinded the human and Ponyta.

Nadia managed to grab her shirt to cover her mouth and nose with before breathing in too much of the heavily scented smoke. Still, it stung her eyes and irritated her throat, forcing her to cough when the smoke began to thin. Marcus sneezed several times in a row, enduring it better due to his natural affinity for fire. When they could see clearly, the strange tortoise was gone.

She got up and walked away from the Fire Path entrance to a clear spot of air, then took a long drink from her canteen. Marcus shook his head and snorted, annoyed that the stranger had gotten away. "Are there going to be more of those things in there?" Nadia wondered aloud. "I'm gonna reek of charcoal by the end of the day."

Still, a job was a job. She went in to find the Slugmas.

…

Torkoal Emerald entry: It battles using energy it gets from burning coal. When loosing (sic) smoke from its nostrils, it lets off a sound that is similar to a locomotive's horn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After originally posting this, someone pointed out that Torkoal are only one foot high. Oops. But I like it too much to change it at this point.


	4. Shuppet

On one side of the doorway was a woman with long black hair. She wore the white uniform of a Channeler, the priestesses who specialized in ghostly matters. On the other side of the doorway was a man with short brown hair. He looked ill with his face paler than it should be and dark rings around his eyes.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," the man said. "I was going on a trip, but these things..."

She glanced in the kitchen. There was a rolling suitcase suitable for a weekend trip, a broken plate, and several signs of thrown vegetables. "What kind of ghost do you have?"

"I, I'm not sure. I hear strange whispers at night and they keep throwing things off shelves."

The Channeler came inside and looked around closer. It was a typical middle class bachelor's house. Everything was in a pile, but the piles were placed where they were convenient. There were pictures on the walls of the journey he made in his teenaged years, of him, another boy, and a girl. Furnishings had been picked out for any reason other than it matched the current decor.

But there was a definite feeling of something being off. It may have been the dust on all chairs except a rolling office chair and a turmeric yellow couch. It may have been the feeling of uneasiness that accompanied the presence of wild ghost Pokemon. Or it may have been the Sceptile who was cowering behind the turmeric yellow couch, stirring up little clouds of dust with his twitching tail.

The man scratched his head. "Eh-heh, sorry about Sceptile. These ghosts have him completely spooked."

She half-ignored the comment and stayed in the living room. She knocked two rods together, the tools of her trade. One had two black ribbons tied to it, which would attract the attention of ghosts when waved around. The other had one white ribbon tied in a loop and could catch a wayward ghost if it attempted to escape. "Cooooo, you sly little spirit," she called. "Show thyself."

The reply was like a sheet being ruffled in the wind. It was definitely in this room. There was a new flat-screen TV, a disorganized bookshelf, a contest ribbon in a display case, a blue-green chair, a wooden rocking chair, the turmeric yellow couch with the Sceptile behind it, a stained coffee table, a brick fireplace... the fireplace. There was a buildup of ashes and charred wood, as well as a bin of dry logs ready to be burned. The ruffling sound had come from there.

Fearlessly, the Channeler went to the fireplace and flicked the attraction stick into it. "Come hither."

Nothing could be seen, but the energy of the room shifted, tugged on at one point.

She swung the capture stick right where she felt the shift occur. The ghost finally appeared; it was a small ghost Pokemon that looked like a party balloon wrapped in a black cloth. A scorched piece of paper seemed to be attached to it. Upon realizing that it was caught and visible, it screeched and attempted to flee the room. The Sceptile yelped and dashed to hide behind his trainer. The Channeler struggled to hold onto the capture rod. She clasped it in both hands and stood her ground.

"Take that paper," she said firmly, "and read it out loud."

"Ah, okay." The man snatched the damaged paper from the ghostly Shuppet. It nearly tore in half, but he held on to it. "Not many words are readable. 'Dear... have great, excellent, exciting news and... should come. Guess... came back?' Wait, this? I thought I burned this!"

The Channeler pulled the Shuppet closer as its panicked struggle weakened. "What was it about?"

"It's just a personal letter, nothing important to this."

Abruptly, the Shuppet stopped struggling. The Channeler stumbled backwards into the brick fireplace. After regaining her balance, she replied, "You see how interested it is? You'll either tell me or you won't be rid of them until too late."

"Them?"

"Them."

"Well it's a long story, but," he saw the strict look on her face, "I, I can shorten it up some. I've had these two friends since way back, practically since we were born. When we were fourteen, we went on a journey together. But things changed then. The two of them would argue a lot, but then be kissing by the end of the day. I kinda got shunted aside as the comic relief guy, seemed like it. Despite that, I had a crush on her too and I figured that I had to be better for her than him because I wasn't so argumentative.

"But it was hard competing with him. Sceptile and I struggled through the Gyms while he always trounced them. He always trounced me too when it came to practice battles. She'd cheer me up, but then get back into her love-hate thing with him. And he got real nasty about it too, becoming the most awful arrogant jerk. Somehow he became League Champ and got it into his head to go on a crazy world journey. He invited us, but she wanted to go to nursing school. And me, I came back home to take care of my granny, because she needed me.

"I thought that since he was gone, I could try getting her to fall for me. I wrote her letters all the time when he wouldn't so much as give us a call. I was getting her to really warm up to me. But then he comes back out of the blue and proposes to her the moment they saw each other again. And wouldn't you know it, she accepted despite the fact that I got her to admit that they argued way too much. It's just..." He clenched his teeth. "I don't under..."

The Channeler abruptly put her attraction rod to his lips. "Shh."

He nearly got mad at her, but then saw how the Shuppet was staring at him as if hungry. With a chill running down his spine, he stepped back. Sceptile clutched his hand.

"It feeds off your jealousy," she explained. "As it drains your spirit, your body and mind grow weaker. It finds ways to lock you into jealousy, such as keeping you up all night and whispering reminders in your ears. It will continue to do so until you act on your jealousy, after which you are no longer of any use to it. You were leaving to attend their wedding."

"B-but it can't really do that," he said weakly, not wanting to accept that explanation of his currently poor state of health.

She pointed her rod at him in a no-nonsense manner. "Do not go or you may do something that you will later regret. Explain that you are sick and they should accept this. Instead, you should go to the church and spent as much time as you must in order to purify your mind. Then you shall recover. I'll drive these Shuppets away, but unless you let go of your jealousy, you will attract more."

"Ssessri," the Sceptile hissed quietly.

"But I..." he stopped himself and sighed. "All right."

* * *

Sapphire entry: Shuppet grows by feeding on dark emotions, such as vengefulness and envy, in the hearts of people. It roams through cities in search of grudges that taint people.


	5. Hoppip, Skiploom

It was a bright sunny day for the Sevii Islands. The small land specks so common around the Six and Seven Islands were like yellow and green gems in the sparkling blues of the ocean. The tides were lazy and the salty breeze barely made the plants move. Under the clear blue sky, it seemed everyone should be happy.

But not everyone was. On a small lumpy island, a trio of Hoppips was eying everything nervously. These three were very young, only two days old. They kept their long glide leaves low; they were so light that even this weak breeze could push them over. Around them, older Hoppips and even an occasional Skiploom floated between the land specks merrily.

As the sun had almost finished its daily climb, a Skiploom landed on the lumpy island the youngsters were hiding on. The yellow flower on her head was wide open to enjoy the great weather. "Come up, fly, fly," the Skiploom said.

"No, no," the young ones replied. "Too scary."

"Scary? Why scary? We float for fun."

"Great, large Tentacruel swim under," one Hoppip pointed out. His red body shivered. "You float, there come great crash, and you stay under."

"Careful when float low," the Skiploom said, dismissing the danger. "Come up, fly, fly."

"We never float," a second said. "Crash into water? You get wet leaves."

The Skiploom giggled, making the flower on her head shake. "Crash in water fun. Swim to land and dry leaf. Fly again, come up, come up."

"Get lost with no land, scary," the third said.

The other two nodded. That was their primary fear. The day they had hatched was heavy with storms. As the winds were too strong, the Hoppips had to gather in a group with the youngest in the center. They clung tightly to the ground to stay, yet one member of the flock had been blown away. No one had seen him today.

The Skiploom figured this was the main problem; any of their kind had a fear of that. But she smiled. "When sea lost, the wind picks you for adventure. We here because some old ones got sea lost. This place far better than where they got sea lost from. Maybe you find even better place?"

"What place better than here?"

She shrugged. "Now, come up, fly, fly. Better when you fly."

The three youngsters looked to each other nervously.

The Skiploom frowned. "You fly or I attack!"

Squealing, they ran up a lump in the island then jumped into the air. The breeze pushed them backwards, causing them to squeal more. But after a moment, when they got the air under their leaves and realized they were three feet above the ground, they cheered in excitement. A Hoppip's place was in the air.

…

Hoppip Leaf Green entry: To keep from being blown away by the wind, they gather in clusters. They do enjoy gentle breezes, though.

Ruby/Sapphire entries: Skiploom's flower blossoms when the temperature rises above 64 degrees F. How much the flower opens depends on the temperature. For that reason, this Pokemon is sometimes used as a thermometer.


	6. Umbreon

The wheat fields looked like unpolished bronze in the moonlight. A Rattata paused to sniff the air. There was a hoot from a Noctowl. The rodent froze, but the noise was distant. There were no troubling scents. Hungry, he moved forward to find a stalk to eat.

He caught the scent of the Umbreon too late. The black canine leapt from the wheat, her yellow markings shining bright and deadly. She bit the rodent hard while it was stunned in fear. He squealed, but soon the Rattatta was dead.

A tractor came into the field. The Umbreon looked and smelled. Was the farmer bringing a special treat tonight? The headlights caught her in their beams for a moment, causing her eyes to shine like her markings. The voice that she heard was a human male, saying, "It is true; they are from around here!"

A stranger. The Umbreon picked up her kill and darted into the wheat. Although she wanted to hide and eat her prey, she was curious enough to stick around to see what the farmer and the stranger were doing.

"Yup, that's one of the moon dogs. They're more common around farms than the sun dogs."

"The Espeons," the stranger said. "Do you train them to do farm work?"

"Nope. A gal like that one is half-wild. Course, every now and again you get a kid or stranger who takes a fancy to them and catches one."

"So how do you get them to keep pests out of your fields and barns? She was obviously doing that. And how do they evolve anyway? They have to be happy to turn into an Umbreon."

"It's real easy to make them dogs happy. Winter's a harsh season, you see, so all the farmers around here make a shelter for the, uh, what'd you call 'em?"

"The Eevees."

"Right, Eevee. You make a house for them out by your barn; you'll get about five or ten dogs a season, depending on your house. Most of 'em are shy critters who don't want nothin' to do with humans except during the winter. But one or two will become friendly if you make sure they always have fresh water and food available. You pay some attention to the friendly ones and one day, they'll look either black or light purple. That's how you know you got one that'll stay year-round.

"I see. They must evolve because they're glad to be taken care of."

"I guess. Once you got a keeper, you just let them do their thing. They're rodent hunters, so they keep the Rattatas and such out of the crops. They're something fierce when it comes to pack territory, so they'll fight off larger pests like Poochenyas and Stantlers. If you got the mind for it, you could always teach one to herd Mareep and Jumpluffs."

The stranger then spotted her in the wheat. She held her head up, considering him. The farmer had made no move to show a treat, so would it be worthwhile to approach them?

"They're beautiful creatures," the stranger said. "They're so loyal once they accept you. That must make them a great help."

"They are." The farmer chuckled. "Still you're an odd one, Mr. Bill."

Bill laughed sheepishly. "I just love the Eevee family."

The Umbreon decided that there wasn't much of a use in approaching them. She ran off deeper into the field with the night's first catch. There would be other pests and she couldn't be distracted from her job.

…

Umbreon Fire Red entry: When darkness falls, the rings on its body begin to glow, striking fear in the hearts of anyone nearby.


	7. Spiritomb

Under the full moon's gaze, two boys approached an old well. "I heard that you gotta meet Darkrai in your dreams first," the taller one said. "Then you gotta race him, and if you win, he'll let you unseal this Pokemon."

The shorter boy clung to an oddly shaped stone object. It looked sort of like an Ekans coiling up a key. "That's not what I hear, Huck. This guy I met underground said that once you find this key, you gotta clean it up real good. Then, starting on the full moon, put it under your pillow every night. When the next full moon comes, then you can release the seal."

"Didja have weird dreams doing that, Tom?"

He shrugged. "Not really. But you should've seen my mom's Ralts. He's been freaking out every time he comes near this key. He nearly stole it from me today."

"Weird." They stopped at the well. There was an odd-shaped keyhole on the well's wall. This led to all sorts of rumors about why this lock was here. "So what'll you think'll happen?"

Tom looked at the key, shining eerily in the moonlight. "I'm pretty sure it's not gonna release a huge disaster. If it was that, they would've hid the key better than just burying it in the Underground. I think it's just a Pokemon, although why they had to lock it here, I dunno."

"Maybe it kills people?"

"You scared?"

Huck shook his head. "Nah. You?"

"Course not." He put the key in the keyhole. "Okay, here it goes." He turned it.

Click.

A magic seal shimmered on the top of the well for a moment, then cracked open. Dark violet smoke billowed out. A pair of mischievous eyes opened and a neon green glow appeared within its smoky body. "FOOLS!" it bellowed. "I will burn your souls and eat your skins!"

The two boys shouted. Huck jumped back and stumbled into a nearby bush. Tom yanked the key out and made to run off.

"Oh drat," the spirit grumbled. The magic seal reappeared and drained it back into the well.

"D-d-d-did you see that?" Tom called, his body trembling.

"Y-yeah," Huck said. "There really is a ghost sealed in there."

A wispy voice drifted out of the well. "Confound it, it was supposed to be burn your skin and eat your soul, not the other way around. Eating skin; that's disgusting."

Despite themselves, the boys came back to the well. "It's still down there?" Tom whispered.

"Huh? You kids still up there?"

"Yeah..." Tom replied, not certain he wanted to be here anymore. But if they could catch this ghost, they'd have a weird and rare Pokemon that no one else would have. One that talked was even better. And he wasn't about to let himself be known as a coward.

"Look, sorry about that," the ghost Pokemon replied. "You know, it's kinda boring being sealed up for five hundred years. Guess I got a little carried away at being released."

"What are you? I've never seen somethin' like you before."

"We-ell, I started off as a Gastly, but then I got sealed up here so long that I turned into a Spiritomb. Look, can you just let me go for real? I'd really appreciate it."

He really wanted to capture this one. "You're not gonna eat us, right?"

"Nope, no eating involved this time."

"Okay." Tom put the key back in.

The Spiritomb came back out. In the midst of its green glow and violet smoke, they could see that it was grinning. "Hahahahahahahaha! I won't eat you, but I will curse you like nobody's been cursed before! You will be writhing in pain and embarrassment for years to come! I will..."

Tom pulled the key back out.

"Oh no, not again," it whined. The seal shut it back in. "What was that for?"

"Yeah, why didn't you fight it?" Huck asked.

"I ain't messing with no curses," Tom answered. "If he's gonna be rude like that, we can leave him there." He turned to walk off.

"Tom," the taller boy hissed.

Tom winked.

"Aw, come on, let me out," the Spiritomb pleaded. "Pretty please?"

"Nuh-uh," Tom replied. "I was looking for a neat Pokemon to train, but I don't want a mean one like you."

"I'm not really mean, honest. I'm just a little excitable, that's all. I like to play pranks with people."

"Is that why you got sealed down there?"

"No..." it sounded uneasy.

"Then why were you sealed down there?" Huck asked.

"Tell the truth in the name of Arceus," Tom ordered.

"Ugh, you're gonna go that far? Okay, in the name of Arceus, the honest truth is... I got sealed down here for giving people wedgies."

"Giving people wedgies? We do that all the time."

"Yeah, that ain't enough to get sealed for five hundred years."

"I know!" the Spiritomb agreed. "Those people didn't have any sense of humor. Anyhow, that's what I was sealed for. Some of the other 107 personalities I have actually did do some nasty stuff. Like one guy stole apples and threw them at people. He knocked out the mayor, leading to his getting sealed down here too."

Huck grinned. "Man, think of the possibilities! If we had a ghost like this guy to pull pranks with, we could do all sorts of stuff to people."

"Yeah, it'd be awesome."

"So you'll let me go?" the ghost asked hopefully.

Tom leaned over the well. "Well first you gotta agree that this'll be a fair battle. I'm gonna capture you, but you don't have to come quietly. Just have a normal battle with me."

"Alrighty."

"Okay then." Tom unlocked the seal again.

The Spiritomb came back out, grinning again. "Okay, punks, if you lose, you're getting major wedgies! Are You Ready To Rumble?"

…

Diamond entry: A Pokémon that was formed by 108 spirits. It is bound to a fissure in an odd keystone.  
Pearl entry: It was bound to a fissure in an odd keystone as punishment for misdeeds 500 years ago.


	8. Gible

Pokeballs were actually pretty comfortable, the young Gible considered. When she had first been caught by the boy trainer, she had mourned the loss of her warm and cozy nook in Wayward Cave. She had spent a considerable amount of time finding that homey nook and had to scare off another female to get it. It was a good spot to hide, then jump out at unwary Zubats. When discovered by the trainer, she had fought valiantly, destroying four balls before getting caught. Being under a trainer was not a life she had wanted.

However, now that she had taken a good look around, it might not be so bad. If she understood the science of quantum physics, she might have guessed that she was in a little pocket dimension all her own. As she didn't know any kind of science, she noticed that she was now in a warm and sandy cave. It was so nice that she didn't have to hide in a nook for warmth. There was a mysterious light that mimicked the day and night cycle. There was a small pool of clean water for drinking. And there were even Zubats ready to be hunted.

The Gible did notice that there was no exit to this cave and that the Zubats materialized out of nowhere. But why should she care? Everything she needed was right here. The Zubats did taste a bit off. If she could understand chemical and electrical interactions, she might have concluded that, by drawing energy from the storage unit, the ball was creating the appropriate nutritional intake for her in her little pocket dimension. But the science of this was imperfect, so the created food did not taste as well as real food. As it was, the Gible didn't care so long as she had lunch.

It could get lonely, though. It was just her and her meals in this pocket dimensions. The meal Zubats did not speak, while the cave Zubats used to fight and cuss all the time. While her kind was normally solitary, they did socialize from time to time, with each other or other species of Pokemon. And the trainer that caught her had to be skilled. That deserved respect, a little at least.

And there were the old stories to think on. These stories stated that if a Pokemon was captured, she was to guard the trainer who caught her and help the trainer achieve his goal. As for any other trainer, it was left up to choice on whether to respect this trainer or not. Although, some rumors she heard were that humans had invented special cards that emitted differing auras. These auras had the power to make Pokemon stronger in some fashion or to make a Pokemon obedient.

Shaking her head, the Gible hoped that this trainer didn't have one of those cards. She wouldn't mind being obedient, but she would hate being forced to be obedient. If he did, she'd have to find some way to ignore him anyhow.

After some time of enjoying her new pocket dimension, there was a clicking sound. The Gible looked around, but couldn't see the source of the click. While she searched, her vision became hazy. The cave vanished and she was dropped back into the real dimension. She landed on an icy road that had snowdrifts piled on either side.

She hollered in alarm, "So cold, so cold!" Her words came out as little white puffs in the frozen air. She looked around frantically for any source of heat.

"Huh?" her opponent Snorunt asked. "It's nice weather, that's what it is."

"Okay Gible, show me what you can do," the boy trainer ordered.

"Too cold, too cold!" she pleaded. She darted into the nearest snowpile. That was a mistake. It was cold, wet, and powdery, sending the top of the pile tumbling onto her back before she realized it. She scrambled back out and went to the feet of her trainer as the nearest heat source she could be positive about. "I want my cave back!"

"Huh?" The boy trainer seemed bewildered. "What's up with you? You were so tough back in the cave."

"Cold is bad, cold is bad." She shivered.

The Snorunt tilted his triangular head. "Why do you keep repeating things?"

"Sh-shocked and c-cold," she replied.

He looked up at his trainer. "Do I have to fight her? That'd be unfair."

"I think your Pokemon is too cold out here," the other trainer said. "You ought to spend some more time learning about it before using it in battle. Let's put a hold on this for now."

"But you said you'd fight me when I had enough Pokemon," he replied in dismay.

"It seems you have more to learn." He pressed a button on a Pokeball and recalled the Snorunt.

"Be patient with your young trainer," he advised the Gible before vanishing.

"Aw rats," the boy trainer said before recalling her.

The snowy road went hazy. In a short while, she was back in her warm and cozy cave. She sighed in relief. "Ah, no cold here. Be patient, huh? I hope he doesn't call me out into the cold again."

With that thought in mind, she settled into the sandy floor and went to sleep.

…

Gible Pearl entry: It once lived in the tropics. To avoid the cold, it lives in caves warmed by geothermal heat.


	9. Shuckle

**Welcome to Shuckle Valley Farms!**

And we welcome you most heartily! Shuckle Valley Farms is a community owned business that prides itself on wholesome and tasty products for your entire family. Visitors are welcome any time of the year, but don't miss out on our famous Berry Festival that occurs the last week of July!

**About Our Farms**

Shuckle Valley is ideally located in the Veldt region to produce an abundance of berries all year round. Rain-loving berries thrive in our winters, which are more wet than cold, while dry berries adore our summers with the friendly heat. Our rich soils feed the plants so that the berries are packed with nutrients and vitamins, perfect for any lifestyle.

**About Our Pokemon**

Our namesake Pokemon are allowed to wander freely throughout the valley. The Shuckles see this place as a berry paradise. They pluck berries from the lowest branches of the bushes and tuck them away in the secondary hole on top of their vase-like shell. Once they are content, they go back to their shelter to eat some of the berries. The leftovers are then turned into a liquid that we gently juice from them once a month.

Please note that all of our Shuckles are branded for easy identification and protected by stronger Nidorans in various stages. If you wish to gain a Shuckle of your own, please speak with the town breeder.

**About Our Families**

Shuckle Valley Farms takes great pride in the hard-working men and women of our community. We spend many long hours ensuring the quality and safety of our produce. Berry Masters take care of the berry plants while farmers take care of the various other produce that we grow. Certified Pokemon Trainers keep wild bug Pokemon and other pests from destroying or contaminating our crops while brewers and cooks develop the raw plants into tasty treats. And the children of our community often take their school lessons in the fields as well as the classroom.

**About Our Products**

Because our Shuckles live a low-stress life, their juice is of the highest quality. We maintain that same level of quality in all of our products. Here is a sampling of what we make (type often depends upon the season).

Shuckle Berry Juice: A favorite of children and Pokemon! The unique mixture of berries in each batch makes for a fun surprise from every bottle which cannot be imitated. Our experts identify the main tastes as Sweet, Sour, Spicy, Savory, or Mild. Pasteurized.

Shuckle Wine: For adults only. Our wines are full-bodied and sophisticated, winning dozens of awards in many regions. Perfect for your special dinner or romantic date.

Shuckle Vinegar: An excellent cooking vinegar that imparts wonderful flavors to your sauces, marinades, and other fine foods. Drizzle over a healthy salad for a wonderful sensation of flavors. Varying strengths and flavors, which are clearly labeled on each bottle.

Fresh berries: What sorts of berries? All sorts! We have Nanab, Razz, Bluk, Leppa, Pinap, Oran, Chesto, etc. Common berries grow in the Community Park where, for a small fee, you can pick as many berries as you can fit in a basket! Rarer berries, such as Pamtre or Iapapa, are available at the Berry Market located in the heart of our cozy village. Some berries only grow in certain seasons; you can check the availability of all berries on the community bulletin board in the Berry Market.

Pokeblocks: Get these sweet little cubes from the Berry Market or mix your own at the Berry Blender Café. Pokemon love these treats; rumor has it that these candies can sweeten your chances on the contest stage!

**Community Notice To Pokemon Trainers**

We ask that you refrain from battling or harassing our hard-working Shuckles. These creatures are very shy and scare easily. Please keep your Pokemon stored while in Shuckle Valley Farms. If this is impractical, please keep a close eye on your Pokemon. What you may think of as a strangely smooth rock or an odd vase may in fact be a hiding Shuckle. Do not bother them; stiff fines are imposed on those who harm a branded Shuckle.

-SVF pamphlet, Summer '08 edition

…

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Shuckle quietly hides itself under rocks, keeping its body concealed inside its hard shell while eating berries it has stored away. The berries mix with its body fluids to become a juice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are there Savory and Mild flavored juices? Think about it: would you buy a Bitter or Dry juice?


	10. Clamperl, Spoink

A pale mystical glow filled the shell of the Clamperl. It radiated from the large pearl that was nestled in his soft pink muscles. Gleaming like an infant moon, the pearl was almost perfect. The Clamperl caressed his treasure, adding yet another thin layer to the jewel, then polishing it to a fine satin finish. It had taken a long time to create this treasure, but it was his.

His treasure.

And nobody would take it from him.

Vibrations in the water hit the outside of his white shell. Something was passing by. Something unusual. Was it a danger to his treasure? Cautiously, he lifted his top shell to peer out at the ocean floor.

The water was sharply cold, but the black Spoink hardly noticed. She had a thick layer of fat that kept her warm. By pumping her coiled tail, she was able to move through the water and keep her heart going. It had been a long trip over land to make this risky dive, but she had to do it. She needed a pearl.

Being psychic, Spoinks had powerful minds. However, they were never good at focusing their thoughts, possibly due to their need to keep bouncing. It was hard to focus when one's point of view kept changing. Long ago, a Spoink had discovered that carrying a pearl on its head would allow it to focus enough to use its powers. The best pearls came Clamperls, but the bivalves wouldn't even think of trading. Unless a Spoink got one from a Grumpig, he or she had to dive for the pearl.

She noticed all sorts of things about the ocean floor. There were towers of colorful coral, in peach, pink, purple, red, and yellow. There were shy water Pokemon that swam away as she drew near. There were forests of leafy kelp soaring to the surface. There were Tentacools trying to decide if she'd make a good lunch. There were lots of minerals and salts in the water, giving it a nasty taste.

And there, resting in one of the kelp beds, was a Clamperl. His scalloped shell was covered in nicks and scratches from previous battles. There was a deep chip on the left edge of his top shell from an especially vicious fight. He was about the same size as herself. As he peered out of his shell, a faint pink glow leaked out. He must have a potent pearl to produce that glow.

The Spoink pushed herself towards the Clamperl. The kelp bed really was fantastic; a Chinchou flicked her antennae and observed the approaching Spoink. The underwater electric Pokemon drifted off to hide behind a rock, just in case.

No, pay attention to the Clamperl, the Spoink thought. Once she managed to get that pearl, such distractions would no longer bother her. But to get it away would require persistence.

A Spoink. The Clamperl didn't have the best memory under the sea, but he could remember that Spoinks were trouble. He slammed his shell shut; she would not be getting his treasure.

His treasure. He smoothed it over to get that perfect polished look. What was he building up this pearl for? He didn't know. It was an instinct for his kind to make these pearls and treasure them. They were magic. What was that magic used for? He didn't know that either, but instinct told him that one day he would leave his shell and this pearl had something to do with that. Now he just had to build it up, take care of it, and protect it from anyone who'd want it.

His shell was tilted abruptly, disturbing his pearl's resting place. The Spoink was bouncing on top of him. How dare she! She could have damaged his treasure! The Clamperl opened up quickly and tried to snap at her tail.

She rocketed away from him, then spun around and rocketed back by pushing her coiled tail against a rock. When she was nearly touching his pearl, he clamped his shells together, trapping her body between them. That would teach her not to mess with him and his treasure.

Squealing, she struggled against his hold. He held on, even as her wildly pumping tail sent them careening through the kelp bed. A neighboring Chinchou swam off as fast as she could, to escape the cloud of silt the battle kicked up. The pearl rocked about until the Spoink reached out with a prehensile curl on her head and grabbed it.

'Let me go.'

The thought wasn't his, but the Clamperl obediently followed it, loosening his hold on the struggling Spoink. Unfortunately, she was thrown forward by the force of her tail into his interior. He was then knocked into a rock and stunned.

While the obsessive Clamperl was stunned, the Spoink rushed off to return to the surface. She was badly bruised, even bleeding in one place. Maybe it would have been better to wait on a Grumpig to have an extra pearl instead of fighting the bivalve. All well, what was done was done. She had her pearl.

After escaping the ocean water and finding a safe spot on the beach, she examined her new pearl. It was a pale pretty pink of a good size. And it had that beautiful glow of strong magic. Within its polished surface, she could begin to see images and visions. She couldn't interpret these images quite yet, but in time it could make her very wise.

At the moment, though, she was exhausted. Bouncing slightly in one spot, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The Clamperl recovered from being stunned. However, it was still hurt from the battle. That stupid Spoink had thrashed about way too much. She could have damaged his treasure.

His treasure? Where was his treasure? Realizing the pearl was gone, the Clamperl began to panic. What did he do now? His precious pearl was gone! He was supposed to take care of it. But if it was gone, he didn't know what to do.

A small jab at one of his muscles distracted him from panicking. At some point during the struggle, a sharp little pebble had gotten into his shell. That was bad. He covered the pebble in the substance he covered his old treasure with. That covered up the sharp point and turned it into a seed pearl.

Seed pearl.

Careful with the tiny object, he caressed it to a smooth polish. It wasn't gleaming and it was far from perfect. But he was to build up his treasure and take care of it. His old pearl left his mind. His new pearl was his treasure. It would take a long time to build up, but it was his.

And nobody would take it from him.

…

Emerald entry: A Clamperl slams its shell closed on prey to prevent escape. The pearl it creates upon evolution is said to be infused with a mysterious energy.

Spoink FR/LG entry: It apparently dies if it stops bouncing about. It carries a pearl from Clamperl on its head.


	11. Phanpy, Donphan

Orange Canyon was one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, but also one of the deadliest. The brilliant orange, red, and yellow stone walls were sheer drops to the canyon floor, sometimes two hundred feet below. The pristine Manaphy River came in extreme white water rapids, only for the expert boater. And the patches of greenery scattered along the canyon floor often held unique Pokemon. Uniquely dangerous, though, as the land was much harsher than it appeared to be. Pokemon always mirrored the land they had come from.

The trails that ran up and down the canyon walls were often narrow and steep. Therefore, it was somewhat of a surprise to see a large Donphan walking down one of these paths. He was three and a half feet high and bulky with muscles, but he carefully picked his way down the canyon trail. A Pokemon Ranger walked in front of him, wearing the traditional red hat and jacket. A Ranger's jacket was a valuable piece of his equipment. It was the Swiss Army knife of clothing, a light looking piece that held far more uses than one would imagine.

Behind the Donphan walked a Phanpy. This smaller blue Pokemon kept hold of the Donphan's tail as they walked along. Behind that Phanpy was another Phanpy, and a third tagged along at the rear. They all flapped their ears periodically; it was already warm and small Bugs were trying to bother them. These four and their Ranger were responsible for keeping the camping area safe and enjoyable for visiting campers.

"This doesn't look good," the Ranger said as they got to the canyon floor. There was a pile of yellow-orange rocks a short distance ahead, evidence of a rock slide. He had brought his team down when a camper registered at this location failed to show up. Parts of the wall were always coming loose, thanks to a proliferation of rock-eaters like Geodude and Aron. The Ranger snapped his fingers. "You three, go check it out."

Obediently, the three Phanpys left the line and rolled ahead. They were noticeably faster than the muddy brown Donphan, but all the members of this team were valuable. At the pile of rocks, the Phanpys sniffed around with their snouts. One trumpeted, then the other two joined in. They smelled a human trapped under the rocks.

"Is the person you smell alive?" the Ranger asked.

They gave two short bursts. Yes, they smelled a living person.

"Donphan, clear the rocks, but be careful. Number three, keep your nose on the pile. One and two, clear the smaller rocks and push them away."

The four trumpeted in agreement and went to work. The Donphan picked up the largest rocks and set them aside. One Phanpy would then push the rocks out of the way while the other picked up what rocks she could handle. The third watched the pile, occasionally telling her partners when the pile got unstable.

In the meantime, the Ranger pulled out his radio. "Canyon Headquarters, this is Ranger Phil. I've got a camper trapped under a rockslide; we'll need a medical teleport."

"Confirming location... we're getting the medical team out, wait there."

"Roger."

The supervising Phanpy called, "Phaaaa!" That was a definite call for Phil to come check something out.

The Ranger went over. The Donphan was setting down a large sheet of rock, but didn't move to take another off. "What's the hold up?"

"Fee," she pointed, tapping a gray rock with her snout.

A gray rock? There weren't any gray rocks native to Orange Canyon, at least none he'd seen. Ranger Phil touched it. There was a warmth to it, and a pulse of energy. "It's an Onix, I think. Hmm."

The Ranger then pulled a small gun out of his jacket. His Pokemon looked at it warily; it was sometimes necessary, even if it stung. There were spray medicines that could heal Pokemon. These were either sprayed directly onto a wound or into a Pokemon's mouth. But if the Pokemon was too injured and couldn't swallow anything, this needle gun was needed to apply the medicine. Phil loaded a Revive dose into it and injected it.

It took a moment, but the Onix regained consciousness. Finding herself covered in rocks, she shook the pile away and caused two of the Phanpys to squeal. Her trainer, a geologist who'd come looking for fossils, had been right under her.

Phil pulled out a bottle of vitamin water, specially enhanced to assist victims of dehydration. "Here you are, sir. We'll have a healer out here for you shortly."

"Thank you," the geologist mumbled before taking a long drink of water.

"Your Onix protected you well; doesn't appear to be much wrong with you."

The Onix made a proud purring sound, something odd coming from a creature made of rocks.

"I'm sorry, Shale," the geologist said. "I should have listened to you. I was so upset when you blacked out."

"Phaa," Phanpy Number Three replied and patted the geologist on the shoulder. Unfortunately, this pushed him over.

Phil smiled despite himself. "Oh, sorry sir. The little guys often don't know their own strength."

…

Phanpy Fire Red entry: As a sign of affection, it bumps with its snout. However, it is so strong, it may send you flying.

Sapphire entry: If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokemon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails.


	12. Snorlax

KAAAAACK-shooo...

It was a horrendous sound, echoing across the mountainside. It filled the minds of those who heard it. It terrified the young. It made the trees shiver. It would have rattled glass if there was any glass around. Not a single Pokemon, save one, could sleep with the awful snores pounding through their heads.

KAAAAACK-shooo...

"He's a menace to our community," a Spearow said, trying to keep his ears covered with his wings.

"My babies shouldn't have to grow up around this," a Pidgeotto agreed.

"And he doesn't even do anything anymore," the Spearow went on. "He wakes up, goes and eats whatever is close at hand..."

"And he eats all the food that's there," a Rattata interrupted. "Won't even share a single crumb."

"Then he just plops down wherever he is and goes back to sleep," the Spearow finished.

KAAAAACK-shooo...

"Aaah, I can't take this anymore!" a Geodude said. "We have to do something."

"But what? The fool won't listen to reason. And just look at him! You think you can defeat that?"

A Machoke clapped his powerful hands together. "Let's roll him down the mountain!"

The second Machoke there cheered the idea. "That's the stuff! Just push him out of our neighborhood."

"You guys just like rolling things down the mountain," the Geodude sniffed. "Or do you not recall 'Bowling for Doduos'?"

KAAAAAAACK-shooooo...

"Oh, just let them do it," the Pidgeotto said. "As long as it gets rid of that terrible noise, I don't care."

"So can we?" the first Machoke asked.

"All right," the Spearow said. "But make sure it gets rid of him."

The two Machokes gave each other hi-fives and crept over to the slumbering Snorlax. He was a Pokemon of unbelievable girth, a rotund ball of thick fat and violet-gray fur that could sleep for days. Sometimes the little Rattatas would jump on his belly for fun, but when he was snoring, few dared to come close.

KAAAAAACK-shooooo...

"Right, ready?" the first Machoke whispered.

"Ready, bro."

"Then let's go."

They each put both hands and a shoulder against the beast, then began to shove. But even though they were the strongest Pokemon in the mountains, the Snorlax was the heaviest Pokemon in the region. Because his flesh was so soft, it was hard for them to get a good shoving position.

"This might be too much, bro," the second Machoke said.

"Don't give up. We can do this."

KAAAAAACK-shooooo...

The snore rattled their bodies, making them feel sore all over. But that only added to their determination. They pushed the Snorlax up. They tilted him to get his body unbalanced. After a couple of minutes, they had him rolled over just enough that gravity took hold and pulled the Snorlax's body down onto a slope.

And the Snorlax rolled, to the cheers of his former neighbors. As he picked up speed, he began to break weak rocks and start small landslides. He squashed flowers, then bushes. He hit the wooded area below and knocked down trees. He hit a bump that sent him flying over a pretty white picket fence. The resulting landing was mistaken for an earthquake in the gatehouse nearby, smashing a few plates and causing someone to have a bloody nose.

The Snorlax blinked.

He sat up and looked at his surroundings. This wasn't where he had gone to sleep. Nearby, he smelled the sweet scent of ripe berries. He plucked the bush from the ground and ate every bit of it: berries, leaves, branches, roots, and dirt. Then he plopped down and went back to sleep, blocking off access to the Bike Road.

Kaaaa-shoooo...

…

Snorlax Leaf Green entry: Very lazy. Just eats and sleeps. As its rotund bulk builds, it becomes steadily more slothful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't expect something like Snorlax to have an active role, right? Teehee.


	13. Ditto

Ditto was sitting by a bush, munching on berries, minding its own business. The Rawst berries were good and ripe, and if somebody didn't eat them soon, they'd go bad. Not wanting to see that happen, it felt obliged to take care of the situation before it became a problem.

As a Pokemon, it wasn't much to look at. A Ditto was a soft pink glob with small eyes and a slit for a mouth. It wasn't bothered by appearances, though. So long as nobody bothered it, it wouldn't bother nobody.

But somebody decided that it was a bother. A small purple Rattata leapt in front of Ditto. "Scram, stranger! This is my bush!"

"Eek!" Ditto swept up a cloud of dust. While it was thus covered, it molded itself into an exact replica of the Rattata. "Leave me be."

Blinking, the Rattata got on his hind legs. "Huh? You a cousin or something?"

"Yes, I'm just visiting. Sorry for the bother."

"Oh. Well that's fine." He furrowed his eyes, lacking eyebrows to perform the motion. "But I thought you were some weird globby thing."

"No, no. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you. I'm just an ordinary Pokemon."

"Okay. Well, enjoy the berries." He nipped a few off himself and ran back to his burrow.

Once the Rattata was gone, Ditto transformed back. If it stayed as the rodent, it might attract predators. It continued eating until full, then set off to find a hiding spot to sleep.

It was able to travel alongside the human-made road for some time, remaining hidden in the tall grass. But when Ditto spotted an ideal hiding place, it was across the road. Not wanting to draw attention to itself, it decided to turn back into the Rattata. Now, what color had it been? Yellow? Yeah, that seemed right, a greenish-yellow. Ditto transformed into a yellow Rattata and ran across the road.

A high-pitched squeal stopped him dead in his tracks. A human girl was jumping up and down while clapping her hands. "Omigosh, omigosh, a shiny Rattata! It's sooo much cuter than other Rattatas! And shinys are so rare, wowza! I'm gonna catch it and it's gonna be MINE! Go Wartortle!"

Her Wartortle, which had been hiding in her shell since the shrieking began, emerged reluctantly. "Okay, okay," she muttered. "Keep the noise down, would ya?" She fired a round of fast water balls at Ditto.

Panicking, Ditto launched an attack. Any attack, just so long as it got rid of them. It fired a similar round of fire balls at the Wartortle, unfortunately to little effect.

"I've never seen a Rattata use Ember before," a boy with them said meekly.

"That just means she's more special! You're mine!" She threw a Pokeball at Ditto, then ran over to pick it up.

"Um, you're supposed to wait just in case they break loose."

"I don't have to. Okay, let's have you out so I can show you off right away!" She pressed the release button.

The shock of being captured had transformed Ditto back. It was a confused glob now. "What's going on?" it asked.

"What?" the girl screamed, causing everyone to wince. "You're not a shiny Rattata."

"No, just a regular old Ditto," her companion said.

"You shut up!" She yanked the ball apart, causing it to disintegrate. "Get out of my sight!"

"Thank you," Ditto said wearily, moving off to its hiding spot. It really needed a good sleep now.

…

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Ditto rearranges its cell structure to transform itself into other shapes. However, if it tries to transform itself into something by relying on its memory, this Pokemon manages to get details wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That girl was inspired by Carmalita Splats of a Series of Unfortunate Events.


	14. Snorunt

Last night, the air had been thick with snowflakes. This morning, it made the scenery brightened with white. A smooth layer of snow disguised an uneven terrain underneath. It was breathtaking, but if one were not careful, the dangers of this land could take more than one's breath away. Perhaps even a life.

Despite that, there was a cottage by the roadside. It was made of sturdy logs and coated with dense clay to keep the warmth inside. Outside of the cottage was a brawny man. Although it was cold enough to freeze his breath, he was splitting logs. His tools were the simplest kind: a stump, a wooden wedge, and a hefty iron axe. Nearby was a heap of snow taller than the rest. Oddly enough, it was in a conical shape.

The man looked down at the heap of snow for a moment. "Snorunt, are you just going to stay there?"

Although the Trainer could not understand, Snorunt replied, "It's a blizzard buffet out here! I must be in Heaven!"

He looked at the mound his Pokemon was under, then shook his head. "I'm still not sure what to do with you."

Shaking the snow off his orange outer shell, Snorunt hopped over. "Must you be so serious all the time? You'll blow a blood vessel or something. Come on, come relax in the snow." He then reburied himself in another spot.

A short time later, a middle-aged woman on snowshoes approached them. "Hello new neighbor!"

The man paused his work to wave at her. "Good morning, neighbor."

She held up a tin can. "It's an odd time of year to be moving in up here, so I brought over some split pea soup. Just needs to boil in some hot water for a bit; it's good for your health."

He smiled. "Thanks, ma'm."

Noticing the progression of holes and the Snorunt's point sticking out of the snow, she added, "Oh, and you've already got the blessing of the local Pokemon, I see."

"This guy? He's not local; at least, I'm not sure where he's from. He's part of my application."

"Application?"

"Right, to become one of the Elite 4. You must complete a special challenge. They give you an unidentified egg. From the day it hatches, you have a year to train that one and build a team theme around it. After the first birthday of the egg's Pokemon, you must defeat the current Elite 4 with that team." He shook his head. "Despite it being a mystery egg, they always manage to give you that one type you know least about. I brought him up here in hopes of learning more about his kind."

"The Snorunts? You see them when snow and ice are on the ground, like now. They usually travel in groups of five. There's always five if you don't catch one alone. It's odd, but no one has figured out why."

"I wouldn't know," Snorunt said. "I hatched in a hot place; I was miserable when I went outside for the first time. I hate hot things."

The man put his axe down for a moment to think it over. "Hmm, so then he'd be more comfortable on a team of five rather than six."

"Probably," the woman said. "The old folks say that a house visited by them will have good luck, and one that keeps one will have good fortune and prosperity."

"Is it just an old folks' belief or something mystical?"

She chuckled. "I think it's something more practical myself. We have long and hard winters here in northern Sinnoh. You have to have enough stored food to feed your family, but you need a Pokemon to protect your home. However, the Snorunts are content to eat just snow and ice in the winter. They're perfectly healthy on that diet in cold weather. So the house prospers by having protection without having that extra mouth to feed."

"I see. Thanks for letting me know. I was worried when he didn't eat last night."

"That's cause I knew there'd be something much better to eat in the morning. And here it is!"

"He does seem like a smart one," the Trainer went on. "I've used mainly fighters and rocks up to this point. So this Ice type is completely foreign to me."

"I'd be willing to let you know more, but I haven't fought in ages. My son's looking into being a Trainer. He's ten."

"Is that so? I remember how it was at that age. You both can come up to visit anytime you like. It's a lonely wilderness out here and I'd appreciate the company."

The Snorunt popped out of the snow. "Yeah, new friends are the best."

The woman smiled. "We might just do that."

…

Sapphire entry: Snorunt survives by eating only snow and ice. Old folklore claims that a house visited by this Pokemon is sure to prosper for many generations to come.


	15. Shedinja

There are old stories in these parts, about a mysterious immortal Pokemon that appears bearing strange gifts. But these gifts cause chaos and it is rumored that this legendary is nothing but a devil...

One day, the mysterious Pokemon appeared in form of a Scyther to a young boy who liked nothing better than to catch bugs. As soon as he got out of school, he would run into the woods and search out newer and bigger bugs. When he saw the Scyther, larger than any other he had seen, with sharper scythes and longer wings, he was overjoyed. The bug catcher had his newly evolved Ninjask weaken the Scyther, and then prepared to capture it.

But then the Scyther dropped to its knees. "Oh please, don't catch me," it said. "There is something I must protect in these woods, and for that I must remain free."

The bug catcher dropped his jaw and the Pokeball. "You... you can talk? I've never heard any other Pokemon talk before."

"I guard a powerful magic, and thus it has transformed me. Please, let me remain."

The boy was disappointed in that he couldn't have the talking Scyther, but nodded. "Okay. I shouldn't take you from your task."

The false Scyther bowed its head. "Thank you; I am most grateful. Kindness like yours should be rewarded. Do you have the shell from when this strong Ninjask was formed?"

Proud that his Pokemon was being acknowledged, he nodded again. "Yeah I do. I think the shells are neat, but my mom thinks they're creepy." He brought out the hollow shell. "I was going to hide it in my secret base."

The Scyther took the dropped Pokeball and the shell. It summoned a shadowy mist to surround both. When the mist departed, the shell was floating on its own. The Scyther handed the ball back. "There. This is a Shedinja. It is stronger than it looks, but you must never look into the crack running down its back."

"Why not?"

"You must never look into its body."

"Well, okay. Thank you, Scyther." The boy headed back for his secret base.

There came a crazed laughter echoing through the woods.

The boy turned back, but saw nothing. The Scyther had vanished. It might have just been the local Pokemon, except that he'd never heard one sound like that before.

The Shedinja never moved. It had wings, but they were stiff. It hovered and followed him, but no part of his body did anything. Not even twitch. If it made any sounds, it was like a faded hiss or crackle. Some people shuddered when they saw the bug catcher's Shedinja, making signs to ward off evil. But he liked it, even if it was ghostly.

It was in Pokemon battles that the Shedinja showed its true power. Most attacks couldn't touch it. Shedinja would endure torrents of water, vine whips, tackles, scratches, body slams, dropped rocks, and displays of sheer cuteness without fail. What attacks did strike it, however, would knock it out instantly, things like fire or bird attacks. The bug catcher was careful not to look into the crack while battling and also to watch out for situations the Shedinja would be frail in. Otherwise, he still liked it.

He did make sure to warn his little brother. "Don't look into the crack on its back or something bad will happen."

"Like what?" the little brother asked.

"Just don't."

The little brother wasn't satisfied with this response. One night, he got mad at his brother and decided to disobey his every word. After the bug catcher had gone to sleep, his little brother snuck in and stole the Shedinja's ball. He released it, then looked into the crack.

None can say what he saw there, for the moment he saw it, he became a zombie.

He walked to his parent's room, carrying the shell. His mother shook her head. "Oh, why do you have your brother's creepy Pokemon? Put it back."

"Look inside," he replied in a flat voice.

Thinking the small boy was just tired, she went ahead and looked inside the hollow. Then she gave it to her husband. "Look inside."

When the bug catcher awoke, his entire village had been turned into zombies. Terrified, he recalled the Shedinja to its ball, then ran for the next village over to speak to the priestess. "My Pokemon is evil and turned everyone into zombies," he said with tears falling down his face.

She patted his back, but then said, "No Pokemon is evil, save one. This one you have simply does not understand what it is doing. I will purify it so that no one else turns into a zombie."

Although the strange Scyther was never seen again, the Shedinjas appear sometimes with trainers of Ninjasks. It is not known if they are all created from the power of the mysterious evil legendary. But most people don't take the chance of peering into the crack running down the back of the Shedinja.

…

Ruby entry: Shedinja's hard body doesn't move - not even a twitch. In fact, its body appears to be merely a hollow shell. It is believed that this Pokemon will steal the spirit of anyone peering into its hollow body from its back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of based in an American folklore style, in particular the southeastern states. And if you didn't pick up on it, the Scyther was a devil, not a Pokemon.


	16. Gardevoir, Zangoose

The sun shone bright over Route 114, making the small lake below and the gray mountains above sparkle. There was a mountain path that slithered around various boulders to lead to Meteor Falls. Before that path was a lovely field with tall grasses, fragrant bushes, and dozens of wildflowers. Lacking any breeze today, it was still and quiet.

Much too quiet. There wasn't a Swablu's song or a Geodude's rock thumping filling the air. It wasn't a peaceful quiet either. The Gardevoir could feel hostility and tension in this field. There was an unwanted truce here and he and his trainer had walked right into no-man's-land. He didn't like it. Among his kind, it was expected that you found your person and then protected the person all your days. This was not safe.

And yet the signs were confusing him. His powers allowed him to see glimpses of possible futures. Even his clearest glimpse was vague and symbolic, but this utterly baffled him. The signs were telling him that this danger was strong but necessary. A necessary danger? Unthinkable. He floated closer to his trainer with what used to be his legs billowing out like a light skirt. "Gwa, ve," he said in worried tones. They should leave this battleground.

"Hang on," she replied. "I have to find it." She pulled the tall grasses apart, looking for a telltale flash of metal. "I can't believe I dropped it. It couldn't have gone far."

She had slippery fingers and was always dropping things. And so close to Fallarbor too. After climbing all those ledges and wandering through that waterfall cave, then following this crazy mountain path, she was within sight of the town her aunt lived in. It was like her to trip up, drop the Pokenav, and then not realize it until five minutes later when she got out of this field. She couldn't have dropped it earlier; she'd checked it for her aunt's address before coming into the tall grass.

The Pokenav had to be around here somewhere. It was a pricy miniature computer. Would her parents insist she come back home if she lost something that vital to traveling? Ugh, it would be terribly embarrassing. She brushed some stray blond hairs out of her face and briefly touched a barrette by her ear. It had a lovely purple scale on it; her aunt had sent it on her birthday for good luck.

There was another in the field, and her attention was on the barrette as well. She knew what that scale meant. It had a dark violet luster that was unmistakable; it was a Seviper's scale. Did that mean this human and the Gardevoir with her were on their side? It could be. Her twin tails flicked, barely moving the grass. She crept up on the pair.

The Gardevoir noticed the slight motion of grass. Something was here, something aggressive and hostile. Territorial too, so perhaps the aggression was natural. Still, whether the aggression was right or wrong, he wanted nothing more than to take his Trainer out of this field immediately. The thing she had lost was far from his mind.

"There it is!" the trainer said triumphantly. She picked up the device, shaped like a large wristwatch. "Better latch it good this time so it doesn't fall off ag..."

"Zaaaa!" a loud cry interrupted. The Zangoose leapt out of the grass, extending her claws. She was of the mind to bash that scale off the girl's head. No matter if the girl got badly hurt; the scale was the sign of the enemy. The girl shouldn't be in the lands of their clan.

Instead of hitting the girl and the hated scale, the claws struck deep into the delicate body of the Gardevoir. He tried not to cringe at the biting pain and the loss of his life's blood. It was taken for the sake of his trainer, it was... good, that way. He redirected the pain back at the Zangoose, sending the white and red feline reeling. He'd always held back, but not now.

The Zangoose steadied herself on her back legs and snarled at the white and green blur in her vision. That attack was nothing like she had experienced. The splitting headache it induced was almost bad enough to make her want to retreat. But no, it wasn't in her pride and honor to retreat if she could still fight.

Startled at the sudden attack, the girl trainer shrieked. She had the Pokenav already latched, so she grabbed the next nearest thing, an empty Pokeball on her belt, and threw it hard at the Zangoose. Her Gardevoir was the only Pokemon she had and he looked to be in no state to fight. The Pokeball nailed the Zangoose between the eyes, which accidentally activated it. As she stumbled backwards, the ball grabbed her with a white light and pulled her inside. It quivered in the grass for a little while, but the Zangoose was too stunned to fight her way out.

"Gardevoir, that could have killed you," the girl said in a panic.

He smiled, but held onto her shoulders. He'd forgotten how gravity felt. "Ge va," he murmured, glad that she was okay.

She took his ball and recalled him so he would be safe. Then she picked up the ball with the Zangoose. For a moment, she thought of releasing her. She was more aggressive than the Trainer wanted to handle. Then again, the Zangoose might help. She put the ball on her belt and ran for Fallarbor.

…

Sapphire entry: Zangoose usually stays on all fours, but when angered, it gets up on its hind legs and extends its claws. This Pokemon shares a bitter rivalry with Seviper that dates back over generations.

Gardevoir Emerald entry: It apparently does not feel the pull of gravity because it supports itself with psychic power. It will give its life to protect its Trainer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This actually happened to me in Ruby. I was trying to catch a Zangoose (level 16) when she used Fury Cutter on my Gardevoir (level 30). With type advantage, a critical hit, and being the second hit (Fury Cutter increases power with each successful hit, in case you didn't know like me), the attack knocked 60 HP off the 90 HP he had.  
> After the battle, I immediately pulled her out of the Box, stuck a Silk Scarf on her, and gave her a permanent spot in my party. She soloed Flannery's Gym... and Wallace's, and fainted two of Winona's four birds. When it came to Tate and Liza, I put the Zangoose and the Gardevoir together. First round Imprison (no Calm Mind!) and Sword Dance, then the fight was even easier than when I double-Surfed the Solrock and Lunatone.  
> While I kind of ignored the Zangoose before, it's now one of my favorites due to this one that nearly KO'ed my Gardevoir. And yes, both genders were what I had in that game.


	17. Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon

By the rocky coast of the inland Sea of Jasper, there lived three Eevees. They were siblings, or so they felt, for they had all hatched on this beach of stones. They had a happy life, playing in the surf, finding interesting rocks, catching fish, and sleeping under the bushes. It was their idyllic little land.

But it was also a prison. Steep cliffs surrounded their beach, unclimbable by their small paws. High-water marks on those cliffs indicated a frightening possibility of their patch of land being deeply submerged during fierce storms. The Sea of Jasper spread for miles around, even to the southern horizon. And far off in the distance, they could see other shores, with blue-green blurs that might be trees or might be cliffs.

The Eevees were two boys and one girl. They called themselves Jasper (for he liked the sea best), Pebble (for he liked the rocks best), and Belle. One time, a boat named Belle came to their beach for emergency repairs, and they decided that name fitted the sister best. When boats like that one came, they hid so that nobody found them. But those times were exciting, for they could listen to humans and learn interesting things.

One thing they learned from the sailors was the name of a city on another shore of the Sea of Jasper. St. Rosaline Port was a beloved place. It had a cathedral with sixteen bells that the Eevees fancied they could hear on clear days. It had an elegant lighthouse whose guiding beam could be seen by them every night. It had a fish market, a famous bakery, a historical museum, rose gardens, fountains, and a town square that was so lovely that hundreds of pictures had been painted of it.

St. Rosaline sounded thrilling, beautiful, legendary, and far away from the little rock beach the Eevee family lived on. They talked about it when the sailors were gone. They dreamed about it in the night, then talked some more. They desired to go more than anything... but it was so far away. St. Rosaline seemed like just a dream.

Then came one fateful day when a boat called The Rosaline Queen stopped by the rocky beach. It was a racing sailboat that belonged to a rich man, so rich that he had people to do everything for him. While his deckhands made the necessary repairs, the rich man stepped onto the land and looked around. He sniffed. "Lovely view of the sea, but much too small to be of worth for anything."

Pebble sniffed as well, but he was sniffing a wonderful meaty smell coming from the sailboat. He swished his tail happily. "Let's go with him."

"Why?" Belle asked, nervous, possibly scared. "Haven't you heard their stories? They make Pokemon fight each other. That sounds terrible."

"But he must live in St. Rosaline! If we go with him, we can go there. Maybe he'll even share that food, whatever it is. It smells really good."

Jasper huddled down. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

Pebble was torn for a moment: Rosaline or the little beach? Then he jumped up, making his choice. "I'm going." He ran out of the bush.

"Pebble!" Belle cried, and ran after him.

Jasper shivered, but didn't move. He saw his brother and sister come up to the rich man. The human looked at them curious. "How strange. One wouldn't expect an Eevee way out here, not to mention two. Monday!"

A teenaged boy with orange-brown hair spiked backwards jumped off the sailboat. "Yes Uncle?" Then he noticed Pebble and Belle; his eyes widened. "Wow, are those Eevees?"

"Of course. Catch them for me, would you?"

"S-sure." He pulled a Pokeball off his belt and pressed the button. "Clefable, give them a lullaby."

A large pink fairy appeared and giggled. She started singing the most soothing song the Eevees had ever heard. All three fell fast asleep. When Jasper woke up, the Rosaline Queen, the rich man, the spiky-haired boy, the Clefable, and his brother and sister were all gone.

He cried for the rest of the day.

When the sun disappeared beyond the western shore, the Rosaline Lighthouse came on. The bright beam of light beckoned Jasper. Were Pebble and Belle already at St. Rosaline? What was it like? Were they safe? Did they miss him as much as he missed them? Would they have to fight and get hurt? There were so many questions and he was all alone.

He closed his eyes. He had been slower to decide than the other two. Now that he had made up his mind, there was only one thing to do. He was going to swim across the Sea of Jasper and find his family.

That was it. He opened his eyes and looked across the vast sea. The Lighthouse shone its light to guide him. With that and all the hope in his heart, he ran into the sea and began to swim.

Surely, he could make it. He loved the sea more than the others. He could swim better than them too. Whenever they swam out and back, he could always make it further. He'd never gotten tired, although he went back to land with the others because they tired. How far could he make it going straight?

It was a hard trek. His long fur got soggy and salty, making him heavier than usual. The waves pushed him around, trying to make him lose his course. Occasionally he spied or smelled potential predators in the waters below him. He had to keep a steady pace to make it all the way to St. Rosaline, but when something might want to make a meal of him, he wanted to swim faster.

His little beach, his family's home for years, dropped steadily into the background. But Rosaline, with its guiding Lighthouse and beckoning dreams, stayed far away. Would Jasper make it tonight, or tomorrow, or never?

His paws and shoulders began to ache. His body felt like it grew heavier with every stroke. And the exhaustion was overbearing. He forced his eyes to stay open, for if he closed them, he might fall asleep and never make it. He had to make it.

...had to make it.

His family was there... he had to be there... he had to... sleep... no, swim... but sleep...

And then the grand beam of light went out.

Jasper opened his eyes and saw that he was in a dark watery place. Perhaps the bottom of the sea? Maybe he was dreaming. He often dreamed of swimming under the sea. It wasn't possible, though. He couldn't breathe underwater.

Or could he? He felt different. He looked at his front paws; they were like paddles now, or fins. He looked at his back paws. They had also formed fins along with his tail, which was like the painting of a mermaid he had seen on one of the visiting boats. And his whole body was the same color as the water. Even he had a hard time seeing himself.

Then a presence came to him, a watery being far stronger than he could ever be. It said, "Your love for your family and your love for the sea have impressed me. I have turned you into a Vaporeon, a Pokemon of the sea. Use your new powers well." And then it left.

A Pokemon of the sea? Jasper truly belonged to the sea that shared his name. That also meant that he could easily swim to St. Rosaline and find Pebble and Belle. Gladdened by this thought, he swam straight up to the surface. There was the legendary port, closer then he remembered it being. With his powerful new fins, he would make it there in no time.

Pebble and Belle were released from their Pokeballs into a caged-in area. The boy Monday shut the door on them. As it clicked, it started to hum. "Are you sure about this, Uncle?"

The rich man tapped his lit cigar on the bars. "They need to be trained as proper house pets. And it's a good thing I found a male and female. They can be bred and the eggs sold for large amounts of money."

The boy handed over the two Pokeballs. "Still, keeping them in a cage?"

"They're animals, boy, and nothing more. Come; it will be time for dinner soon."

The two Eevees looked around. The concrete and steel cage was smaller than their rocky beach. There was a mat for sleeping, a long dish for water, and two food bowls. There was a litter box, a camera, and a piece of rawhide for chewing. But nothing to play with, nothing to explore... and no Jasper.

"What happened to Jasper?" Belle asked. "Where is this place? I don't like it here."

"This doesn't seem like St. Rosaline," Pebble said. He sniffed around. Maybe there was a way to escape. While examining the door, he got hit by a jolt of static from the door. "Ow."

"What happened?"

He covered his nose with his paw. "The door hurts."

Belle sighed. "Jasper knew this was a bad idea."

Pebble felt bad, knowing that he had gotten himself and his sister into this cage. Well, he would have to get them out. He spent the night searching the cage. The concrete was too hard to dig through and the bars were too close together to squeeze through. And the door hurt.

The wind passed through the outdoors kennel, making the cage door rattle. However it had been latched, it hadn't been latched well. It was only the shock that kept them from breaking out. The shock...

Pebble nodded to himself. If they both couldn't get out, then he would have to get his sister out, by any means possible. He checked; she was asleep, worn out from worry. After preparing himself for his possible death, he lunged forward and grabbed hold of the bars of the door.

Electricity shot through his body. Every single one of his nerves screamed in pain, to the point that his brain simply cut them all off. Did he still have a good hold? He yanked on the door. There was a loud snap as the latch broke, followed by a clang as the door hit the wall. Pebble collapsed to the floor, his fur falling off his entire body.

Belle yelped in waking up, then trotted over to him. "Pebble? What happened to you?"

He wanted to tell her to run away, but couldn't move his body. Then he felt the electricity again, as if it were now something much stronger than himself, better than he'd ever be. "Your love for your family and your bravery have impressed me. I have turned you into a Jolteon, a Pokemon of lightning. Use your new powers well." Then the electrical being was gone.

He got up, able to feel his body again. Electricity seemed natural now; his own yellow needles of fur gave off static charges. A collar of white spikes had grown around his neck. He looked to Belle. "Let's go find Jasper."

She looked puzzled. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later, now come!" He ran out of the kennel, soon followed by his sister.

They spotted the sea as they came out, so ran for the beach. It was rocky like their home, but not exactly home. On the beach, a blue Pokemon with fin paws and a tail fin was sitting on a rock, looking around. The stranger perked up on seeing them. "Belle? Who's this?"

"Huh?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Jasper?" Pebble asked. "Did you hear a strange voice?"

"Of a watery being that was greatly powerful? When I woke up like this. Is that you Pebble?"

He yipped in excitement. "Yes, it is you, and me! A being of lightning came to me."

"What's going on?" Belle asked. "Why did you two change?"

Then a telepathic signal came to Belle and Pebble before the entire world went fuzzy. They couldn't know it yet, but the rich man had summoned them back into the Pokeballs.

The rich man blamed Pebble for the escape attempt, so he put the Jolteon on a collar and chain attached to a thick wooden post. Jasper let himself be captured by the rich man's nephew, so that he could be with them. Again, they plotted escape and failed, so Jasper was put on a chain as well. Belle was frightened by all this; she behaved herself.

Because of that, she was allowed inside the house. The maids would brush her fur and comment on how pretty she was. They dressed her in sunbonnets and ribbons. All the attention was fun, but Belle kept wishing that her brothers could be inside with her. Although, they probably wouldn't like the sunbonnets and ribbons.

She went out to keep them company whenever she could. Monday was nice about that, taking her out often to do so. He had a weird name and weirder hair, but he was a nice boy. He played with all three of them, called them by their proper names, and would give them hugs. He even took them to the beach so they could swim and look for rocks. While Jasper would snarl and Pebble would rustle his needles at anyone else approaching them, they greeted Monday with yaps and licks.

But the boy's uncle was another story. He was gruff, proud, and mean. He hit Jasper and Pebble with his cane if they growled and tried to bite. He was annoyed that they had evolved without his intervention. He even found reason to complain about Belle.

"Why hasn't she laid an egg yet?" the rich man huffed, glaring at her.

Belle scratched with her back paw, trying to remove the pink sunbonnet she had on. This one had been recently washed, so was starchy and irritating. When she paused, she looked out the window. Winter was starting and while the Sea of Jasper was mild year-round, there were some cold nights.

"She's out there with those two males every day," the man went on. "Surely she would have a child by now."

"Maybe they're her brothers, so she won't mate with them," Monday said, removing the itchy bonnet and scratching her chin.

"That shouldn't matter. I hear of breeders putting rare Pokemon siblings together all the time."

"She's certainly old enough, but she might not be ready."

"Maybe I ought to sell those two outside and buy another male."

Hearing this, Belle whined. "Don't do that! Please? Pretty please?"

"Could I train them for battle?" Monday asked. "I mean, I did catch them."

"But I own them, and that silly Clefable," the rich man said, narrowing his eyes at his nephew. "And I'm in charge of you since your fool parents are dead. I'm selling the other two."

It was an unusually cold night. Frost was growing on the windows. Belle was inside, but stayed by the icy patio door. There was a cozy fire in the other room, but she was miserable. Her brothers were stuck outside on this terrible night and were going to be gone the next terrible day. She didn't even have the heart to tell them about this.

Well, maybe she should take the fire out to them. One last night together... she could barely stand the thought. She went back to the fireplace to fetch a piece of fire.

The servant watching the fire had fallen asleep, so hadn't noticed a stick tumble off the main pile. Half of it was burning, but the other half was still whole. Although nervous about getting burned, Belle crept up and picked up the half-burning stick with her mouth. Then she walked to the patio door. If she pushed just right, she could open the door on her own.

But as she walked down the hall, she carelessly got close to a thin curtain. The material was fragile and the air was dry. Once the flame touched that curtain, it went up in a fast 'poof'. The fire jumped quickly to other curtains.

Startled by this, Belle dropped the stick and started yet another blaze on the carpet. As the flames spread rapidly, a terrible thought came to her: Monday was in danger! And it was all her fault. She rushed to his door and barked as loudly as she could. "Wake up, everything's on fire!"

The teenager opened the door, wondering what the fuss was about. He was holding onto a brown backpack. Once he saw the room filled with smoke, he ran across the hall to manually pull the fire alarm. This woke up everyone in the house: the maids, the butlers, and even the rich man. Belle tugged at Monday's pants. He got down out of the smoke and followed her to the patio door. There, he released Jasper and Pebble, for they were chained closely to the burning house.

Belle felt fire again, but not the fire that was consuming the house. This was a kind and gentle fire that still managed to be awesomely powerful. "Your love for your family and friend have impressed me. I have turned you into a Flareon, a Pokemon of fire. Use your new powers well." Then the gentle fire spirit was gone.

And her fur had turned red and yellow, while growing out longer and lighter. Despite the chilly air, she felt a deep inner fire that she knew would never go out. Belle trotted over to her brothers and warmed the air around them, so they wouldn't be cold. Monday sat by them for warmth as well.

"We have all grown up," Jasper said. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't want to stay here, but I want to stay with Monday," Pebble answered.

"So long as I'm with you all, I don't care where we are," Belle added.

Some distance away, the rich man was shaking his fist in the air and stomping his foot. "Who's responsible for this terrorism? I'll make sure that person never gets out of jail!"

"Might as well go tonight," Monday said quietly. "I've been planning on running away; Uncle wants to ship me off to a military academy. Do you want to come with me?" He held up Belle's ball. "I did catch you three, after all."

"Sure!" Belle said.

"So long as I get away from those chains, anywhere," Pebble replied.

"Absolutely," Jasper said.

And so the Eevee family, in new forms and with a new member, went out to explore the world beyond the Sea of Jasper.

…

Eevee Fire Red entry: An extremely rare Pokemon that may evolve in a number of different ways depending on stimuli.

Vaporeon Fire Red entry: Its body's cellular structure is similar to the molecular composition of water. It can melt invisibly in water.

Jolteon Fire Red entry: If it is angered or startled, the fur all over its body bristles like sharp needles that pierce foes.

Emerald entry: Flareon's fluffy fur releases heat into the air so that its body does not get excessively hot. Its body temperature can rise to a maximum of 1,650 degrees F.


	18. Seviper

The secretary had a white coat with fake fur. Lady found herself fascinated by it. Her trainer had a great many beautiful coats, some with fur, some without. But not a white one. Why should it make any difference? Lady wasn't sure why, so tried to keep her mind off it.

She looked around the lobby of the psychiatrist's office, but there wasn't much to see. White and gray walls, speckled tiles, wrinkled magazines, and a few toys, although none of any interest to the Seviper. She turned back to the secretary, who was hanging her white coat on a coat rack on wheels. "Gracious, it's gotten as cold as Snowpoint out there. And the roads are just terrible."

Yes, it had been cold; Lady could still feel it within her reptilian blood. But this trip was necessary. She was in the center of a controversy. She hadn't caused it, exactly. A local news program had when they alleged her owner of cruelty to Pokemon. If this meeting went bad, her owner's license would be revoked.

Which meant Lady would be taken away from the only home she knew. It was an awful thought. Who would polish her lovely violet and yellow scales? Who would know that she couldn't stand any music but classical? Who else would give her her own private space with a gauze curtain, satin pillows, and a soft nightlight? Who would know exactly how to prepare her meals (fresh but not alive, warm but not hot, perfectly clean, ready right at six pm on Tuesday)? Life without those things would be unbearable.

Although sometimes she dreamed of a rugged wilderness of hard rocks and harsh plants, of struggling to survive under the gaze of an ashy volcano. To wait patiently to kill unwary prey, to slither through grasses to avoid becoming prey, to be as venomous as the environment... it was a dream of a primal life.

But that wouldn't do, she sighed. She lived a sophisticated life. She was a civilized Seviper, was one from the day she hatched. In her world, the only thing that was harsh was the cold shoulder she gave anyone who suggested that she do something as lowly as battling.

"Lady, Ms. Kingsley," the secretary said. "Dr. Maple is ready to see you."

The psychologist was a short man, with short brown hair, short bifocals, and a short brown mustache. He started off by giving Lady a physical examination. He stroked her head. "You are a lovely specimen."

"Of course she is," Ms. Kingsley replied. "She is bathed every day."

Maple looked Lady in the eyes, brown meeting yellow. "But you've shortened her fangs."

"It's for the safety of those in my home. Even though she is well-trained, it makes my guests more comfortable to know that she can't bite them hard."

"And it seems you've had her poison sacs, both in her mouth and on her blades, surgically removed."

"That is a standard procedure for home-bound Pokemon."

"I wouldn't recommend it. Or keeping her tail blunt. Does she have a whetting stone to sharpen it with?"

"Of course not. She's too refined for that kind of activity."

True, she was. Although, sometimes she really wanted to whack something with her bladed tail. She wasn't sure how that would work, but it seemed like something fun to do. And there were times when she felt a desire to make her tail sharp. But that wasn't proper; it wasn't the way she had been raised. She worked out those feelings by gnawing on something, usually the sturdy rope she was provided with.

"It's an instinctive activity for a Seviper. I'm sure she feels the need to keep her blades sharp; being denied that could adversely affect her emotions."

"Lady is just fine, you'll see. Isn't that right, dear?"

She looked to her owner and flicked her tongue out affectionately. Yes, she did love her life. And yes, she was perfectly fine with everything. Although that white coat... somehow it was not leaving her mind.

And it stayed on her mind through the entire session. She was given a few things to play with, although play was beneath her as much as battle was. She settled on picking up blocks in her mouth and stacking them on each other. Then she thought about that coat and wondered about investigating it. But she had to perform well for the psychologist.

Maple seemed frustrated, if the way he kept biting the end of his pen was any indication. He couldn't find any obvious signs of psychological problems because there weren't any to find. "She is unusually docile for a Seviper."

"That's because everyone focuses on them being vicious and violent, but I know they don't have to be. Lady is the way she is and she's happy with it."

"Still, removing her natural weapons and keeping her from learning any kind of attack? What if she gets out in the wild? She won't have any way to defend herself or fight against other Pokemon."

"She won't be going into the wild or any battle. She wouldn't want to, anyways. I take care of her and treat her well. I admit that she might be a bit pampered, but that's not cruel."

"What is cruel is going against her instincts and animal nature. All Pokemon have some part of the wild in them, even the most truly docile like Togepi or Clefairy. Denying them their heritage is wrong."

"So you're saying that humans should still live in caves and be completely uncivilized? What if she wants to be that way? I know she does, because she shows disdain at anything you would call 'natural' for her."

"It has nothing to do with humans. This has been proven by years of research and observation."

"Well then you people have obviously missed something!"

There she went again, arguing passionately about her beliefs. Lady knew this could take some time. After glancing at them both, she felt certain that they weren't paying attention to her. She slipped out of the exam room.

In the hallway, she found the mobile coat rack. There were many articles of clothing and hats on it, due to the cold morning. That white coat was in the middle. Lady slithered up and sniffed it. Fake fur, as she suspected. That shouldn't be as interesting as a real fur coat.

And yet... it was interesting. She moved back and looked at it. It reminded her of something she didn't exactly know. Ancestral knowledge, perhaps, like how to sharpen her tail blades. If she ever got the right kind of rock for it, she could do it. But what was the meaning of this white coat?

Somewhere, deep in her primal dreams, there lived a white beast. Something with sharp teeth and claws, something that no poison could bring down. Something that would fight her simply because she was a Seviper and something that she would fight simply because it was... whatever it was. This blood feud was from the distant past. Even if she knew another like her, the other might not be able to tell her why they were fighting this beast. Just that it was the way it was.

Lady shook her head to clear the haunting thoughts, then headed back to the exam room. No, she was too sophisticated for such violent daydreams. It wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be this way. There was nothing about any white coat or dream beast that could change that.

Right?

Maple and Ms. Kingsley were still arguing, still ignorant of the fact that the subject of their argument was missing. Lady turned back to look at the coat again. It wasn't anything important. And yet she felt that she was committing a deep wrong by ignoring the dream beast. She might be feasting now, but should that beast be allowed to take over, her life would turn to famine. She was to fight that beast until the day she died, no matter what form the battle took.

There was a terrific crash as the metal coat rack was knocked into the glass door, then onto the floor. The receptionist yelped. It got strangely dark. Lady panicked for a moment that she had lost and fainted. Then she smelled dandruff and human hair. Ah, a hat had fallen on her head. She shook it off and surveyed the damage she did.

"Lady!" Ms. Kingsley called. She pulled the Seviper out of the pile of coats. "What happened to you?"

"This is clearly a sign of inner conflict," Dr. Maple said, proud to have found what he was looking for at last. "Why else would she attack a coat rack?"

"She did not!"

"She did," the receptionist said, seething. "Jumped right at it and grabbed my new coat, completely ruining it!"

Kingsley grabbed her coat and noted the damaged white coat. "You were baiting her! I'll sue this office!" She stormed out, carrying Lady. "Come on, Lady baby, let's go home."

Well that meeting had been a disaster. But Lady the Seviper found that she didn't mind all that much. She felt immensely satisfied with herself for defeating that stupid white coat.

…

Sapphire entry: Seviper's swordlike tail serves two purposes - it slashes foes and douses them with secreted poison. This Pokemon will not give up its long- running blood feud with Zangoose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was partly inspired by a discussion of declawing cats.


	19. Miltank, Tauros

Visitors to the Moo Moo Ranch were normally humans: Trainers and children curious about farm Pokemon or merchants who sought to buy dairy or beef products. Today's visitor was quite different, though. He was an odd Pokemon of dark pink and lavender, bipedal with thick tail, waist, and legs, but a slender chest and arms. His head was distinctly feline with almost human features. "My name is Mewtwo," he told the group of Miltanks.

"Oh, delighted to meet you, Mewtwo," one of the Miltanks replied, with a broad smile. "You don't seem like a local."

"I'm not. I was born in South America."

"What region is that?" another asked, tilting her head and making her neck bell jingle.

"A distant region." He looked over the group. They were all females, plump and full of giggles. He doubted anything of worth would come from this meeting, but might as well try. "I came to talk with you."

They giggled, of course. "How sweet of you. Would you care for some milk?" She pulled out a glass bottle with a blue label, clearly marking it as Moo Moo Milk.

Mewtwo took it, if only because it didn't seem safe for her to be holding a glass bottle between her front hooves. "How do you materialize this glass?"

"Oh no, we can't go telling our methods," another said, causing another burst of giggles. "We have secret knowledge of the cream."

"Right, very secret," a third added. "Calci-mum's the word."

"We heard it from the herd, but can't let it go heard."

"Go on and keep the milk and bottle. There's plenty to go around the pasture."

And several regions, he thought. He sniffed at it, then took a sip. It was thick and warm with a good amount of sweetness. Over his travels, he had heard that a Miltank's milk would keep a long time, but was at its peak fresh. This confirmed that; the older milk wasn't bad, but definitely had lost a fair amount of taste.

"What exactly are you traveling for, Mewtwo?" a Miltank asked in a friendly tone. "Looking for new sights?"

"Just listening and learning from others," he replied. "I'm the most powerful psychic in the world, so I thought I knew everything. But some of the," he frowned for a moment, "elder legends keep telling me that I'm missing something. I think they've got it all wrong, but just in case I am, I'm looking."

"Neat, a psychic!" a young Miltank said. "What number am I thinking of?"

Absolutely menial task, Mewtwo thought. "Two percent, as in one of the processed milk drinks they make here."

"Ooo, nice. That's exactly what I was thinking of."

He teleported onto a fencepost, making a couple of the Miltanks gasp. "Do you girls just think about milk all day long?"

"Mostly," the young one replied.

"But we also have to consider where the grass is best," another added. "Or what the weather is like, or what the farmers are doing, or which pasture we'll be in..."

"Or who's expecting," another piped in, to the laughter of others.

"You be careful up there," the one nearest to him said. "Those wires are electri-culted."

He twitched his tail, daring to miss the electric fence. "I know. But don't you consider life? Don't you wonder what is beyond the fence line? Do you ever wonder why you have to stay in this pasture, serving humans?"

"Hmm."

"Not really, I guess," the young one said. "Should we? I'm happy here in the pasture."

"That's right," another approved. "The farmers take care of us, we don't have to worry about anything, and there's always something to be happy about even on rainy days. So no, why wonder when there's nothing serious to wonder about?"

"I sometimes wonder if Ferdinand likes me," one said wistfully, causing squeals of delight among her peers.

"Oh yes, that is the thing to wonder about."

"He's quite strong; we have nothing to fear with Ferdinand around."

Mewtwo looked at the ground, trying not to scowl. "Tis little wonder why we Pokemon still serve humans, what with this kind of thinking going on. How shall the battles of revolution happen when the others are satisfied with menial and meaningless lives?"

His musing caused some puzzlement among his audience of Miltanks. One of the older ones advised, "Oh, if you want to talk of battles, we're not much into those. But you could talk to the Tauros herd on this farm. What pasture are they in today?"

"I think the next one over. Not that one there, but the one beyond it."

"I see. Maybe I will go speak with them." He teleported to the next fence line.

The Tauros herd was scattered about the pasture, unlike the Miltank herd. To the north, a pair were charging at each other with their heads lowered. Several others were just eating. One was observing a large rock in the middle of the pasture.

Mewtwo teleported to the top of the rock. "Excuse me."

The watchful one whipped his three tails around, then charged at the rock. Mewtwo teleported off before the Tauros hit the rock with a loud smack, and then stumbled back in a daze. For a moment, he reconsidered speaking with this Pokemon. Surely he, and his peers, had brain damage if their form of entertainment was rushing headlong into each other, rocks, trees, and whatever else happened to be in the way.

But he would try. "May we talk?"

"Huh?" The Tauros blinked at him. "Whaddya need permission to talk for?"

"I'm just being polite."

"Phfft, whatever." He shook his head.

"Why would you bash your head into that rock? There could be long-term damage done."

"Well that rock's in the way. It has to go." The Tauros stomped his foot and shook his head. "We are Pokemon of raaaage here! We raaaage about anything. If it's sunny, we get mad because it's too bright. If it's snowy, we get mad because it's too cold. If it's raining, we get mad because it's too wet. If there's anything worth complaining about, we'll get enraaaaged over it!" He snorted triumphantly.

This was... almost promising. Mewtwo felt disappointed that this was yet another dim mind, but the rage could be useful. "What about being stuck in this pasture?"

"That? That's not much to rage over. See, there's this rock."

"But you just said that it was in the way."

"I know, but other pastures don't have rocks, and we knocked over all the trees a long time ago, so there's nothing to work the raaaage against." He bellowed the word 'rage', but spoke everything else calmly. "Which is enough to get enraaaaged over, but then all you can do is butt heads against a buddy, and that'll get you knocked out faster."

"That doesn't make much sense."

"Does too. What are you, some sort of nitpicky smarty-pants?"

"Then what about the fact that you're going to get killed someday so the humans can eat you?'

"That's a good thing."

Mewtwo tried not to let his jaw drop. "A... good thing?"

The Tauros nodded. "Yeah. See, we're gonna get eaten by something someday at any rate. We could be out free, but then get eaten by something that prefers to hunt us down, beat us dead, and then tear out our guts and leave the rest for scavengers. Or, we could stay here in these pastures safe from those predators and scavengers, but then get eaten by humans who kill us quickly and cleanly. Really, when it comes down to it, I'd rather be killed before I know I'm dead."

'He's really been knocked on the head way too many times,' Mewtwo thought.

He flicked his tails. "But we generally don't think much on that. Too dismal. We'd rather get enraaaaged and beat down this rock and each other. Much better, don't you agree?"

"I don't know what to say to that," he replied honestly.

"Good. You wanna butt heads with me?"

Mewtwo teleported back onto the rock. "I think I'll pass." Then he teleported back to the Miltanks' pasture.

One of them nodded at him. "Crazy bunch, ain't they?"

"But they're so dreamy," the young one said, causing a great many giggles.

The psychic took another sip of the milk and considered things. What he was missing here, he concluded, was why in the world these Pokemon were happy with their simple, and sort of stupid, lives. So was it worth the time to study them and find out why?

Why were they happy?

…

Miltank Emerald entry: It gives over five gallons of milk daily. Its sweet milk is enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike. People who can't drink milk turn it into yogurt and eat it instead.

Emerald entry: It is not satisfied unless it is rampaging at all times. If there is no opponent for Tauros to battle, it will charge at thick trees and knock them down to calm itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very random Mewtwo appearance… he gets his own entry later. Much later.


	20. Rhyperior

The day: hot and dusty. The place: an old rock quarry. The time: when the sun was still high and the shadows were still small. The contenders: one male Rhyperior, eight feet tall and cracking his knuckles, and one female Rhyperior, taller but with smaller drill horns on her snout.

These two were rarely seen Pokemon that caused curiosity, and uncertainty, in the smaller and less developed locals. These wild ones lurked on higher ledges, feeling that this was the calm before the storm. A handful of Rattatas peered down to the bottom level where the two giant Pokemon watched each other. The giants were grinning with mischief and anticipation. A few Taillows kept an eye on the two humans, Trainers to the two below. The only one not paying attention was a Geodude, hiding under a pile of rocks and (pardon the expression) sleeping like a log.

The humans were also one boy and one girl, cousins who had conspired to train and grow their Pokemon to this level. They both had orangey-red hair, freckles, and dusty clothes. The girl held onto a thick white stick with an old off-white bath towel tied to the end of it. The boy held onto a digital camera, waiting to record what would take place. Some time ago, an idea had come to them. Now they were about to see if it would be as they thought.

Was it stupid? Probably. Was it insane? An argument could be made for that. Was it going to be stupendously ridiculously enormously crazily awesome? They sure hoped so, which was why they were recording the event.

The two star Pokemon were ready, only their patience from being trained holding them still. The local Pokemon were ready, although they weren't sure what for. The two Trainers were ready. The boy looked up at his cousin and frowned, wondering why she was taking so long. The girl grinned, then whipped the homemade flag high in the air.

The two Rhyperiors roared a friendly challenge to each other. This startled the quarry's keeper, a cranky oddball hermit who kept a shotgun in arm's reach at all times. He glared at the quarry, grumbling about doggone Pokemon before turning back to his crossword puzzle.

Not wasting any more time, the two Rhyperiors both snatched up rocks. With their unique muscle structure, they were able to fire these rocks from the palms of their hands like they were using ginormous slingshots instead. They did so at each other, but neither would allow themselves to be hit. Instead, they used their arms to bat the rocks right back at the other.

Then, with speed surprising for such large creatures, they snatched up two more rocks and began juggling them as well. The female slipped up and sent one of her returns wide. The Taillows screeched out of the way of the careening fowl ball, but soon returned to watch. This was just too weird and wild to miss.

On another ledge, the Rattatas began cheering, even though they weren't sure what the point of this exercise was. The girl human squealed, jumping and waving the towel flag wildly, while the boy yelled encouragement to his similarly gendered Rhyperior. The female Rhyperior, possibly accidentally, whacked a rock to whiz right by the male human to where he could feel the wind from its passage. But that wouldn't stop this match, no-sir-ee.

The male Rhyperior managed to bat back two rocks towards his counterpart before snatching up a third and shooting it at her. The thump of his heavy footstep finally awoke the sleeping Geodude, who wondered if she was still in a dream. The trio of rocks arrived at nearly the same time, but the female Rhyperior wasn't fazed. She whipped her body around and batted all three towards her peer's head.

That was a bit much. He rolled aside, then grabbed the puzzled Geodude. She realized quickly what deep trouble she was in and began flailing her arms about. However, the Rhyperior was too caught up in the excitement of the moment. Grinning, he fired.

The female Rhyperior did notice that the new rock was a living Pokemon... but she didn't really care. Grinning back, almost to the point of insanity, she braced her whole body, then brought all the power she had into smacking the Geodude like an all-star baseball player looking to make a home run record.

And the Geodude flew, zooming high over the male Rhyperior, screaming high over the Rattatas, speeding out of the quarry, smashing directly into the window of the quarry keeper's house, blasting the table and its contents all over the room, then finally crashing into an antique china cabinet, destroying it and everything inside.

Seeing stars whirling above her head and shards of white and blue plates around her, the Geodude moaned, "Why meeee?"

In the quarry, everything had come to a standstill. The wild Pokemon knew the crashing sound was a bad sign. The two Rhyperiors stared up in the direction of the house with their jaws dropped. The girl Trainer dropped the flag. The boy Trainer brought his camera closer. "Uh-oh."

The quarry keeper recovered from the shock first. Instinctively, he grabbed his shotgun and rushed outside. He fired off a blast as soon as there was sky above him. "Whoever is responsible for this mess is going to pay in blood!"

The boy Trainer jumped up and grabbed the Pokeball at his side. "Rhyperior, back!"

"Rye-Rye, back!" After the two were safely away, she whispered, "Let's get out of here!"

Another shotgun blast scattered all the locals and sent the two teens scrambling up the narrow path they had taken into the quarry. The resulting video had three million Internet hits by the day's end.

…

Rhyperior Diamond/Pearl entry: It puts rocks in holes in its palms and uses its muscles to shoot them. Geodude are shot at rare times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had two Rhyperiors, I would totally do that.


	21. Pidgeot

The door to the hotel room slammed shut. "Hmph. 'Common Pokemon never win,' yeah, that's what you think, floozy." The coordinator sighed and leaned against the door. "But the judges don't arrive until tomorrow morning. She can't bribe them all in that time. At least, I hope not."

The hotel room was more comfortable than a Pokecenter room would be, which was part of the reason she'd chosen it. And the large bathroom; that was a definite plus for grooming. In the main area, there was a couch, a large flat-screen TV, heavy curtains, and two beds. On one of those beds, her Pidgeot had already made a nice nest for himself by rearranging the blankets, sheets, and pillows.

Upon seeing that she was upset, he hopped off the bed and walked over to her. He cooed and bumped his head against hers.

She smiled and patted his head. "Good bird. Well, we have to get prepared. Come on, let's practice."

The Pidgeot chirped, then followed her towards the bathroom. She picked up a black tie on the way in there. After taking a few seconds to make a gentlemanly bow around the bird's neck, she nodded.

"Okay, dear, contest face on. We need to be elegant and beautiful, but not vain. Most of all, we need to be ready for the competitors, judges, and audience."

He folded his wings in just a bit closer and held his body up. Although every contest caused some nervous anxiety, he looked calm. And if they looked it, it was more likely they felt it.

"And now we're called out to the stage. Remember, first impressions are everything. It true that there are many Pidgeots out there, but none are as beautiful as you. Make sure the audience sees your true beauty as we step out. Come."

The coordinator put her hand on the back of her Pidgeot's neck, as she would in a contest. While the bathroom door was narrower than most stage entrances, they went through with little awkwardness. They had been working together so long that they had no qualms about being close.

Once out, he tilted his head back, then shook his crest out. It looked like a completely natural action, but they planned that little display to happen right as they stepped through the first stage light. His crest feathers were glossy and gorgeous, in red, yellow, orange, and tan. When freshly groomed, they shimmered in such a lovely manner that even those who called the Pidgies pests would gasp and gape. This was an important step, to move him from 'just another common bird' to 'wow, he's beautiful'.

They walked along the beds and around them in a manner the coordinator dubbed the 'casual strut'. Beautiful, but not vain. Looking vain could lose a high rank contest. Then she took her hand off him and stepped back so he could stand before the imaginary audience. He adjusted his wings so that their glossy shine was not missed either. A long time ago, they had decided on a peaceful beauty of a gentleman for him. Of all the images they could project, this one seemed most suitable and likely to win.

While they had plotted out every single step of their contest routine, it had to look natural when they did it. Thus, all this practicing and preparing. Coordinators and their Pokemon could lose for behaving too scripted, especially at the Master's Rank they were performing tomorrow. But they had to have a script, to take every advantage they could. Some people thought coordinators were just lazy Trainers, but they had never spent weeks with a Pokemon trying to get just the entrance walk perfect.

When the first part was done, she put her hand on his neck again and they walked to the other side of the beds. "Lovely job. What comes next?"

He held his head up, still with his feathers high. But he gave quick little glances to the sides.

"Right, a subtle check of the competition. So, who've we got?" She leaned closer to him. "Oh, there's a Bug. What do you do?"

He half-closed his eyes and held still.

"Yes, we don't do anything. He's a competitor, not lunch. Now, over there is an Electric Pokemon. What do you do?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Good, we keep calm. You can't hurt the Bugs and the Electrics can't hurt you. Now, who else... there's a Fighting Pokemon here."

There was a twitch of his eyelid, but nothing more.

"Yes, we don't laugh and we don't look down on them. You're a gentleman, after all." It wasn't smart to bring a Pokemon clearly suited for another Contest into a Beauty Hall and Fighters were nearly all shoo-ins for the Tough Hall. But over the years, she had seen many unlikely Pokemon appear and win through cleverness and appeals. "Now, this is a big competition. Coming up last... oh no, it's my rival, the super tramp, and her ultra rare Pokemon who also happens to be a shiny. What do we do?"

The Pidgeot tilted his head down and seemed unconcerned.

"Right, we pretend like we don't know them. Besides, if it's so ultra rare, how do we know it's a shiny? We can still win fair and clean. Now, appeals time. Start off."

Normally, she would be giving him orders on what to do. But it was always good to see what he would try. That way, she knew what moves he liked. Sometimes she even got a surprising strategy from her Pokemon's practices. This time, the Pidgeot held his wings out as much as he could stretch, then brought them in quickly to form a small whirl of air.

"Good move." On stage, there was always glitter, confetti, or something light and flashy scattered about in abundance. This would cause a small cloud of the stuff to whirl in front of him, a nice showy appeal. "Can you follow it up?"

He braced himself, then leapt in the air and spun gracefully, landing with one wing held high. Then he brought it down in front of him in a nice bow. Once it was done, he stood straight again.

"Beautiful. And, uh-oh, someone's preparing to startle you!"

He held stock still and closed his eyes.

"Excellent. Now, startle them right back!"

He made a loud squawk, holding both wings out. Then he brought his right foot up high and stomped it down. To further the effect, he took on a look that said, 'Don't make me come over there, fool'.

The coordinator jumped back some, to show him that it was startling. "Ooo, scary. And it looks like the audience is really excited."

This time, he jumped with a triple spin. He landed with his head low, wings spread out, left leg stretched back, and tail feathers held high. When he stood back straight, he had a look of, 'It was nothing, really'.

"Oh, but now they've tired themselves out."

He did his small Gust move again, but this time, he shook his tail and chirped. This showed that he was preparing a more thrilling combo next round. This would rile an audience right up when the combo went through.

She clapped her hands once. "Okay, and now we need to do something sneaky; we need to make the audience tired out so that my crazy rival's combo fails."

He shook his crest feathers, showing that he would enjoy this. Getting himself riled up, he twisted to the left, stretched himself as high as he could manage, and kicked one leg out. Then he twisted to the right and kicked his other leg out. Then he spun forward and went into his low bow before standing up and chirping loudly.

"Great!" It was a funny move and was really hard to follow up to, even in a combo. "Okay, last round! Show them your best."

The Pidgeot rose up in the air and began flapping his wings furiously. A whirlwind was created around him. Quickly, his coordinator opened the sliding glass door so he could fling the created whirlwind out harmlessly. With the glitter and confetti whatnot available onstage, this was a wonderfully showy move. However, it tired him out, so they saved it for last.

"Beautiful, dear." She went over and hugged him. "We'll show 'em that any Pokemon can be beautiful, even a common one."

The Pidgeot cooed and flicked his crest feathers proudly.

..

Ruby/Sapphire entry: This Pokemon has a dazzling plumage of beautifully glossy feathers. Many Trainers are captivated by the striking beauty of the feathers on its head, compelling them to choose Pidgeot as their Pokémon.


	22. Aron, Sableye

Two men sat in an office. One was an old miner, his beard dark gray from all the mine dust. His hair lay stuck against his head after years of wearing a helmet lamp. The other was the new mine owner, a man who kept expensive and rare stones under glass, but had never gone into a dark tunnel in search of those stones. A metallic rotating fan unsettled papers and ruffled the thin curtains on the window.

"These new methods are unnatural," the old miner said. "You're only going to find low quality stones, making for more work on everyone's part."

"Your methods are too slow, old one," the owner replied. "And your pricing charts? Ridiculous. There's hardly any profit."

"There's enough for this island to thrive."

"In bamboo structures with few amenities? You have a strange definition of 'to thrive'."

"We are happy; that is what matters. Besides, what about the Pokemon?"

"What about them?"

"This is their home. You'll be driving them out cruelly. And they do such fine work as it is. The Arons make fine steel for us to start with."

"But we have no control over quality and quantity."

"And the Sableyes refine the jewels, which is why they're of such good quality."

"Yes, but that's why glass baubles are bought more often than jewels despite the differences in rarity. Most people don't want something that has been deposited, so to speak, by a Pokemon."

"That's why it's been an island secret for generations."

The owner still shook his head. "I am giving people what they want: a good choice of clean stones. You will obey the new rules or I will drive you all off this island. I'm sure I can get plenty of workers from the mainland to replace you."

The old miner got up. "The Pokemon are capable of vengeance. I'm simply warning you."

Two weeks later...

In one of the ventilation shafts, a trio of Sableyes huddled near the surface. The golden spot of sunlight on the edge of the tunnel was foreign to them, and unpleasant. They were creatures of darkness, ghosts of the underground. As such, the only reason they were so close to the patch of sun was that they had been driven to desperation.

Their sharp claws ached to dig, but any noise would draw the attentions of the guard Pokemon. Their violet bodies were harder to sustain, due to waning energy. And their eyes, normally sparkling like underground moons, were beginning to look dull. One of them began creeping back down the ventilation shaft.

"What're you doing?" another hissed. "Those Pokemon are cruel, like their masters. They'll rip us apart."

"But we're starving. We have to do something or we'll die again."

The thought weighed heavily on them all. All ghost Pokemon had died at one point. If luck was on their side, they could have a second life. But should a ghost Pokemon die, there was no going back. And they all could remember strange after-death experiences that frightened them. Thus, they were truly more scared of death in their ghostly lives than in their first lives.

"A lucky find," a voice came from above. "Good evening, neighbors."

The three looked up to see a small steel-gray Pokemon that was covered in black freckles. But she too seemed to be suffering. Her armored skin was loose and duller than their eyes currently were. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to say, "What sort of 'good' is it? It's terrible!"

She held up one of her stubby feet. "Ah, but we have a plan. If you'll come up to help, and if everything works right, you'll have more gems than you can eat tonight."

"Why should we trust you?" the Sableye retorted.

"Because we won't be eating tonight unless you help, and we can't stand to be in such a debt. So, would you help?"

"Can we at least wait until the sun goes down?" the youngest Sableye asked.

The Aron shook her head, causing her armor to quiver. "We've watched the humans and they make the last run right after the sun goes down. We don't have much time as it is."

"So what are we doing?"

"Come up and see."

Reluctant to face the sun, but too hungry to care for long, the three Sableyes crawled out of the ventilation shaft. It was dim with evening, yet much too bright for their comfort. When their eyes adjusted, they saw a mass of Arons, possibly every single one on this island. It seemed that the female who had spoken to them was one of the healthier ones. Others had bad dents in their armor. A few were barely hanging onto life.

Their guide picked up her stubby foot again and pointed towards a set of rails nearby. "They've got those electrified so we can't nibble on them, but they've also got every open iron deposit guarded. The sneaky humans actually followed us, then drove us out of the tunnels. However, thanks to some noble sacrifices, we've discovered the source of the electrical power: that large box thing there."

The large box was about the size of a small shed. There was a hum of electrical power from the shed. With no windows and only one door, a thick cable ran from the shed to the rails. The unfortunate Arons who identified this source were lying just outside the door.

"We can't knock it down without getting shocked badly," she told the Sableyes. "But once the power is down, we have another plan to repay you for destroying the box."

"Can we manage that?" one asked the other two.

"If we are to survive, we must," another answered.

"Okay then. That box will be demolished."

Their first move was to fling Shadow Balls at the cable. Then they tore off the roof and peered inside. Although they didn't know what a generator was, they could feel the power it emitted. The Sableyes used their skill again until it stopped building power, then tore the shed apart with their claws. As the outer shell was made of plastic, it was of no use to either species. But the inner workings did have some metals, so once the charge died, the Sableyes were able to distribute those to the weaker Arons.

Once the cable was cut off, the Arons put their second plan into motion. Two males went up to the rails. For the sake of the group's survival, one took a bite of the rail to release the charge, nearly killing himself in the process. The other then went up and nibbled down the metal. After the sun vanished below the horizon, he stopped and came back to the group. Feeling bad for the first one, a Sableye went over to pick up the shocked Aron. She gave him a metal gear to eat in the meantime. Then they all waited some distance from the tracks.

The Sableyes were about to ask what they were doing, waiting when they were all obviously hungry, when the mine cart train came. Powered by its own motor, it ran down the tracks carrying a full load of delicious smelling gemstones. It seemed the humans had taken another way out of the mines, as there were none accompanying the twelve cart train. It carried on its own way until it hit the nibbled away section.

There was a tremendous crash as the carts derailed, spilling their cargo everywhere. Eagerly, the three Sableyes went for the raw gems while the mass of Arons went for the rails and the steel carts. It was indeed more gems then they could possibly eat, even as hungry as they were. They thanked their smaller neighbors several times over before taking a fair sized hoard back to the ventilation shaft to hide.

Unfortunately for the mine owner, someone leaked a security tape that showed this raid to the regional media. People were outraged by the state of desperation the Pokemon had been driven to and demanded that the new practices be stopped. Before long, the mine owner was forced out of business and the Arons and Sableyes were free to move about the underground once again.

…

Ruby entry: This Pokemon has a body of steel. To make its body, Aron feeds on iron ore that it digs from mountains. Occasionally, it causes major trouble by eating bridges and rails.

Emerald entry: It digs branching holes in caves using its sharp claws in search of food-raw gems. A Sableye lurks in darkness and is seen only rarely.


	23. Metagross

'It's a foggy start in Mossdeep this morning, the 11th of June at 6:55 AM. Visibility is down to thirty feet, but it should clear up quarter after 10. The high tide will peak at noon and there is a sixty percent chance of showers this evening, twenty percent chance that it will be severe. Those planning on using Fly to go west should beware of the stormy line between the current low pressure zone and the upcoming high pressure zone.'

There was a pause.

'And if you don't get up shortly, I will proceed to count the hairs on your head by chewing on them.'

"All right, I'm getting up." Steven opened his eyes and saw blue steel. "That is, once you stop hovering over me."

'Ah phooey,' the Metagross said telepathically, drifting back over to the floor with his magnetic field. 'I thought I had you today.'

"It's been a while since I conked my head on you first thing in the morning. But don't think I've gotten soft because you haven't been doing that every day."

'Good.' He walked off, but still used the magnetic field to prevent the floor from cracking under his over one-ton weight.

Steven went through his usual morning routine: a quick shave, then getting dressed, checking his schedule, fetching the newspapers. Before he started on breakfast, he opened a newspaper and set it on the floor for Metagross to read. He was four Beldums that had fused into one personality, which made him extremely smart. If Steven didn't find things to occupy that quadruple mind, Metagross would find his own puzzles to solve, usually in the form of pranks against him or other people. Fortunately, none of his other Pokemon were that demanding.

He did still have to go over every couple of minutes to turn the page for him. His magnetic field didn't affect the newspaper. Once breakfast was done, Metagross was done with the normal paper and ready for the Wall Street Journal.

"So Devon and Silph are releasing competing products at the beginning of next quarter," Steven commented on a story he was reading.

'Stick with them both,' Metagross advised. 'I think Silph should come ahead this time, but there's a possibility of it going the other way.'

"I hope Dad doesn't hear that you favor Silph."

'It's the older company, but its researchers are more innovated. Everything Devon does is an update or a rework of another product.'

"I know, but I should stay loyal to my family."

'You're keeping that stock; I would call that loyal enough.'

Steven smiled. "You would." He used to argue that his fortunes came from his family. But then he started buying and selling stocks according to Metagross' advice. Now that he was comfortably self-sufficient, he was inclined to agree on this point as well.

The Pokemon scanned over the stock listings. 'It looks to be a good time to buy into Shuckle Berry Farms. Their stock is low for the time being, but it should return shortly.'

"Okay, I'll look into that when trading opens."

'Do you want some of this newspaper?'

"No, that's fine."

Metagross crouched down to pick the part of the newspaper and eat it. 'You sure? The ink they're using now is tasty and it's good for digestion.'

"I don't think it's good for mine."

'I suppose I wouldn't know about that.' He paused and munched on another page. 'May I have a book on your anatomy?'

Steven picked up his newspaper to hide his blushing. "Um, I think not." Whenever Metagross learned a new subject, he had all sorts of questions which he asked even if Steven couldn't know. He could only image the sorts of things he'd be asked if the subject was human biology.

'Why not?' He might have a talent for telepathy, but had none for mind reading.

"You already scare off any girls I try to date. If you start talking about biology around them, I might get a reputation for being creepy." Some people couldn't tell the difference between telepathy and speech.

'I suppose. Then again, if your girlfriend can't handle me, she doesn't deserve to be going out with you.'

Steven shook his head. "And since when have you been a human relationship expert?"

'Ever since I started reading 'Dear Abby' instead of just eating it.'

"Oh, I see." He thought about that for a moment. "Are you going to start critiquing my manners?"

'Maybe. Maybe not.'

He got up to put his dishes in the dishwasher, then patted Metagross on the head as he went by. "Sometimes you're my best friend and sometimes I wonder why I put up with you."

The Pokemon laughed, sounding like some rocks clacking together. 'I do my best to keep you in line.'

"I'm sure." He went to his computer to check on things before heading out west. "Oh, did I tell you that the Professor has sent his kid out on a journey? And the new Gym Leader's kid, as I hear it. What was his name?"

'Norman.'

"Right, him. Those two ought to start with an advantage. I wonder if either of them will make it to challenge us."

'Technically, they have the same chance as everyone else. From my calculations of comparing how many Trainers are registered with Hoenn Pokemon League and with how many Champions have been named in the past ten years, that would be a 0.1545 percent chance of one particular Trainer becoming Champion. Unless they get a stellar Pokemon like me, perhaps.'

This time Steven laughed. "Right, no humble Pokemon could get into the Hall of Fame," he teased.

'I only relate the truth,' Metagross retorted, but his Trainer knew him well enough to know that it was a joke too.

…

Ruby entry: Metagross has four brains in total. Combined, the four brains can breeze through difficult calculations faster than a supercomputer. This Pokemon can float in the air by tucking in its four legs.


	24. Blastoise, Ariados

A man walked out onto the rooftop of the Sunshine Skyscraper. Not the Rooftop Observatory; no, that was a couple of floors below. This was the actual rooftop with the satellite and radio tower. This was a utility area that most people would never see. But he had good reason to be there. He was the leader of the window washing team.

He pulled the two Pokeballs off his belt and released the Blastoise and Ariados. These two were specially commissioned and trained for this job, although they, like their battling peers, considered this more of a game than a job. Eager to begin, they cheered loudly.

"Hang on, boys," the leader said with a smile. "We have to get you prepared, or else we aren't doing anything."

First, he put a harness with three small buckets around the body of his Ariados. The buckets had plastic flaps that ensured the cloths inside stayed inside. Then, he secured a blue hat on the Ariados' head that matched his own. It was marked with the company name 'Tal-tal Washers' in big letters, with the slogan 'We wash tall-tall buildings' in smaller letters below.

His uniform now on, the Ariados crawled under the safety fence and onto the skyscraper's outer wall. With the natural clinginess of his suction cup feet, he had no fear of falling. But his leader and partner would be in trouble if they fell, so he went to a hidden compartment to call out the washer's platform. There was another switch on the safety fence, but he preferred to use this one. It would be a little bit for the other two to be ready, so he spent a moment cleaning the tips of his feet.

The Blaistoise had a more complex hookup to do. The human leader put his hat on, then opened up the gate to the platform that the Ariados had brought out. On the left side were two hoses that connected to the building's water supply. The leader attached those to the valves on the tortoise's back after they were on the platform. These valves weren't natural, but had been humanely attached when he was only a Squirtle. His kind were able to summon up water in nearly any environment, but in order to make sure he had enough to do the job, this backup was necessary.

Then, on his left waterspout, the leader attached a container of concentrated cleaning solution. While he did that, the Ariados came back over and looped a strand of webbing around the human's waist. Once the spider attached a non-sticky length to the platform's rails, the leader was safe from any accidental falls. The leader then checked to ascertain that the system was secure and clean, then locked the platform shut and started their descent.

Sunshine Skyscraper's windows didn't start until below the Observatory, so they passed that level by. When they had windows to clean, they went to work. The Blastoise started by spraying the windows down with his left spout, sending cleaning solution over every inch. Then he sprayed the soaked window with his right spout. The clean water rinsed off the cleaning solution. Then the leader took a squeegee and wiped off all of the water. Next, it was onto another window.

Behind them, the Ariados scuttled over the cleaned window. As meticulous as the spider was about being clean himself, he left no trace on the glass. His job now was to inspect and look for any missed spots. Like this smear; it looked like a silly Pidgey had smacked itself into the glass. He took a soapy cloth out of one bucket and wiped it down, then rinsed it off with the watery cloth out of the other. Out of the third, he took an absorbent cloth and wiped it dry.

And so they went, window by window, floor by floor down the Sunshine Skyscraper. Other people might call it tedious work, or mind-numbing. But the three of them enjoyed their work. The human and Ariados were both meticulous in cleaning by nature, so it pleased them to leave sparkling clean windows behind. As for the Blastoise, well, he pretty much enjoyed having unlimited amounts of water to spray at things. It didn't matter if it was windows, cars, or Pidgies he was targeting. Although, he'd been trained strictly enough that he only fired on the job now.

Every ten floors on this building, there was an architectural flourish, a fancy molding that went around the whole building. That took some more work to clean, as there were more areas for dirt to get stuck. The initial washing went the same, but then the platform waited as the Ariados inspected. His small cloths weren't suitable for cleaning this material, so if he found a spot, he would tap it, then scramble away so the Blastoise could blast it again.

When noon came, they stopped the platform and brought out lunch: a roast beef sandwich for the human, a reed and fish salad for the Blastoise, and a tin of prepared food for the Ariados. When the human pulled off the lid for it, the spider perked up, tilting his head to chirp.

"You really love this stuff, don't you?" the human asked, handing the tin over.

The Blastoise scrunched his nose up at the sight (and smell) of the Bug food.

"There's much more disgusting foods out there, trust me," he told he larger Pokemon.

The Aridos hung himself from the molding above them to relax and eat. In the wild, he would eat smaller bugs, but in human society, he ate a grub and berry mish-mash called 'Buggy Mixx'. It was extremely popular with Bug Pokemon, although the commercial jingle was one of those catchy tunes that stuck in one's head for days.

Sitting far above the streets of the big city, too high to hear the noisy chaos of the lunch hour below, it was an awe inspiring sight. The Pokemon had magnificent powers, true, but only humans had the guts to build their own environment, orderly and clean. True, the Pokemon might win in short-term power, but over the long-term, humans had prevailed. If not for their human leader, the two skyscraper cleaning Pokemon would still be in the wild, still following their ancestral ways.

Yes, the cleaning platform was a wonderful place to sit and think, the human reflected. Especially so high up. He could consider all the mysteries of life and the world. Although he rarely came up with full answers, he liked the mental exercise. Any of those burning questions of life were up for the taking. Any, like...

"I wonder, if the League Challenge is as hard as they say it is, why do we keep hearing of ten-year-olds besting everyone to become Champion?" the leader wondered aloud. "And how are they keeping control of Pokemon powerful enough to do that?"

The Ariados tilted his head and clicked his mandibles, showing that he didn't entirely understand the question. The Blastoise just shrugged, as he always did to the human's lunchtime musings.

The leader's watch beeped. "All well, no time for that now. Let's get back to work."

The other two cheered at the announcement and went back to their places.

…

Blastoise Emerald entry: The waterspouts that protrude from its shell are highly accurate. Their bullets of water can precisely nail tin cans from a distance of over 160 feet.

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Ariados's feet are tipped with tiny hooked claws that enable it to scuttle on ceilings and vertical walls. This Pokemon constricts the foe with thin and strong silk webbing.


	25. Heracross, Dugtrio

Three Heracrosses were in the field. The two males were horn-wrestling, having locked the crosspieces against each other while they attempted to flip the rival. The female watched from nearby with interest. Her horn was longer than either of theirs, actually. Not really surprising; the girls never horn-wrestled each other, so never took the chance of breaking the end off. The males did quite often.

But this might be the last match for some time. The three of them lived in the Safari Zone and, as far as they knew, they were the only Heracrosses currently here. Therefore, whichever guy won this battle got the girl and reigned supreme in this land. At least, among the three of them. Thus, they were using most of their force for this match, even though it took a risk to their impressive horns.

"Rhyhorn!" the female squealed in alarm, as a hefty charging Pokemon rushed their way.

That jerked them out of their focused competition. The older of the pair snapped his head back too quickly, breaking off the end of his horn. Gasping more in embarrassed surprise than pain, he ran away. The winner ran over to the female and stayed with her as the gray Rhyhorn rumbled by. He was roaring in delight.

"Those guys are crazy," the male Heracross commented as the Rhyhorn carried on into a dirt embankment.

"We might want to get out of the way, in case they're competing too." But first, she tapped his horn with her own. "I'm glad that you won, even if it was because of that weirdo. I didn't want to leave you."

He clicked proudly, then followed her into the trees, out of the way of the Rhyhorns. She didn't stop there, though, but continued on to the edge of the Safari Zone. There, a deep ditch kept them inside. In case one of them tried to climb out, there was a row of thorny hedges on the other side of the ditch. Thorny, and emitting a scent that repelled most Pokemon. On the other side, or so the bird Pokemon reported, was another deep ditch keeping outside Pokemon from wandering in.

"Do you wonder what it's like over there?" she asked.

"Um, wouldn't it be the same as in here?"

"Maybe. But I hear there's no Rhyhorns over there."

"Really?"

"That's what the humans say; I've heard them. They also say that this is the only place for Kangaskans and Scythers."

"Huh. That sounds nice. The Scythers especially; I don't know how many times they've tried lopping off my horn with those wicked arm blades of theirs."

"Me too. But I also hear the same for Chansies and us."

"Well the Chansies I could do without. They can get annoying. But other Heracross? Surely there must be others out somewhere."

"That's not what they say. They come here for us sometimes."

"Those humans can show up at anytime, anywhere in here," the male thought aloud. Then he had a horrible thought. "They could take either of us away at any time." After all the work he had put into getting where he was and staying there, would he have to let her go without any notice?

"They could. I've thought of escaping before. But there's those ditches and hedges. And the gate guardians. And the glowing lights that shock you when you try to pass them by."

He nodded, having encountered those electrical fields before. "We might be able to climb over the building."

"They'd catch us at that real quick. There's always several humans over there." She shifted the plates on her back to flutter her small transparent wings. "I do wish our wings were enough to go over those ditches, rather than only being able to give a boost to our jumps."

He thought for a moment, then said, "I could throw you across the ditches and to the other side."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I can throw anything really far."

"That is an idea..."

"You just watch." He put his horn around her waist, then flung her far over the hedges. Then he realized the problem; he had no idea how to get himself over those ditches. He also had no idea if she fully made it to the other side. "Uh-oh."

Actually, she had cleared the other side by several feet. She also had no idea how to get him over or for her to get back. She was finally outside of the Safari Zone, a dream she had held for her whole life. But instead of feeling happy, she felt terrible that her dear friend had been left behind. "Oh no. I should have said no." She sighed and closed her eyes. "If any spirit would think kindly of us..."

A tremble underneath interrupted her prayer. When she hopped back, a strange brown Pokemon popped its head out of ground. Rather, she lifted her three heads as six eyes peered all around. "Hmm... oh, hello there.

A second head added, "We've not seen something like you before."

The third asked, "What are you?"

"I'm a Heracross," she replied. "What are you?"

"Well that depends."

"We are Diglett siblings that have not split ways yet."

"So we are a Dugtrio."

"Except we're not really one, but three."

"So we don't know why we are said to be advanced."

"For we are the same, correct?"

"Certainly."

"Like the Dudrios?" the Heracross asked, thinking of the odd three-headed birds she saw around the Zone.

"Similar, we think."

"Oh, but if you can dig, that's great. Could you help me? My mate tossed me over the ditches, but then we can't get him over here. Would you dig him a tunnel to come here?"

"That would be easy for us," one head said.

"Easy favor, but still, what could you do for us?"

"I don't know, but I'll do something," she said. "Please help us."

"Well there is one thing," the third head replied.

"Are we sure we want that?"

"We've always wanted to try."

"Let's go get her mate, and we'll figure it out on the way."

"He looks like you, right?"

The Heracross nodded. "Right."

"Okay, it shouldn't take long."

The Dugtrio triplets dove back into the ground. Through their shared lower body, they could sense the state of the soil, including where those ditches were. They couldn't go as fast as usual, for they had to make this tunnel solid for the male Heracross to make it through. Still, several minutes later, they broke surface again.

The nice thing about having three heads was that they could check in all directions at once. They easily spotted the male Heracross, looking mournfully across the ditches. "There you are!" one head said.

"Right where the girl said you would be."

"She sent us to you, she did."

He perked up, then darted over to them. "You saw my mate? She made it over?"

"Quite well, it seems."

"We're to bring you to her."

"Follow us." They moved back into the tunnel.

He wasn't too sure about following a strange Pokemon underground. But to get back to her... he went into the tunnel. It was a tight fit and dirt tumbled across his back as his progress disturbed the structure. At the other end, the Dugtrio triplets dug into the ground to get out of his way. He was glad to be out of that claustrophobic space and back into familiar trees, but even more glad when he saw her. "You made it!"

"You came!" She came over and they rubbed horns affectionately.

The Dugtrio appeared again. "Aw, that's sweet."

"Glad to have helped you both."

The two Bugs turned to the Ground Pokemon. "So what can we do for you?" the female Heracross asked.

"This might sound odd," one started.

"But we always wondered what it's like to fly."

"And since you said he tossed you over here,"

"We wondered if you might toss us."

"It is really weird," one of the heads said, ducking closer to the ground.

"But it's one of those crazy dreams, you know?"

The Heracrosses looked at each other. "If that's what you want, we can do that," the male said. "But you have to come out of the ground first."

"Oh dear," one said.

"We've never been out of the ground."

"But, I suppose, it's the only way we'll get into the air."

"Okay," one said nervously, then led the other two heads out. Her lower body was something like a Slowpoke's, a brown body lying on the ground. Although her clawed hands and back feet were nothing like what a Slowpoke would have.

"You're bigger than I expected," the male said.

"But we should be able to toss her together," the female pointed out.

"True. You ready?"

"As much as we can be."

To the female Heracross' count, the pair got their horns under the Dugtrio, then tossed her over the trees and out of sight. "I hope she lands safely."

"Yeah. So, we're free! Do we want to look for our kin?"

"Certainly." The two left to explore, not sure of what they would find, but glad to be with each other.

Some distance away, the Dugtrio crashed into a bush. "That was wild," one said, her mind still spinning from the height below her instead of above.

"It wasn't like our dreams," the second commented.

"I'm not sure we want to do that again."

"But it was fun," the third added. "I hope they do well."

"Let's go back underground. I'm hungry." So they dove back into the earth.

…

Fire Red entry: Heracross has sharp claws on its feet. These are planted firmly into the ground or the bark of a tree, giving the Pokemon a secure and solid footing to forcefully fling away foes with its proud horn.

Dugtrio Emerald entry: Because the triplets originally split from one body, they think exactly alike. They work cooperatively to burrow endlessly through the ground.


	26. Sunkern, Sunflora

One of the most famous vehicles in the world was speeding over the ocean, headed towards Sinnoh. Not a boat, though. This was a Magnezone flying train, with six of the super-powered magnetic Pokemon levitating the twenty-four cars and a seventh running the forward engine that propelled the whole train along. Its bright yellow, red, and green motif was unmistakable. Children all over the world anticipated the coming of this train, the Sunflora Carnival Train.

It started generations ago as a small family of entertainers, both human and Pokemon, who traveled from town to town with their tricks and treats. It was still a family-owned group, although now that family had grown massively and the carnival went from region to region. And its most beloved members were still the Sunfloras.

Indeed, the four largest cars belonged solely to the cheery yellow flowers and their caretakers. The cars had curved glass roofs so they got plenty of sunlight. There were shallow pools of water for them to drink or splash in. And up on a shelf in one of the cars, the young Sunkerns were given a permanent residence. The little shelf had a soundproof barrier to let them have quiet. Their caretaker checked in on them constantly to make sure they were resting in ideal conditions. They did not do much, but given the full life ahead of them, this was the perfect start.

The Sunkern seeds didn't think of much, beyond simple things like how sunny it was and if there was possible danger; not that the latter would ever be a concern to the Carnival Pokemon, but it was an instinctive worry. So when one thought, 'I'm ready,' it was a drastic change of routine.

He opened his eyes and peered around. The other Sunkern were resting, not stirring to his movements. The little shelf box had been just right, but now seemed too small. After locating an exit hole, he hopped over and jumped through. It was an unexpectedly long drop to the floor; he fluttered his small leaves to slow his descent.

As soon as he got down, he caught the attention of some of the Sunfloras. He caught even more attention as a green light enveloped him. The concentrated nutrients in his body went into hyper activity as he burst out to become two feet tall with a broad yellow flower for a face. Once the green light faded, he waved his arm leaves experimentally and called, "Sunflora!"

"Sunflora! Sunflora!" a clamor of voices responded as every Pokemon in the car came around to see their new peer.

Oddly enough, he was different from the rest. Poets had often alluded to Sunflora as being like spring, of bright new greens and yellows, of fresh flowers opening their petals to a world being renewed. But he was more like autumn, of bronze and golden yellows, of a last burst of color before the white of winter. This caused a great deal of interest from the others, even tinges of jealousy from some. But it caused him confusion, as his first thoughts wondered if he had done something wrong in his evolution. How would he change this look, though?

The four caretakers in the car stopped their card game to see what all the fuss was about. "Oh wow, is that a shiny one?" the youngest said. "I hadn't noticed he was like that before."

"It's harder to tell with the Sunkerns," the oldest one said. "But we now have a shiny again."

"Sunflora?" he asked anxiously, tilting his petals inward. Was it a good or bad thing to be shiny?

One of the women caretakers picked him up. "We still need to mark you. No, no hassling him," she directed the last to some of the older Sunfloras who tried to follow them into a small room in back of the train car.

It was a healing corner, with a machine to cure any who got hurt and a cabinet of supplies for any who got sick. The caretaker brought out a blue bag that she placed on his top petal. It was cold with ice, so he shivered. "Sa?"

"I need to pierce you with an ID ring; this'll make sure it doesn't hurt. We do this to all of our Pokemon, partly so we can tell you all apart easily and partly so we can keep track of you. Although, anybody would be able to pick you out without trouble."

A primal part of his mind interpreted this to also mean that predators could pick him out easily. "Sunflora..." he mumbled, drawing his petals in again.

She scratched his neck in a way that felt nice. "Nervous little guy, huh? I don't blame you. We all perform for the crowds. Soon, you'll be learning how to sing, dance, do tricks, and make people laugh. But you'll be under extra pressure, because you start off special."

He opened his petals back some. It sounded fun; after weeks of sitting around preparing, he had a tremendous amount of energy. The only thing holding him back was nervousness, and knowing that he was special didn't help that lessen.

"We'll train you well and we won't send you out to perform until you're ready, so don't worry about that. And if the others bother you, come to us. We understand what you want to say."

"Sa?" Was that true?

"Most of the time, I'm certain. Okay, hold your petals still."

She took out a piercing gun and attached the pin of the ID ring through the numb petal. Although the ring was as light as they could possibly make it, he still noticed the added weight. The caretaker then brought out a hand mirror so he could see his ring. It had a black background with yellow five-petaled flowers.

"There you are. You're now an official Carnival Sunflora, part of the family. We'll figure out who gets to train you in a couple of days, but for now, you can play with the others."

"Florr," he replied, and followed her out the door. He was still nervous, but after a while, he found a couple of friends who showed him how to dance.

The female caretaker went back to the card table. "He doesn't seem vain, so he shouldn't be a royal pain like the last shiny."

"That's good," the older man said. "She would fuss over anything and throw a tantrum to any excuse."

"He is a little shy, though, and nervous. But we can work that out."

…

Emerald entry: Sunkern try to minimize movement to conserve the nutrients they have stored in their bodies for evolution. They will not eat, subsisting only on morning dew.

Sunflora Fire Red entry: In the daytime, it rushes about in a hectic manner, but it comes to a complete stop when the sun sets.


	27. Exeggcute, Exeggutor

The life of a wild Exeggutor was rarely peaceful. Not because of predators, though. They rarely have peace because of themselves. The tall walking plant had a central intelligence, but it had separate individualities for the seeds it carried. It could carry up to six and, invariably, one of them annoyed the others.

"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends," a strong voice sang out loudly. "I can try with a little help from my friends."

"Will you shut your yap already?" one of the other nuts on the Exeggutor shouted. "It's way too early in the morning for your nonsense."

"But the birds are signing too," he protested.

"We're not supposed to sing," a third snapped. "And you're annoying us by doing it all the time."

"I love to sing!"

"You only know one song."

"But it's a great song."

"Can't you look your way to see if there's a better spot to catch the sun?"

"I wanna sing."

"Then maybe you should go off on your own."

The music lover growled. "Fine, I will." He snapped himself off the main body of the Exeggutor and fell to the ground. His outer yellow husk slipped off, revealing the pink oval form of an Exeggcute. Now his mind was entirely his own, and he could sing all he wanted.

The tall tree-like Pokemon lumbered away towards a sunny spot another nut had spotted. "Have a nice short life, loser!" one of them shouted, causing laughter among the others.

The single Exeggcute seed grumbled. "Hmph. Just you guys watch. I'll find myself a posse of music lovers and we'll stun everyone by becoming the first seed choir."

He spent a moment figuring out how to move. There were several options open to him now: bouncing, rolling, sliding. But the best way, he found, was telekinetically lifting himself an inch off the ground and drifting where he wanted to go. It took a lot of mental effort. He managed and found a river bed where many Exeggcute clusters had gathered, to build or exchange members.

The first cluster he found had four seeds. "Hey, wanna join us?" the lead seed asked.

"Do you sing?" he replied.

"Sing?"

"Uh, not really," a rather cracked one answered.

"I can make funny sounds," a younger and less cracked seed piped up. "Ba-dum, diddle didy dee, shu pa ti sha, bahm bahm bahm bish."

"You need a rhythm," the singer advised. "I guess music can have funny sounds, but it must have rhythm."

"Cool, you know rhythm?"

"I only know one song, but I know its rhythm."

"Hey, I'm gonna go with him."

"Suit yourself," the lead seed said, then let the sound maker go.

After that cluster left, the singer asked, "Um, how do we connect? I just dropped off my tree."

"It's real easy, man," the sound maker said. "Lead seed asks the new one if he or she wants to join, and the new one says yes. Then the psychic link is made. But, uh, mind being leader? I ain't much for leading, see. I just make funny sounds."

"Okay, so, you want to join my cluster?"

"Course, man."

And like he said, a psychic link formed between them, linking their minds together like he had been as the seed of an Exeggutor. They exchanged thoughts for a while, then the singer sang his song to teach it to the sound maker. It took a few tries, but the latter came up with a string of beat noises to add to make the song sound better. Mostly along the lines of 'da-dun-dun'

While they did so, an Exeggcute cluster of three came up to them. "Catchy tune," one of them, all girls, said.

"Thanks," the singer said. "Do you like music?"

"Yeah, we like to hang out by where the humans live," one replied.

"They have music playing a lot over there, but you gotta be careful or you'll get caught."

"Where is that? I'd like to learn more than just my one song."

"We could join you and then you'd know where," the lead girl seed said. "Besides, I'm getting tired of leading, but they won't step up to the responsibility."

"But you're all girls," the sound maker protested. "We're both guys."

"That's no problem." There was a flicker of psychic power, and the cluster of three seeds had become male. "Will that do?"

"Freaky."

"How'd you do that?" the singer asked in shock.

"You can change any time you want just by thinking so. We were just girls because we had a member who was very girly and wouldn't have things any other way."

"But my tree cluster was always male."

"So was mine," the sound maker added.

"That's cause an Exeggutor becomes one gender and stays that gender. We're just seeds, so we can switch as we like."

"Then what decides the Exeggutor's gender?"

"Majority rule, I think."

"Maybe it's the lead seed's decision."

The singer considered (and hoped that it was his choice, not majority). "You guys really like music? I'm gonna make us into an egg choir."

"Sounds neat. We'll try it, right?"

"Sure."

"It's something different," the third, and shier, seed replied.

"All right then. Do you want to join my cluster?"

They all agreed and soon set off for the human town to learn how to be an egg choir.

…

Exeggcute Fire Red entry: Even though it appears to be eggs of some sort, it was discovered to be a life-form more like plant seeds.

Exeggutor Fire Red entry: It is called "The Walking Tropical Rainforest." Each of the nuts has a face and a will of its own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokemon 'biology' is so weird… I love it!


	28. Raichu, Charmeleon

'A campfire scene was supposed to be warm and cozy,' the boy Trainer thought. 'But this one stinks.'

It was probably the wood from his first fire, which had been lots of smoke and little fire. Only after the smelly smoke had saturated his clothes, his bag, his Pokemon, and himself had he recalled that he wasn't supposed to use green wood to make a fire. Then it was another half-hour to gather more suitable wood, and another half to build this fire up.

And now he was trying to figure out if the soup sitting in a pot over the fire was actually cooking. Soup was supposed to be real easy to make. He could do it with no trouble back at home. It was causing all sorts of trouble now: nearly tipping over into the fire, the pot getting too hot to touch, the rack maybe being too high, the smoky smell starting to invade his supper. Everything was more complicated than it had been at home.

Home. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting homesick. The start of his journey had been exciting. Getting into battles, seeing new places, earning his badges, all great fun. Especially the battle tourney a couple of weeks back where he and his two Pokemon had earned a Thunder Stone to evolve Pikachu into Raichu. People hadn't expected him to get far in the competition, but he made third place and got an interview on live TV. It had been great.

But now, lost deep in this strange forest, he was feeling sharply homesick. Every noise from the darkness caused him to tense. Especially a rustle in the undergrowth or the strange calls of Pokemon he'd never known to exist. As far as he was from the normal Route, would one of them be so wild that it would attack humans?

He really wished that he hadn't come this far.

His two Pokemon were out with him, at least. Raichu was huddled against a log, warily eyeing the trees in case some vicious Venomoth came back to poison him. Charmeleon, on the other hand, was lazing blissfully by the fire he had helped create, as if they weren't miles from known civilization with no idea of where to get out. After a bit, he turned to his teammate and said, "Hey."

"What?" Raichu asked grumpily.

"You know that sitcom show about that Ash guy? I bet his middle name is Otis."

He twitched his ears. "Why's that?"

"Because then his initials would spell out A-O.K."

The orange rodent groaned and shook his head. "Why must you always make up those awful puns?"

Charmeleon lifted his head up. "Ooo, or maybe Otis is actually his first name! That means his initials would spell out Oak. Gasp, it's a conspiracy! Ash is actually Oak's grandson, not Gary!"

"What difference does that make?"

"Well it explains why Oak let him have a special starter. But why is he hiding that information from everyone? Hmm, mysterrrious." He lay his head back down and swished his tail in the air. The flame at the end was glowing a calm orange-red, wavering as it moved from side to side.

"Why are you even thinking about sitcoms? We're completely lost here!"

"What else is there to think about?"

"Plenty, like how to get out, and how to keep the local Pokemon away. And watch how you wield that tail flame; I'm sort of glad we don't have to worry about the nightly chill, but you're making things really stuffy."

"Am I? Sorry. I don't notice unless it's cold." He wrapped his tail around his body.

"These woods are creeping me out," the Raichu went on. "I keep feel like somebody's watching me."

"I'm watching you."

"Not you, doofus. I mean somebody in the woods. It could be a sly predator, waiting for us to fall asleep so it can slit our throats and eat us all."

"They wouldn't eat a Trainer's Pokemon."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Mmm... pretty certain. Probably not the human either, unless it's a really big predator."

"You're not helping any," he growled.

"Just saying what on my mind, you know. And we'll probably find a way out."

"Probably? No foolish certainty, instead foolish uncertainty?"

Charmeleon looked at his teammate curiously. "What's with the grumpy sarcasm?"

"Grrr, because I have to deal with you." He whacked the lizard on the snout with his right paw.

"Ow, hey!"

"Raichu, discharge into the ground," their Trainer spoke up, noticing his Pokemon's mood.

Instead of following the order, he tensed up. "Why should I?"

"Go do it."

Growling again, he flicked his jagged tail, then jammed it into the ground. There was a brief crackle of electricity accompanied by an increased glow around his tail and the electrical sacs on his cheeks. Once the built up charge was gone, he took a few deep breaths. There was now a neat scorch mark in the ground from where his tail had been.

"You feel better?" the boy asked.

"Yeah." He looked to Charmeleon. "Sorry about that. Got too worked up."

"No worries. You just needed to chill a bit. By the way, you can borrow my chill any time you like. If I get too cool, I'll die of hypothermia. That's why I don't wear sunglasses."

"You are so weird," Raichu replied, but this time with friendly sarcasm.

Their Trainer pulled a steaming spoon out of the soup. It was finally done. He sighed. "Wish my anxiety was that easy to get rid of."

…

Raichu Emerald entry: If it stores too much electricity, its behavior turns aggressive. To avoid this, it occasionally discharges excess energy and calms itself down.

Charmeleon Leaf Green entry: When it swings its burning tail, it elevates the air temperature to unbearably high levels.


	29. Whismur

The girl ran up the stairs to the entrance of the library, gripping her umbrella tightly against the strong wind and rain. Two Pokemon followed her, one flying and the other hopping. Passing by the twin Ninetails statues, they made it to the sheltered entryway. She shook out her umbrella. "Hah, 'Beware of sudden downpours'. Yeah, that radio DJ wasn't kidding."

"Rain, rain, go away," the Chatot chattered, landing on her shoulder.

On the ground, the Whismur shook her large ears, then looked out at the rain.

"I have to put you away, Chatot," the girl said. "You're too noisy."

"Noise, noise, go away," the bird replied, whistling after. She pulled out her Pokeball and recalled her.

"They should be fine with you," she told the Whismur.

She pricked her ears up and replied, but it was difficult to hear her over the rain.

"Let me dry you off." She brought out a towel and patted the pink Pokemon's feet until she wasn't leaving footprints behind. Then they went inside.

The library was quite popular today, probably because of the rain outside. It was mostly humans inside, although a few Pokemon who know how to keep quiet and weren't Fire types were following their Trainers around. There were three floors above ground and two basements below, according to a building map by the entrance. It was a warm inviting place, with reading stations scattered throughout the stacks.

But her purpose wasn't with the books today. She went up to the front desk and quietly asked, "Excuse me, but may I use the Pokedex Database?"

The librarian nodded. "Sure, if you'll just sign in at the desk there; those computers are in that room over there."

"Okay, thanks."

A few other Trainers were in the room as well, looking up information on their Pokemon or doing what she planned to do: skimming around for potential new ones that would help out. The online encyclopedia was immensely helpful, with anything from basic identification to advisories on training methods. Already, she had been saved a lot of headache and money by checking out one new catch, a Beldum, and learning that it was a more difficult Pokemon than she wanted to deal with. It was easier on both her and the Beldum, then, that she released him early.

First, though... she glanced down at Whismur. "You want to see what it says about you?"

"Wuh?" she replied softly. Due to the quiet of the library, she could actually hear her now.

"We'll see what the experts have to say about your kind." She logged into the Pokedex by scanning her ID card against the reader.

When it gave her a list of options, she chose the 'Regional' listing. The screen immediately brought up a dialogue box. 'The Regional Pokedex for the Sea of Jasper and surrounding communities is known to be incomplete. We have entries for many common types for most areas, but a few places have yet to be explored and some rarer types are known to exist. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you wish to assist complete the Jasper Regional Pokedex, please contact the Tipa Pokemon Lab.'

She frowned. "Wish I could," she muttered, "but those mobile units are so expensive and hard to get a hold of."

Whismur made a warbling question noise.

"Besides, the places they probably don't have information on are hard to access."

She waited for the list to upload, then searched for Whismur. It came up with a long entry, filled with preferred habitats, diet, known moves, general descriptions, evolution information, links to news stories, links to other regional entries on Whismur, and various pieces of advice. This species wasn't one they were having trouble getting information on.

The Trainer put her hand to her chin. "Hmm, so you have a natural three-stage evolution, that's good. And... each of your evolutions gets louder. Hoo boy. I will need to pick up some earplugs."

Whismur moved her ears in front of her face and warbled bashfully.

She read on about her new Pokemon's first stage. "This is interesting. 'Whismur breathes through its ears as well as its nose. This unique physiology leads to its ability to sustain constant cries; the longest recorded cry on record goes on for two hours. Unfortunately, this arrangement also limits the Pokemon's ability to judge just how loudly it is crying. This is why Whismur and its evolutions are known both for their extreme quiet and for their ability to match the noise level of a jet engine. They can be calmed down if their ears are covered, though, for then the vibrations will be felt and they quiet down immediately.' I'd better remember that."

The Pokemon responded softly.

She looked at her. "I wonder if it works in reverse." She leaned over and gently pressed her hands on Whismur's ears. "Will you speak up now?"

At first, she was again quiet. She blinked, then spoke in conversational tones, "Whi mu. Whe?" She seemed to be wondering why her ears were being held closed.

The girl released her hold. "Some of you Pokemon are so odd. Anyhow, we came to look up what Water Pokemon I want to aim for. This could take a while, though. There's so many of them." She turned back to the Pokedex Database and began searching.

…

Ruby entry: Normally, Whismur's voice is very quiet - it is barely audible even if one is paying close attention. However, if this Pokemon senses danger, it starts crying at an earsplitting volume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whismur used to be one of my favorite Pokémon; its third gen sprite was so cute and that Ruby entry could be describing me, eerily enough. Unfortunately, later sprites of Whismur are not as cute and I could never make much use of its later evolutions.


	30. Cubone, Marowak

She froze at the sound of footsteps. Gravel tumbled along the narrow path outside the tiny cave she had taken refuge in. "So what exactly do people want 'em for? Skulls and bones, ugh."

Her egg quivered. The Marowak wrapped her arms around it, to keep it from making noise. With it still, they might not be discovered.

"Rich people fancy bones," another voice said. "That, and their skulls are said to have magical defensive qualities, if you believe in that kind of voodoo. And those bone clubs they have, sometimes it's especially strong and thick. Trainers would kill to replace their Marowak's regular club with a Thick Club."

"Still strikes me as creepy." The voices were trailing away. Leaving?

It seemed so. The Marowak released her egg, then went back to loosening her skull piece. Her kind had partial exoskeletons, as bone grew out over their heads and alongside their arms. The extra arm bone would eventually break away, allowing them to use it as a weapon. She had two such clubs, both lying on the ground. A third was just starting to grow off her right arm, but it wouldn't be ready for several weeks.

The skull piece shifted back and forth until it fully snapped off. The tension between her conflicting instincts rose again. The new skull piece underneath was soft; she had technically pulled off the old one too early, earning her a dull ache around her head. However, her maternal instincts had grown loud, as they always did when one of her eggs was in process of hatching. Her instructions for being a mother told her to take the skull piece off before the baby was born.

The maternal instincts won, as always. She slipped off the helmet and waited.

The cracks on the egg spread, but it was a slow process. Eventually, the shell could withstand no more and broke into five pieces. The baby Cubone toppled over, causing one of the shell fragments to slip towards his skin...

The Marowak caught the wayward egg shell, having anticipated that it could happen. She moved the shell pieces away from her child. He looked similar to her, only shorter, stubbier, and stockier. But he lacked the ability to grow an exoskeleton, and would never be able to until he evolved into a Marowak too. His head was round and smooth, but as soft as fruit. It was easy for a Cubone to suffer a head injury and die.

To prevent that, the Marowak stuck her old skull piece onto his head. Then she told him the first thing her mother had told her, and the first thing her grandmother had told her mother, which every Cubone and Marowak had heard in generations of their kind. "Trust in my bones and they will protect you. Leave that bone on until your own can grow underneath."

The Cubone got up and looked at her through the eye sockets of her old skull. "Mother... yes mother."

She picked up the newer club bone from the ground and handed it to him. "This bone shall be feared by your enemies. Take care of it until you have your own, and it will take care of you."

"Yes, mother."

With that ritual done, she smiled and could have said something more. But then the voices from before returned. "I've found two of them!"

"Great, now get the Pokemon this time."

The man smiled greedily at them. He wore a peculiar outfit of tight black pants and shirt, the latter of which had a giant red 'R' on it. The Marowak knew them to be trouble; they had harassed her for over a year now, trying to steal her from her home. But she knew how to escape those spherical machines they kept throwing at her.

She picked up her old bone club. While they were strong, the bone couldn't hold up forever, and this one was starting to show signs of wear. But it was important for her child to have a stronger club to protect himself with. "It seems I must show you this before I meant to."

The Cubone was understandably afraid, as he was only minutes old yet watching his mother prepare for battle. "What's going on?"

"These people are cruel. Don't let them touch you."

The Marowak rushed forward and struck the man in the knee. Yelping in pain, the man kicked her into the hard rock walls. Normally, she would have been fine, but her new skull piece was too soft for protection. The shock of hitting the hard wall with her soft head killed her.

The Cubone was terrified. Although he was newly hatched, he knew some things through the memory of his specie, one of which was that she was supposed to take care of him for a few months until he was ready to be on his own. She was supposed to teach him how to fight and look for food. Now that she was gone, he wasn't sure what to do.

Trust in my bones and they will protect you.

The 'R' man had stumbled back to check on his knee. Seeing an obvious chance, the Cubone jumped up and smashed his bone club into the man's head. He grabbed hold of the shirt's collar and yanked, ripping it right off. His mother's murderer seemed more vulnerable than he was now.

"Ah ****!" the man shouted, scrambling away. "Mad Pokemon!"

"What's going on over there?" the second man shouted.

"It's gonna kill me!" He ran off. After a moment of consideration, his partner chased after him.

Trembling, the Cubone looked around at the rocky mountain pass. So he could fight... but what about everything else? For a second, he saw a large snake made of rocks that somehow floated through the air. What was that? Friend or foe? What should he do? There was so much he didn't know, and everything he saw was another mystery.

He went to his mother's body and crouched by her. "Mother... what should I do?" He began crying.

A few minutes later, an old man came down the mountain path. The Cubone felt conflicted: should he escape or should he stay by his mother? But there was something to this human, something different from the 'R' man. He had a calming presence and the Cubone somehow knew that this man would not hurt him.

The old man looked over the scene: the Pokemon by his mother's body, the white egg shell fragments, the torn 'R' shirt, and the flecks of blood on the Cubone's club. He seemed to understand its meaning, but wasn't afraid of the young Pokemon. Instead, he came closer to make sure the Marowak was dead.

"It's a terrible sacrifice for love," he said in a soothing voice. "You need not fear me, child."

"I don't know what to do," the Cubone said, then hiccupped from crying.

"My name is Mr. Fuji. Why don't you come with me?" He gently picked up the Marowak's body. "We'll see to it that she rests safely in peace."

The Cubone quietly followed.

…

Cubone Fire Red entry: It wears the skull of its dead mother on its head. When it becomes lonesome, it is said to cry loudly.

Marowak Fire Red entry: It is small and was originally very weak. Its temperament turned ferocious when it began using bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another side to that little story detail in the Kanto games. I love all the little story details scattered through the series. They make such great springboards for fanfics.


	31. Kingler

It was the lowest tide of the moon cycle. That meant the Krabbies and Kinglers would gather for battles and courtship rituals. The Krabby line stayed in the wet sand where they lived. However, the evolved Kinglers moved further up the beach. It was harder to move in the loose and dry sand, but it proved their strength to go over there.

And he had only evolved last week. The new Kingler scurried over to where the others were going. He had some experience in dry sands, but that was before he had grown his grand claw. Despite it being a third of his weight, he was proud of it. He could break coral with it. He could scare off smaller fishes by waving it around. It made him a fully mature Pokemon.

Upon looking at his competition, though, he got nervous. Some of them had a grand claw that took up half their weight. Some of them were smashing rocks. His grand claw wasn't that powerful yet. Thankfully, other young ones appeared to have the same problem. His claw would get bigger and grow into something to be really proud of.

After watching the older Kinglers for a while, he decided to test himself out on one his own age. He picked one who looked like an equal match; their grand claws were the same size. He walked over to his foe and lifted his claw up. "Fight me!"

"You ever been on this part of the beach before?" he asked threateningly.

"No."

"You'll lose," the other Kingler said, waving his grand claw. He opened it, preparing to lunge for him.

The new Kingler scuttled to the side, brought his grand claw up, then smashed it over his head. Then he gripped his opponent and attempted to flip him, like he'd seen some other Kinglers do. It was harder than it looked, though. The other Kingler was cussing his head off; he stuck his grand claw into the sand to keep himself from being flipped. After several seconds of trying, the new one flipped his opponent over.

"You're not supposed to do that!" the defeated Kingler shouted, struggling to get back upright.

"What, beat you?" a nearby female asked. "He fought fairly."

"He must be cheating."

"How would I cheat?" the new Kingler asked. "There's no way..."

"You're denying it, cheater!"

"What's going on here?" an older Kingler demanded.

The new Kingler felt awed at the sight of this male. He had the largest grand claw he had seen yet. Yet he had the strength to hold it up off the ground as he walked.

On the other claw, the loser barely noticed. "He's cheating in battle somehow, father. It's his first time up here, so he couldn't beat me on his own."

"You can't cheat in a fair fight," he protested.

"It must not have been fair if you beat him," the older Kingler growled. "I am the ruler of this beach. My claw is the law. And he is my heir. Therefore, you must be cheating."

He raised his claw. "What? That's absurd."

"It's my ruling. And this is your punishment." With shocking speed, he grabbed the new Kingler in his grand claw and began crushing him.

For a moment, he was afraid that he'd be crushed to death on his first trip up the beach. But then the female who had stuck up for him slipped around behind the elder Kingler and snapped at his backside with her grand claw. He dropped the new Kingler and spun around, shouting, "Okay, who dares to nip my behind?"

Nobody answered, for the female had slipped away quickly. Her grand claw wasn't as large as the males, but apparently it was just as powerful. While the elder was distracted, the new one scurried away further up the beach. He nearly tripped over a jagged shell in the sand, but forced himself ahead.

He thought he'd gotten away when he heard, "You ought to leave."

He looked back at the female. "Leave for where?"

She gestured with her lesser claw away from the ocean. "Over there. Humans go that way often. You might find a Trainer willing to take you and make you stronger."

"What about you?"

"I've got things to stay for. But since you spoke against that tyrant, he's going to make life hell for you. So go."

"I see. Thank you."

"He will fall someday." She scuttled back to the other Kinglers.

He felt a little unnerved to be leaving the ocean, perhaps permanently. Then again, he had heard tales of his kind who had gone with Trainers and come back much much stronger than any other. Deciding that it was in his best interest, the new Kingler went towards the humans' path.

…

Kingler Leaf Green entry: The large pincer has 10,000-horsepower crushing force. However, its huge size makes it unwieldy to use.


	32. Riolu, Lucario

The pale light of the crescent moon tried to pierce the valley, but the murky fog was too much. It filled the valley like an airy river, tumbling slowly towards the south. It turned the light of a campfire into an orange glow. It made it impossible to see where the path ended and where the cliff began. It kept most hunkered down in a safe spot until morning.

Most. The Lucario knew the landscape by memory, so he could hunt on foggy nights. He preferred to hunt on foggy nights, as it worked with his stealthy tactics. On his turf and terms, he was perfectly safe.

However, the campfire was a worrisome sign. It meant that humans were here. He had chosen long ago not to go with them; he had an excellent territory, with a fresh spring, good plant cover, good prey, beautiful views, distant rivals, so why give it all up? Not that the humans had much of a chance of finding him, but the Lucario would play it safe and observe. Just in case.

His kind had a sense that few others had, the ability to feel aura and emotions from others. It was a sort of smell, but not, coming through the black flap of skin that went around his eyes into a 'knot' at the back of his head, then trailed down. This skin sent sensory signals to the part of his mind that also translated smell, which was how he 'smelled' another's emotions. He would consider that knowledge fairly useless, though. He only needed to know how to use it, not why it worked.

This sense informed him that there were two humans here, two young females. Since the fog obscured their limited senses, they had set up camp for the night. They were fast asleep, no threat to him now. Most of their Pokemon were asleep in their Pokeballs, save for one that had stayed awake to stand guard.

She was a Riolu, as he had once been. Definitely a strong one, she kept her senses as alert as she could keep them. It was a loyal gesture, to stay awake and watch for danger. But she had a trace of fear as she watched the murky fog. She was on unfamiliar ground, so she wasn't sure what awaited her.

Although she really need not worry, the Lucario thought. He was the only one around who dared to move through the fog. And even if he were desperately hungry, he wouldn't seek a Trainer's Pokemon for prey. They were indeed strong, and if he managed to get one weakened, it would be gone before he could make the kill. That didn't mean he wouldn't challenge them for practice during the day; he just had to make sure to run away before the human tried capturing him.

He might as well not worry about them. And yet, while they lived solitary lives, Lucarios weren't entirely loners. He ought to look out for the Riolu's well-being, at least for this night. He knew that she couldn't evolve as she was now. That trace of fear and uncertainty was enough to hold her back. There was something he could do about that.

Quietly, he approached the camp. She may have been trying to be alert, but there was a scent of fatigue to her and his senses were sharper. He chose a spot just before he could see her and stepped on a loose twig.

The Riolu's small ears twitched. She turned towards his direction, giving a good impression that she was doing it without regard to him. But her aura said otherwise, that she was ready to protect the two humans when need be. Good.

The Lucario leapt to the side, rebounded off a sturdy rock, then passed behind her and feigned a punch to her left shoulder. He had no intention of hitting her; it was possible that he could knock her out in one blow. However, that would be counterproductive. He simply made sure that she felt it.

She did, and quickly snapped her arm back to counter him, but he had disappeared into the fog already. That gave her aura a sharp tang of fear. Thankfully, it was brief as she controlled her mind to focus in battle. He scattered some pebbles as he landed, letting her know where he was.

She noticed and darted after. Once she saw the dark haze that indicated his position, she jumped and made to kick him in the head, even though he was twice as tall as her. The move would put her dangerously close to the cliff's edge, so he grabbed her arm before she jumped. "Don't move, little sister."

She stared at him for a moment. "I don't have any family, I think."

"It's just a saying. There's a cliff right behind you." He pulled her back to her campsite. "Then you hatched with these humans."

"Yes. The other Pokemon have helped raise me... why are you here? Do you mean to hurt my friends?" She was poised to strike once he let her go.

"No. I was simply testing you." He released her, but she believed him enough to not strike. "I live here. I noticed you keeping guard."

"It's my turn. I can do this."

"I noticed your fear."

"Oh, um..." She rubbed her ears with her arms. "I don't mind keeping watch, but it's so hard to see."

"Then don't rely on your sight. Rely on your nose. You will notice that first."

"I would, yes." That ease her worries some, but not enough.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You must move past your fears. You must stand steadfast in battle and, as you are with a Trainer, you must keep your loyalty. When the dawn's light finds you content of heart and mind, then you will mature in body."

She mulled over that, then asked, "Why dawn?"

He shook his head. "We're not certain, but that is the lore we pass down through generations."

"Oh. I wouldn't have any way to know that."

The Lucario nodded. "It is the duty of elders to guide the youth. I will teach you tonight, but once the sun rises, I must be gone. Riolu, you have much strength, but this will help focus that power."

"Okay, thank you."

…

Riolu Diamond entry: The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad.

Lucario Pearl entry: By catching the aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I still didn't own a fourth-gen game and I never watched the anime. So I didn't realize this was a regular portrayal of them. All well.


	33. Quilava

Flicker the Quilava lifted her head up. There were visitors, a dozen or so first graders and their teacher crowding around Malcolm, one of her three handlers. It was a pleasant surprise. Lowering her flames to appear friendlier, she left her station and padded over to them. "Oh, she's pretty," one of the girls said.

"Hey girl," Malcolm said, scratching her head in front of her flames. "Yeah, this is Flicker, our station mascot."

"But if you fight fires, why do you have a fire Pokemon for a mascot?" a boy asked.

"What's this pink rock around her neck?" the girl who had seen her asked, kneeling by her to touch the heart-shaped pink rock.

"One question at a time, please," their teacher reminded them.

"Well Flicker's not just our mascot," Malcolm said proudly. "She's our guide into burning buildings. It's very hard to see when dark smoke and bright flames are everywhere, plus our gear further reduces visibility. However, she sees just fine and is never hurt by the fire and smoke. So she leads us in dangerous situations." The fireman touched her collar. "And this rock is a peculiar mineral called an Everstone. It somehow keeps a Pokemon from evolving."

"So she'll never grow up?"

"Not quite; she's mature and well-mannered, as you can see. But we can't have her evolving on this job. She's a great guide as a Quilava, but if she grows into a Typlosion, then she'll be a fire hazard herself. Which, unfortunately, we can't have around on the job."

Flicker was patient with the kids, letting the brave ones pet her. She also tried to keep her fiery mane and tail as cool as she could manage, in case one of them was thoughtless enough to touch that. But then the station alarm blared out a call to action. It was time to do their jobs.

"Sorry, but I have to ask you to leave," Malcolm apologized. "Excuse me." He ran off to get into uniform.

Flicker ran off too, just missing the fuss as the teacher started pulling her students out of the way of the fire engine. Back at her station, she slipped herself into the guide harness and face mask. She had to learn how to do it when she started as a fire guide, and quickly. Every minute counted and by the time the alarm had gone on for a minute, she was hopping onto her position on the fire engine.

Seconds later, Malcolm joined her. He had every part of his suit except the gloves on, having worked as a firefighter for many years. He secured the harness to Flicker, as she couldn't manage the two buckles with her paws. Then he put his gloves on, took hold of her leash, and braced himself as the engine left the station. The kids were out there, some cheering, some covering their ears. But there wasn't any time to pay attention to them now.

They raced down several streets to reach a house fire. It was a single level house, which made things easier, but the fire had spread rapidly. The house would likely be a total loss, but they had to gain control and make sure no one was inside. As the rest of the team went to hook up the hoses, Malcolm, Flicker, and another firefighter ran up to the front door.

The Quilava's face mask was to prevent noxious fumes from making her sick, but it wasn't as heavy duty as the ones the firefighters wore. She had to be able to smell out the situation. As flames spilled out a nearby window, she stood herself up to sniff the inside. Her sense of smell wasn't as great as some other Pokemon, but she could tell the important smells. And what she sensed... she pawed at the window twice, but flicked her tail up and twisted her ears forward.

"There's two people inside," Malcolm translated for the rest of the team, "but Flicker smells flammable chemicals, still dangerous."

"Take care as you head in," the chief replied.

The second firefighter was already taking an axe to the door, as it was locked. He made quick work of it and soon Flicker and Malcolm were inside. Thick smoke was everywhere, but she walked low to the ground and relied more on her smell to guide her handler. Down a short hall and to the left, there was an old woman lying on the floor. She must have tripped trying to escape and couldn't make it out on her own.

Flicker put a paw on Malcolm's leg, to let him know that they had found her. He spoke to his peer, who put his axe aside and picked up the old woman. Then the Quilava tugged at her leash to lead Malcolm back into the hall, into the next room, then around a corner into another hall, then across that to a room where an old man was unconscious. She pawed at her handler's leg again.

Carefully, Malcolm knelt down and picked up the old man. As he needed one hand free in cast of obstacles, he released a small pulley on Flicker's leash, lengthening it. She led him back out of the house, avoiding a burning table on the way.

The ambulance had arrived while they were in the house; medics were already looking after the old woman. Malcolm placed the old man on a stretcher and left him to their care. Upon seeing them, the old woman cried out. "Oh! Is he...?" She couldn't bring herself to ask if he had died.

"Flicker says he's still alive," Malcolm told her. "You should both be okay now."

"Good, thank you so much for rescuing us."

He smiled. "It's more her doing, not mine."

"Yes, thank you, loyal Pokemon." She patted the Quilava's nose weakly.

Flicker nuzzled against her hand, glad they were safe.

…

Quilava Fire Red entry: This Pokemon is fully covered by nonflammable fur. It can withstand any kind of fire attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a post about how someone didn't want to evolve Quilava because it was too cute. I thought there might be another reason in-world.  
> Someone asked about Flicker's face mask; she would be able to handle a normal fire, but a house fire often has toxic chemicals from burning paint, plastics, etc., that would be dangerous for her.


	34. Paras

The small shop was still and quiet. Two desk fans swept back and forth, one rustling some dried corncobs. It all blended into a background hush. A small Paras, a red Bug Pokemon with orange mushrooms growing out of her back, was peaceably gnawing on a ginger root on top of the checkout counter. There was no human in the shop. Despite this, the sign on the door claimed that the shop was open.

The natural foods and herbs store was stuffed with products. The shelves were full of a mixture of natural remedies and organic foods. Customers said that it had a distinctive smell, a complex mixture of all the products there: earthy and fruity, dense and tangy, mysterious and somehow familiar. Despite the old world philosophy, there were a few infiltrations of technology: small speakers scattered throughout the store playing ancient music, the computerized register, and the tiny bar code scanner carefully attached to the Paras' left forearm.

A jingle of the front door broke the Paras' attention from her lunch. A boy and girl walked in. Judging from their gear, they were Trainers. "Man, this place smells weird," the boy said.

"It's natural, so it has to be good," the girl retorted. She came in further to look around the shelves. "Hello? Anyone here?"

The Paras went up to the register and ran her scanner against a bar code there.

"Good day," the speakers answered from a recording. "I have gone out for a little while. If you need assistance, please ask my Paras. She can handle purchases of most items in the store. For anything in the locked cabinets, you will need to wait until my return."

"Ask his what?" the boy asked.

The girl found the counter, so the Paras waved her claw. "I think it's this Pokemon. Aw, she's cute." She picked her up. "But what's with the mushrooms?"

The Paras patted the girl's hand, then jumped back onto the counter. She scurried over to a glass jar with dried mushrooms in it and scanned the bar code. "Dried tochukaso mushrooms," a nearby speaker identified. "This mushroom lives symbiotically on the back of the Pokemon Paras. When eaten, this mushroom promotes longevity, joint flexibility, and heart health."

"Sounds good." The girl glanced over the label on the jar. "Uh, but maybe not for that price."

"Well if it only comes from a Pokemon, it would be hard to get." He came over to the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "So this old shop has a computer that can answer verbal questions?"

"No, didn't you see?" She picked up the Paras again. "She has this itty bitty scanner that tells the computer what we want to know about."

"Huh. I've always wondered why, if they can understand us, why don't they talk like us?"

The Paras clicked her mandibles and rubbed her legs together. "You want me to talk like you when I can only make sounds like this?"

"Well I think she must be very clever if the shop owner will let her run this place while he's gone." She looked at the Paras. "I'm looking for some honey drops, if you have any. One of my Pokemon is sick with a sore throat."

She waved a claw in an affirmative reply, then pointed to Aisle 3. She had to correct the girl from going down Aisle 2, then guided her over to a basket of various bags of the drops she wanted. Then she waited to be of more assistance.

"Could you get a basket?" the girl asked.

"Sure thing." He went back to the entrance to fetch one. "Which one of yours is sick?"

"Girafarig. She won't speak and has a hard time eating. But Nurse Joy said it didn't look serious and recommended this place."

The boy came into the aisle. "That sounds miserable."

"Yeah, even her tail is being quiet. I hope this is really all she needs." She pulled out a honey drop bag. "Hmm, 'with chamomile.' I know she likes my chamomile tea, so this ought to be good." She placed it in the basket.

"What kind of healing stuff would this place have?" the boy asked. "I mean, like something to replace an Antidote. My Charmander doesn't like the taste of the standard stuff; he'd almost rather faint from poison than drink an Antidote."

The Paras thought for a moment, then pointed over to Aisle 4. Once taken there, she pointed her scanner at a bar code for a display of small dark bottles. "Natural flavor concentrates. Should a liquid medicine taste undesirable, add a drop or two of flavoring to make it palatable. Works with standard Pokemon medications, non-prescription drugs, and natural oils. If adding to any prescription medicine, please check with your doctor first."

"Huh. That might actually work."

The girl laughed. "You might want to not pick a flavor he loves, or he might just intentionally get poisoned."

"That's true." After looking over several kinds, he took a grape flavoring. "This should be fine."

"Oh look, Lava Cookies," the girl said, picking up an orange and red package. "I hear Pokemon love these."

"Are they actually made with lava?" the boy asked.

"I wouldn't think so... look here. 'This product is not made with volcanic materials. If your Pokemon is inclined to eat rocks, please look for the original recipe in the dark red wrapping.' So maybe some of these are."

The boy picked out a dark red Lava cookie. "Awesome. 'This cookie is made with volcanic materials and is not suitable for human consumption, or for Pokemon with organic diets. Please make certain that your Pokemon can digest this product; otherwise, look for our plant or meat based variations.'"

"Looks like they really did their research on what Pokemon like to eat."

The pair wound up picking out a cookie that each of their Pokemon would like, for a total of seven Lava Cookies. Then they brought the Paras back to the check-out counter. "So now what?" the boy asked.

She hopped onto the counter and waved for them to put their purchases on the counter. After making certain that they had put everything there, she scanned a different bar code on the register. Then she scanned each product one by one, pushing them towards the stack of recycled paper bags. As her memory was excellent, she rarely made a mistake. Once she was done, she scanned the register's bar code again.

"Your total is eight dollars and twenty-three cents," the speaker by the register announced. "Please scan your debit card or deposit your money in the appropriate slots."

"My day to buy stuff, right?" the boy asked. He took his Trainer ID card and scanned that through the register's reader.

The Paras hopped onto the register to where the receipt was printing. When it was done, she tore it off, then offered it up to the boy.

"Thanks," he said. "Responsible Pokemon, aren't you?"

"She's so cute," the girl repeated, patting the mushrooms on her back. "Hope you're not alone too long. Goodbye, little Paras."

She waved a claw to say goodbye to them, then returned to gnawing on her ginger root.

…

Emerald entry: A Paras has parasitic tochukaso mushrooms growing on its back. They grow by drawing nutrients from the host. They are valued as a medicine for long life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Paras is cute anyways. Another session of wondering what ordinary life is like in the Pokemon world.


	35. Torterra, Starly

It was a crisp fall day in Sinnoh. The trees were a bright assortment of reds, yellows, and even purples. Although those dried leaves were crackling in the breeze, a light jacket was enough to keep her warm. The sun was bright and thus it was the perfect chance to take a break and read a book. She had a Star Wars novel that was quickly coming to an exciting point; she might just have to make this break a little longer than usual.

She waved a Bug Pokemon away from her book. "Shoo, I'm resting up there."

The Burmy crawled back to get away from the waving hand, but then was snatched up by a Starly. The small brown bird then flew up to a nearby tree to eat its snack.

The Trainer looked up after them, then tapped the hardened dirt beneath her. "You're attracting your own little eco-system, did you know that?"

A tan colored head poked out of what had appeared to be a small hill. "So long as the birds get the bugs before the bugs get my tree, I don't mind," the Torterra replied.

"Holy Luvdisc!" a male voice yelled from the road below. "Th-that hill's alive!"

"That's... not a hill," a Pokemon replied.

"Hey, I'm not that slow," the Torterra retorted.

The girl sat up. "Oh, hi Mark!"

"Carol? What're you doing up there?"

"Taking a break to read." She grabbed her book and slide off the tortoise's back. "You remember how you teased me about picking the little Turtwig?"

His jaw dropped. His Empoleon was as tall as the Torterra, but nowhere near as big. "That's your starter? How'd she get so big?"

"Patience," the Torterra answered, even though he wouldn't understand.

"He's not someone to talk about patience with," the Empoleon said. "We're always in a hurry to get somewhere or do something."

A Starly landed on the Empoleon's head. "Hey, got any food, got any food? I'm hungry," he squawked.

"Ah, grow up," the Empoleon replied before retreating back to his Pokeball.

"Ack, rude!" the Starly cried, flapping his wings frantically to not crash.

"Rude! Rude!" his peers called out.

"What's up with the Starlies?" Mark asked.

Carol shrugged. "They get less annoying when you evolve them."

"So what're you doing blocking the road?"

She put her hands on her hips. "We are not blocking the road."

He leaned back slightly, scratching his head. "Okay, okay, so you're not blocking the road. You're not going to hit me, right?"

"Not for now." She put her hands down. "Anyhow, she gets most of her energy from photosynthesis now and she's too big to take many places, unfortunately. I even had to request a Gym battle to take place outside once because her tree would have touched the ceiling. So for those reasons, I try to bring her out at least once a day, maybe half an hour."

"Huh. And here I was getting annoyed at my starter having to duck through doorways. Sorry, didn't think she'd really grow this big."

"Well she's still my friend," Carol said, patting her Torterra on the head.

"For always and ever," the Torterra added.

"When I get my own house, I'm gonna have to add a special greenhouse just for her."

Another Starly dropped near them. "Hey, hey, wanna fight?"

"You're asking for a concussion, bird," the Torterra replied. "You might want to think twice about your challenge."

"Um, he tilted his head, then hopped up. "Yeah, fight, fight!"

"Ugh, they're so annoying," Mark said. "It's like an infestation, how those Starlies are everywhere."

"As much as I like my Staraptor, I don't want to bother with these little guys," Carol agreed. She pulled out a spray can and sprayed some Repel over the brown bird. "Scram."

"Ew, ew, ew!" the Starly squawked, rushing off. "You smell disgusting now!"

The Torterra wrinkled her nose. "It is pretty bad."

Landing on a branch, the Starly blew a raspberry at the two humans. "Stupid smelly humans."

"Ew, you're smelly," a nearby Starly squealed.

"I'm not smelly."

"Are too smelly."

"Are not."

She hopped away from him. "Are too... oof!"

The female she'd crashed into fluffed herself up. "Hey, watch it! Don't get no smelly on me."

"He's the smelly one."

"I am not smelly!" he insisted. While he could still smell the disgusting Repel (something like rotting trash that humans somehow could not smell), he didn't want to admit that he was wrong, or smelly.

"Will you keep it down? another male called, flinging his wings out and accidentally smacking two others. "I'm trying to nap here."

"Hey, no hitting!" the two beside him squalled.

"Well if you wouldn't be in the way."

"No shoving either!"

"And get away, Stinky Stunky Starly!"

"I'M NOT STINKY!"

Below them, the two humans glanced at the tree. "And for such little birds, they make such an incredible racket," Mark commented.

The Torterra sighed. "I normally wouldn't mind them, but..." she shook her shell.

The bushes, grasses, and single tree on her shell all shuddered like a strong Earthquake had hit them. Panicking, the Starlies flew off in a large cloud of brown and tan, squealing, "Monster!", "The world's gonna end!", and "Mommy!". Their wings caused a chaotic mess of wind, knocking over a sign and causing panicked stampedes among other small Pokemon. Carol lost her new straw hat and had to go chase it down.

When she came back, Mark shook his head. "Life with Pokemon: never a dull moment, right?"

"Right," she said, checking her hat for any stray debris.

The Torterra chuckled. "But that's exactly what you wanted, right?"

…

Torterra Diamond entry: Small Pokémon occasionally gather on its unmoving back to begin building their nests.

Starly Pearl entry: Usually with a large flock, it is barely noticeable when alone. Its cries are very strident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every spring and fall, we get migrating birds in our yard. The starlings are the most noticeable; they show up in the hundreds and squabble nearly constantly. And I would bet you that their arguments are very much like this one.


	36. Nidoran F, Nidoran M, Persian

The room belonged entirely to the Persian. It was furnished with a luxurious scratching post, expensive assortments of toys, gold plated water and food dish, an antique mirror, and an extravagant four-post cat bed with sheer white curtains, silken pillows, and a heated mattress. When he wasn't busy being groomed, looking nice, or lording over the house, he liked to sit on the antique mahogany chair and admire the finery.

Not that he used much in the room. The toys were something to be proud of, but he couldn't be bothered to play with them. The bed was great for chilly nights, but he preferred to take his naps somewhere in the way so no one forgot that he lived here. And while he liked to check over his beautiful self in the mirror, he much preferred...

CRASH!

A violet colored Pokemon with large ears had slid right into his scratching post, knocking it into the water dish which flipped over and splashed water everywhere. He scrambled to the middle of the room. Shortly after, a light blue Pokemon followed; she looked similar to the male, but was smaller and less pointy. She tackled the male, tumbling them both several feet while she was apparently giving him a savage attack.

He laughed hard enough that he began wheezing. "Hey, hey! Stop... stop it! Stop tickling me!"

"Ti-ckl-ish!" she squealed, not yet relenting.

"Okay, okay!" She hopped off him and waited while he caught his breath. "Okay... you're... faster than me. Geez."

"Told you so," she teased.

The Persian frowned at them. "Ahem."

The two finally noticed him. "A hem of what?" she asked. "You aren't wearing any clothes."

"I assume that you must be new here," the Persian replied haughtily. "Who are you and to whom do you belong?"

"Uh, I'm Nino," the male said.

"And I'm Nina. We were caught by that Leo kid a few days ago."

He sniffed. "The servant boy; I should have suspected. He has a weak imagination to hand out such poor names."

The male scratched his ear, very low-class behavior. "It's better than calling us both Nidoran."

"Well my name is Lord Fausto Augusto Terzetto Sagittarius Ontario the Third and among Pokemon, I rule this household."

Nina tilted her head. "Soo... you're Lord F.A.T.S.O.?"

Nino laughed. "Oh wow, that is really appropriate."

Lord Fausto glared at them. "I'm big-boned and big-furred, not fat in the least. Hmph, such peasants. Now, you are to follow my rules and orders always, including..."

"Why?" Nino interrupted.

"Because I'm owned by the Master and you're owned by the servant!" he hissed, raising his tail in warning. "Hasn't anyone taught you any manners?"

"Uh, my Momma taught me not to use my horn except in battle."

Nina nodded. "Right, like mine did. She said it was because we are very poisonous, but we don't want to cause unnecessary suffering."

"Then neither of you have ever lived a civilized life, I presume. You have a lot to learn. First and foremost, obedience to me."

"Hey, we only have to do what Leo says," Nino argued, bristling his barbs. "And he didn't say nothing about listening to some bossy spoiled Pokemon."

"Did not say anything," Fausto corrected with a growl.

"I bet he hasn't fought nobody," Nina told her peer. "He must be, like, a real weak loser."

Fausto jumped off the chair gracefully, for his size. He brought up a paw and extended his sharp claws. "I've been made more powerful than you could ever dream of becoming. How could you dare challenge me...?"

"Tackle!" Nino shouted, right before he and Nina rammed their smaller bodies into him. Their horns jammed into his shoulders, hurting Fausto more than he'd ever been hurt before.

The Persian screamed. "Murder! You're trying to murder me!"

"Uh, I don't think that'll kill you," Nino said, puzzled.

"Yeah, that's kinda a normal battle wound," Nina added.

"The Master will make you and your boy pay," Fausto growled before passing out. His body vanished, going back to his all-white Pokeball.

Nina scratched her head. "Sheesh. You'd think he'd never been poisoned before."

"He probably hasn't," Nino said, then flicked his ears around. "Leo's coming."

Their Trainer ran past the doorway a moment later. Skidding to a stop, the teen came back to the door. He seemed to be in a dark mood as he brushed his black hair away from his face. "Nino, Nina, there you are. Come on, we're getting out of here."

"But we just got to this nice place," Nina pointed out.

"What're you doing in Fat Cat's room anyhow?" He picked up the white Pokeball and looked at it. Then he turned pale. "You guys poisoned and knocked him out?"

"And he deserved it," Nina said.

"Pompous old cat," Nino muttered.

"Master Silph will be really mad about this." Leo considered it, then got an angry glint in his eyes. "Whatever. Let's go." He stuck the Pokeball in the pocket of his jacket, then returned to running out the hall. Nino and Nina followed him.

In an alley between some upscale apartments, Leo was fiddling with a device attached to Fausto's Pokeball. Nino and Nina were using a puddle to clean themselves up with, but they listened as young teenager talked.

"My Dad always said that a hard day's work makes an honest living. But where's he gotten doing that? Nowhere. He and Mom have worked all days and most nights, and I still have to put up with crazy Master Silph to help them make ends meet. It's not fair. At least, I had to. If I hadn't quit, he would have fired me."

"They say you can tell how a Trainer is by their Pokemon," Nina said.

"What's that say about Master Silph if his Pokemon is a fatso who couldn't fight a Kakuna?" Nino asked.

"He must be lazy, fat, and stupid."

Leo was still talking to himself. "How can he punish me for messing with electronics when he's stealing all of his employees' ideas and making huge profits? I bet he hasn't done a day of hard work in his life, but he's making more money in a day than my Dad has made his whole life. I don't care what people say; it's obvious that the cheaters get ahead."

"So what're we doing now?" Nino asked, bumping his head carefully against Leo's leg.

The teenager smiled for a moment, forgetting his anger to scratch Nino's head. But it didn't stay away for long. "Well now I have his stupid Pokemon. A Persian is rare, I hear, because the Meowths are evasive. Maybe it'll be really powerful if I train it. And with this," he detached the device from the ball, "Fausto is now registered to me. Come on out." He pressed the button.

Now healed up from the double poisoned Tackle, Fausto looked around the alley in disgust. "Ugh, how dreadful. Where am I?"

"You're with us and Leo now," Nina explained.

"And Leo's not Master Silph's servant anymore," Nino said. "Which means we don't have to listen to you after all. So there."

"What? I have to live out on these miserable alleyways like some common street Rattata? But that's so unfair!"

"Hey, so long as there's fresh food and water, it's good," Nino said nonchalantly.

"Okay, Fausto, you're taking orders from me now," Leo said.

"WHHYYY?" the Persian whined, causing Nino to hunker down and cover his sensitive ears. "Where's my gold-plated dishes? Where's my heated bed? Where's my authentic mohair squeaky toy? I can't do anything without them."

"Quiet down," Leo ordered. "We can't get caught here."

"But how can you afford to groom me every single day, and feed me properly, and give me my own servants? I'm a Lord, not some filthy commoner Pokemon like these two rodents."

Nina growled, showing her barbs fully. "What's so bad about rodents? It's better than being some spoiled cat."

"Calm down and keep quiet," the teen hissed, his patience worn thin by various bad encounters throughout the day.

Obediently, Nina settled herself down and looked to Leo. But Fausto hissed and tried to scratch the female Nidoran. He missed, but the male Nidoran jumped up and bit the Persian's tail, causing him to yowl again.

Leo pressed the white Pokeball's button, recalling Fausto. "Stupid Persian. Why won't he listen to me?"

Feeling safe in that the teen wouldn't understand, Nina said, "Well you did steal him instead of capturing him properly."

"Hey you!" a man called out. "Kid!"

Leo jumped up, hastily putting his device behind his back. "I-I'm not doing anything. Just dealing with my Pokemon, that's all."

"Was that your Persian?"

"Of course," he lied easily. "I call 'im Sissy Cat."

The two Nidorans snorted.

"But, well, he's kind of a handful, more than I expected."

The man came up to them. "Could I buy him off you?"

Leo made a good impression of being puzzled, but his mind was already in action. "Um, what for? He was a gift Pokemon."

Scratching his head nervously, he replied, "Well, to make a long story short, the man I work for is Master Silph, and I think his Persian has been stolen. He doesn't much pay attention to him anyways, as he's just a trophy, but I'll get into real trouble if he goes missing. I think he won't notice if I just replace him, though."

"Isn't that dishonest?" Leo asked in feigned innocence.

"I'll give you twenty thousand dollars. I'll take care of the registry, don't worry."

"Okay, I guess. I can get another Pokemon."

"Great, thank you so much." He filled out a check and handed it over in exchange for the white Pokeball. Then he hurried back to the Silph mansion.

"Must be the new butler I heard about," Leo mused when they were alone again. "Idiot; even considering potential rarities, Fat Cat's not worth that much."

"He isn't worth the litter box he uses," Nino commented, rubbing his left ear.

"But I wonder why he wouldn't obey me." He clenched his fist. "He should have listened. There must be a way... I'll find a way to make all Pokemon obey, somehow."

"You're Leonard Giovanni, am I right?" another man said from the shadows.

Leo spun around. "Who are you?"

"You're Giovanni?"

He nodded. "Yes, what of it?"

The strange man came up to them. "I've been watching you for a little while; you've got talents and intelligence. If you're not too picky about the laws, I could teach some things. You could change the world, if you only know how to begin."

The two Nidorans looked at each other. "Should we be worried about this?" Nina asked.

"I think he's saying that Leo could be the greatest Trainer ever," Nino replied. He tilted his ears back proudly. "Which would make us, as his first Pokemon, the greatest Nidorans in the world."

"Or the greatest Pokemon ever?"

"Maybe even that."

"That'd be awesome."

Young Leonard Giovanni considered his options.

…

Nidoran F Fire Red entry: Though small, it must be treated with caution because of its powerfully toxic barbs. The female has smaller horns.

Nidoran M Fire Red entry: Its large ears are flapped like wings when it is listening to distant sounds. It extends toxic barbs when angered.

Persian Leaf Green entry: Although its fur has many admirers, it is tough to raise as a pet because of its fickle meanness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a cat person, but this story needed a villain Pokemon and Persian fit the bill. On a side note, another Perisan entry mentions that you can calm it down by holding its whiskers. Um, I've never known a cat who acts that way…


	37. Rotom

Cast

Rotom, an Electric-Ghost Pokemon  
Karen, a political telemarketer  
Polly, a political telemarketer  
Bob, a boss telemarketer  
Adam, a pizzeria clerk  
Tim, an ex-boyfriend

The call center was a rather bland workplace, filled with cubicles, computers, and phone headsets. With elections coming up quickly, the workers were busy trying to reach people to make last minute pushes for their preferred issues. Karen put in the next number on her list and waited through the ringing.

A clear and curious male voice answered. "Hello?"

Time for the spiel. She checked the reference script on the computer screen. "Hello, this is your friendly Jurisdian political party headquarters in Eterna City. We're calling to see if you received our recent postcard detailing our plan to turn Sinnoh in the right direction."

"Yes, he was a brave mailman."

That wasn't normal. "Pardon me?"

"He was a brave mailman," he repeated. "Most of the postal workers are terrified of the Houndoom at the front gate. He likes to collect underwear."

Where was this number's address? Out in the deep woods somewhere? "Um, I see. Is this the head of household?"

"That depends on what your definition of head is."

Karen wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Then he chuckled. "I probably am."

"Good. Have you looked over the mailings and thought about the upcoming election?"

There was a pause. "I think someone ate it."

Karen kneaded her forehead. Why was she getting all the weirdos today? She went back to the prepared script. "What are your opinions about this election? The economy needs strengthening and we intend to work hard to address that issue while keeping all jobs secure and fair. Sinnoh doesn't need to turn into a pure tourist region and lose all of our core jobs."

"Huh..." he sounded thoughtful. "Well I think Pokemon battles should be outlawed on Mondays and Tuesdays."

That… that wasn't a political issue she was aware of. "Pokemon battles?"

He went on, apparently having thought it all out before. "It's only fair, really. Pokemon do all the work, but don't get a weekend like humans do. But your weekend of Saturdays and Sundays are packed with Gym battles, because that's when all the kids are off school. So battles should be outlawed on Mondays and Tuesdays to give Pokemon their own weekend of rest."

"It makes sense, but it's not an issue this year."

"Hmph, well it should be."

Okay, he was annoyed. It was bad to get a client annoyed. She changed the subject. "What else is important to you?"

He got excited. "Oh! My sexy new Pokegear 3.0!"

"I see..." Who described a Pokegear as sexy?

Her coworker Polly stoo dup and peered over the cubical wall. "What's up?"

Karen pushed back her headphone to avoid being overheard. "Pokemon League fan, a little obsessed I think."

Nodding, she said, "Ah... then mention the Gym Inspector bill."

Back on the line, the guy was prattling on about his new toy. "With this, I can access the Internet wirelessly, make phone calls, download all sorts of music, check out Gym battles, catch TV shows that I missed, play games, and all that comes with a touchscreen! Only, I have some problems with using the touch screen myself..."

Karen put her headphone back in place, hoping to regain control of the conversation. "Have you heard about our recent bill to...?"

And he promptly ignored the shift. "I like the phone part best. I always loved phones. What kind of phone are you using?"

"Um..." she checked a nearby pamphlet, "it's a Devon Graytooth Wireless Headset."

He sounded like a nerd with his telephone obsession. "Oooo, Graytooth. Can I check it out?"

"Sorry, it belongs to the party headquarters. So what are your plans for voting?"

"Voting?" he asked, confused.

Don't lose your temper, she reminded herself. "Yes, in the election next week."

"I can't vote," he said bluntly. "I'm a Pokemon."

"Oh... you're a Pokemon?"

"Duh. Humans don't live here. I'm Rotom."

"Then sorry about taking up your time, um, Mr. Pokemon. Goodbye." She cut off the call, wanting to scream in frustration. "Ugh, another low point to this week."

Polly, who was still watching from her cubicle, looked puzzled. "You reached a Pokemon?"

She nodded. "Geez, who does research around here? And who sells a Pokegear to a Pokemon?"

"Are you sure they weren't messing with you?"

Karen sighed. "It might have been. I'll put a note to not call that number again." She started to make that note when she heard her line making another call. "Hmm? Hey, did they put me on autodial?"

"That stinks," Polly said, sitting back down to check on her own line.

"Here we go again," Karen mumbled. Maybe this time she could actually get through the script.

Another man (hopefully an actual human) answered. "Good morning, you have reached Skarmory Pizzeria; we will deliver your pizzas hot and fresh within half an hour or it's free. How can we serve you?"

A pizzeria? Why was a pizzeria on her calling list? "Uh..."

And for some reason, the Rotom's voice broke in. "Hi there! Say, how many people are working in this office?"

How had he…? "I... I'm not suppose to release that information"

The pizza guy was just as confused. "M'am... sir?"

The Pokemon wasn't bothered. "Well, there's twenty-one phones. Can we order twenty-one large pizzas?"

Going along with it, the pizza guy said, "Certainly, which office is this?"

"We're not supposed to..." Karen tried to say.

Rotom interrupted again. "The Jurisdian party headquarters in Eterna City."

"Okay, and what kind of pizzas do you want?"

"Bob won't approve of this," Karen said.

"Whatever," Rotom brushed off. "Surprise us, will you? Oh, but make sure at least one has Luvdisc sardines. Mmmm, sardine pizza."

The pizzeria guy cheerfully said, "Great, so twenty random large pizzas and one Luvdisc sardine large pizza. Excellent choice."

Karen crossed her arms over her chest. "Who eats Luvdisc sardines on a pizza? That's disgusting."

"What are you talking about?" the pizza guy said, now annoyed.

"Well excuse me for being reincarnated from a sea predator," the Pokemon retorted. "At least, I think so."

And this got the pizza guy onto a rant. "Luvdisc sardines are underappreciated seafood delicacies and we make sure to only order the finest and best for our pizzas. They have a refined and sophisticated flavor that only the most discerning of tastes can love. I suppose your Jurisdian party can't appreciate such finery."

"I like them because they come in a cute little tin," Rotom said playfully.

"We aren't ordering pizzas," Karen insisted, her voice rising.

In the next cubicle, Polly commented, "Aw shoot. Pizza sounds good."

"Well you don't deserve a Skarmory brand pizza." The pizza guy hung up sharply.

"Smooth move," Rotom told Karen, despite the phone being not in use. "You made the pizza guy mad."

And I'm mad too, she thought spitefully. "What are you doing on this line, Pokemon?"

Rotom didn't take the hint. "Checking out your phone. Oh hey, what's this number?" The phone dialed again.

"Stop messing with my phone!" Karen shouted.

In response, she heard her ex-boyfriend say grumpily, "Are you trying to make up again?"

"Oh, Tim, sorry. This Pokemon is playing pranks on me."

"What kind of Pokemon messes with phones?" It seemed like he had either just gotten up or was having a bad day too.

Rotom merrily replied, "I love phones!"

Tim was quiet, then jealously said, "Hey, who's that guy? What's he doing on this line?"

Karen tried to explain the situation, "It's..."

However, Rotom chose the worst thing to say. "I'm hanging on her ear."

"You cold-hearted...!" Tim slammed the phone down, hanging up.

Karen clenched her fists. Where was that stupid Rotom? "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" he asked, seemingly clueless.

"Calling random people and making my day even worse than it started!"

"Karen…" Polly said, warning her that the others were starting to look their way.

Rotom didn't seem bothered. "I just want to know where those numbers go."

"And what else?" Karen seethed.

The Pokemon paused. "What else is there?"

At his act of innocence, she snapped. "Well I'll make sure you can't mess with me anymore!" She yanked off her headset and went over to a closet, where the building's generator was. Stopping that, she knew that the Pokemon would have no power to do anything.

One of her co-workers shouted, "Hey, I had someone willing to talk!" The others seemed confused or annoyed.

After a moment, their boss came out of his office. "What's going on in here? Why's the power out? We can't make any calls like this."

Karen turned to him. "There's this crazy Pokemon messing up my phone, Bob. I made sure it can't do anything now."

He flinched at the look she had. "Uh, right. Maybe you should take the rest of the day off."

"I'm not crazy!" Karen insisted. "It's..."

And then all of the phones in the office started ringing. With the power out, it was spooky. Polly jumped out of her chair. "Uh, do these have batteries?"

"No," Bob replied.

Karen covered her ears. "I'm not answering that, I'm not answering that..."

As the boss of the call center, Bob decided he had to do something. He went to one of the phone units and pushed the loudspeaker button. "Who is this?"

Rotom replied. "Hello. Where's that woman that called me?"

"How are you calling?" the boss asked. "The network's down."

After a sigh, the Pokemon said, "Because I'm in your network, silly billy. Now where is she?"

Everyone looked to Karen. She had her eyes closed and was mumbling to herself. Instead, Polly spoke up, " She doesn't want to talk right now."

Strangely enough, Rotom sounded sad and disappointed. "She doesn't? Does she not like me?"

"Um, she's been having a bad day."

"But I was just having some fun. She really doesn't like me?"

"You're terrible!" Karen shouted.

"B-but nobody ever calls me." The Pokemon sniffled, like he was crying. " I've got this sexy new Pokegear and nobody ever called me until you did. No other Pokemon in the Chateau appreciates technology... I just wanted to talk to someone who appreciates phones like I do. I thought that since you worked with phones, you must love them too..."

Karen tried to keep mad. "Well I wasn't expecting to call some Psychic Pokemon."

That seemed to have insulted Rotom. "I'm an Electric Ghost, not Psychic. Can you at least hook me back up to my Pokegear? It's my new home and is way more comfortable than your stupid Devon Graytooth..." he sniffled again.

At that, she gave up. "Okay, fine." As she was still by the generator closet, she started the power back up. "There you go, call your Pokegear."

"If I could vote, I wouldn't be voting for your mean party." The line then clicked and Rotom seemed to be gone.

"That was a little harsh, wasn't it?" Polly pointed out.

Karen looked away. "It's not like I'll ever talk to that crazy Pokemon again, right?"

**The End**

(Or Is It?)

Rotom: I'm in ur washing machine, washing ur clothes.

Karen: (shrieks)

…

Rotom Diamond/Pearl entry: Its body is composed of plasma. It is known to infiltrate electronic devices and wreak havoc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted for Halloween of 2008, before Platinum came out. Rotom's form changes were a big deal at the time. My immediate thoughts were Rotom's last line here and how I would have had Rotom possess a telephone myself.


	38. Stunky, Smeargle

It was either very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on one's point of view. The stars were still twinkling in the western sky, but the eastern sky was beginning to turn violet-blue. A few people and Pokemon were preparing to help the majority of the city's dwellers to get into their morning routine. To these morning workers, it was the start of the day.

While the Art Museum would be closed for a few more hours, two Pokemon were inside discussing the art. One of them was rather lovely, with her long and soft violet hair, sleek body, and button-cute eyes. However, she inspired more fear and loathing than awe. The Stunky reputation ruined most of their chances in society. This was why she worked the night shift guarding the Museum; most patrons never knew she even lived there.

The other was more socially acceptable... to a point. He was quite likely the scruffiest Smeargle in the world, with a few cobwebs clinging to his tan fur, smudges of painting fluid on his tail, paws, and nose, and most of his left ear completely missing. As an instinctively artistic Pokemon, Smeargles were novelties admired and collected by the elites of society. This particular Smeargle, though, wasn't exactly high-class material even if he was considered a prodigy of his race.

"This painting must represent the struggles of the common man," the Smeargle was saying. "Observe our central gray figure: the vast kaleidoscope of modern society overwhelms his mind with potential, pressure, and problems."

The Stunky gazed at the painting, then replied, "Picasso, it's a bunch of colored splotches."

"No it's not, Lucy. You have to destruct the meaning, find the symbolism within. See how the figure of the common man is curved and natural, while the other figures are hard, sharp, and angled? This is a battle for the man's soul reduced from the fine trappings of things as we see them."

"It looks messy to me, like something a Bidoof could have splattered out with his paws."

"But that would be mindless splatters, not art. Art must have the mind and soul of creativity behind its creation, such as this painting before us."

"Uh-huh, and how do you know that?"

Picasso flicked his tail; Lucy ducked to avoid a splotch of paint. "That does take training or talent, I suppose. That's the problem with modern art; it can only be appreciated by certain minds."

The guard Pokemon continued on her walk around the Museum. "I like the Renaissance art. It's pretty and you know it's art."

The artist went with her. "Well that was before the invention of photography. Once making images became so easy that any idiot on the street could do it, the true artists had to find ways to vindicate their talents to the masses."

"Why don't you do Renaissance art?"

"It's harder for me, since I can't make my tail do fine movements like humans can. Changing colors is even worse; if I use anything other than my natural green, I have to use my paws."

"I understand. And your paintings are better than those scribbles in this traveling modern exhibit. Your pictures actually look like stuff."

"But my work has to look like more than just stuff," Picasso insisted. "I have to add soul and passion to the lines and shapes. Then it's art; otherwise, it's just a picture like a photograph."

"How do you add something like soul?"

"That is one of the eternal mysteries of the artist."

There was a tinkle of broken glass hitting the floor in the next room. Lucy sighed. "And that would be a dumb art thief. Excuse me." She ran ahead.

"See?" a muffled voice said. "This museum has horrid security."

"But they've never had anything stolen from them," a second their answered. "They must have something in place."

"I checked the place out this whole week. There's some stuff, but easily bypassed. Now come on; the morning crew will be here in a couple of hours."

Lucy entered the room and growled. Holding her tail high, she stared down the two thieves. "I won't let either of you get away cleanly."

The second thief, who had just come in through the window, dropped against the wall. He cut his hand on a broken shard doing so. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You said nothing about the Stunky!"

"It's just another Pokemon," the first thief said, although he was hesitant to come closer. "Not even an intimidating looking one."

"But nothing gets rid of that stench! And I hear they're territorial..."

Lucy stepped towards them, getting a cringe from both. "And you'd better believe it. You gonna try anything, punk?"

"Our Pokemon can take it... I think." The first thief stepped back. "On the other hand, we might attract attention. Let's retreat and find another way in."

"Ri-right boss." He hurried back out the window. The other followed soon after.

Lucy came over and sniffed the ground. "Good, they left evidence." She left the room. "I'll need to... what are you doing?"

"Leaving my mark," Picasso replied. He had drawn a symbol that looked remarkably like a Smeargle missing his left ear. "I'm the special guest today, so the signs should have my mark."

She sighed. "I suppose it'll have to stay for the day. Look, could you keep an eye on that broken window? Just make sure no one comes in."

"Sure. What are you doing?"

"I have to hit the security alarm to get the police out here, then check to make sure that this wasn't a distraction. The safety of the art overnight is my priority."

"Ah, I see." He looked at his paw, then asked, "Say Lucy, do you mind it when people freak out just on seeing you? I noticed that you didn't even have to spray them."

"Sometimes I think it would be nice if people weren't intimidated by me. But if it were like that, I couldn't do my job." She started off, but then thought of something. "I usually don't have to spray anyone. Which is good; the custodial staff hates having to neutralize the stench and the Museum would have to be closed for a few hours."

"So they can get rid of it?"

She chuckled. "Because I make sure that the fluid itself sticks to the thief, like you make sure yours sticks to your design. With that marking, anyone who would try to steal from my museum would be caught easily."

Picasso laughed. "Excellent, dear lady. Carry on with your job; I'll watch the window."

…

Stunky Diamond entry: It protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. The stench lingers for 24 hours.

Smeargle Diamond/Pearl entry: It marks its territory by using its tail like a paintbrush. There are more than 5,000 different marks.


	39. Mankey, Primeape

Although it hadn't yet reached the ramshackle stage, the house had seen better days. The white paint was peeling off the weathered wood, the porch railing was shaky, and the shingles were coming loose. On the bench swing, an older man was sitting back, playing a harmonica. He too had seen better days. A Primeape was nearby, looking in a smudgy mirror. Every so often, she adjusted her fur. Out in the yard, a Mankey was sitting absolutely still, legs crossed over each other. He was staring at a tall cactus.

Once the Primeape was satisfied with how her fur lay, she picked up a hairclip with a giant silk flower on it, formed like a pink hibiscus. She secured it to the right side of her hair. There, perfect. She fancied that it made her more exotic, like a tropical Pokemon.

A rumble of an engine and the crumble of gravel caught her attention. As her Trainer was still absorbed in his harmonica, she jumped onto the post to see who was coming. It was a mismatched pickup, with a blue body, a red hood, and a light green passenger door. Despite the decidedly unprofessional look, there was a magnet sign on the driver's door. She couldn't read, though, and she didn't recognize the pattern.

The truck shut down with a sputter. A man dressed in a white jacket and tan pants came out. He had a clipboard in hand and some kind of machine attached to his belt. He came up the stairs and smiled briefly at the Primeape. Then he looked to the Trainer. "Mr. Shipley?"

Shipley finished the bar he was playing. No matter what anyone tried to do, he always took his time. He spoke with a drawl like molasses that definitely wasn't from the region of Orre. "That would be me."

"Good. You've joined the effort to heal the Shadow Pokemon that were captured in the recent raid against Cipher, and we thank you. I've come to check on its progress." He looked quizzically at the flower-wearing Primeape.

He chuckled. "Not 'er. That's 'im out there in the yard. Sophie, would you mind checkin' on 'im?"

"Not at all," she replied, jumping off the post into the yard. She hopped over to sit by him. "Hey, kid."

The Mankey didn't blink. He didn't budge. He kept staring at the cactus.

"Kid?" She stepped closer and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hellooo?"

He kept staring.

Sophie frowned. She still wasn't sure what to make of this kid. He spent most of his time staring off at inanimate objects. If he wasn't doing that, he was probably angry. That was quite normal for their kind, and yet he wasn't normal. He had an odd glaze in his eyes and she often felt uncomfortable around him. But Shipley had told her to be friendly, so she'd try.

She sat next to him and stared at the cactus too.

"Do you have his Pokeball with you?" the clipboard man asked.

"Course I do." He spent a moment unlatching it from his belt. "I usually let 'em roam around, unless they're bein' ornery."

He took it and attached a wire from his belt machine to it. "Are you an expert on their species?"

"Mm," he rubbed his chin. "I reckon I am. Trained 'em mostly over the years. A few others here'n'there, but mostly the Mankey family."

In the yard, the Mankey turned to Sophie. Maybe he had blinked, but he'd finally acknowledged her presence. "Hey."

She turned to him and appeared friendly. "Yes?"

"You look stupid with that flower on."

She glared sharply as her blood began to boil. "WHAT?"

The clipboard man's machine beeped. He checked the readout. "He seems to be healing nice and steady. Do you battle with him?"

Shiply shook his head slowly. "Nope."

"But you're listed as an Ace of Mount Battle."

"I am, but," he paused for a slow shrug, "these Shadows aren't that reliable for as powerful as they are. An' I've been workin' on Sophie for some time; she just evolved yesterday, she did."

"You look stupid," the Mankey repeated. "Girly."

"I am a girl, idjit!" She jumped up to kick him, but he backed out of it, then jumped in to punch her.

"Then if you're not battling with him," a furious howl from the Mankey pierced his sentence as the Primeape blocked his punch with one arm and punched him with the other, "what are you doing to heal him?"

"Mmm, well," a rock kicked by one of the two struck the doorbell, causing it to clamor off-key. "Well I do laundry for some of the busy folks out here for extra money. I throw an old towel in the dryer an' later toss it on top of 'im with a fresh dryer sheet. They're the scented ones, mountain fresh, I think."

"A warm towel and a dryer sheet?"

"Ayup. It's cheaper then those fancy perfumes and colognes they sell for this purpose. A couple a pennies or a couple grand; what're you gonna pick?"

"I see." He made a note on his clipboard. In the yard behind them, Sophie and the Mankey were wrestling aggressively, growling and spitting at each other. He tried to bite her ear. "Is he giving you any extra trouble?"

"Not particularly." Sophie yelped and slammed the Mankey into the ground. They rolled for a few feet. "As I said before, I've trained 'is kind for a long time. Can't really tell now, but I reckon 'e's one of them mild types, you know?"

The Mankey gave a fierce bark, enough to make the clipboard man jump slightly. "You think this Shadow is a mild one?"

"Ayup. I've seen much worse tempers than 'is."

"Really?" He glanced back at the two fighting primates. The Primeape had been pinned to the ground, but she got her legs up and kicked the Mankey into the mismatched truck. After leaving a brand new dent in it, he dropped to the ground, dazed.

"Really. Sophie, come 'ere."

She calmed down immediately. Being called by Mr. Shipley was the only certain thing that did so. Once her blood cooled, she hopped back to the porch beside him. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and soon had her hairclip undone. "Rats," she said sadly. "My flower wilted." She held the scuffed and bent flower to him.

He took it. "Don't worry, gel, I'll fix it up. You go get yourself one of the others and we'll make up some banana shakes, alright?"

She tensed for a moment at a scraping sound, then let loose a backwards punch as the Mankey tried to tackle her. He got knocked onto his back again, although not as powerfully as before. "Alright, we'll have banana shakes!" She started back inside, but then glanced back at the Mankey. "Hey kid, behave yourself."

The Mankey put his hands over his eyes and moaned. "I have a headache..."

…

Mankey Fire Red entry: Light and agile on its feet, and ferocious in temperament. When angered, it flies into an uncontrollable frenzy.

Primeape Emerald entry: When it becomes furious, its blood circulation becomes more robust, and its muscles are made stronger. But it also becomes much less intelligent.


	40. Murkrow, Honchrow

To anyone else, the attic space was a reserve of junk. Tacky beaded lamps lit the room in a multicolored display. Ratty old clothes made with sequins hung from crocheted hangers. An overabundance of glitter coating made the room seem like a small child had gotten hyper enthusiastic with a craft project. A disco ball missing a few mirrors hung from the ceiling. The aging cardboard boxes held a ton of costume jewelry and other shiny things. The door was locked and the key in one of the cardboard boxes, so the humans had forgotten that this mess existed.

To the Murkrows, the attic space was a grand palace. Everything about it, the glitter, the glaze, the beads, the mirrors, the disco ball, the jewelry, it was all that they treasured. They had brought the bits and pieces here in honor of their esteemed leader, the one and only, the main man, the Grand Honchkrow of Snowpoint. He lived in the old attic and all the Murkrows called him The Boss.

The Boss had a problem, though. He was far more powerful and cunning than the unevolved birds. That was why he could order them about and make them do all the work. If needed, he could come out and fight off some Purugly or whatever was bothering his cronies. However, the reason he could do this was because the Murkrows had no idea how to evolve. He was the only Honchkrow in the area, and he had intended to stay that way.

But then he had seen it again. A Dusk Stone. One of the Murkrows had brought it in as a gift, thinking it especially nice in that it was dark, shiny, and somehow tasty smelling. "Like something sweet and salty and smokey, and really good," he had said. "I thought about eating it myself, but then thought better of it and brought it to you."

That was last week. He had thanked the fellow and given him a single pearl earring, as if it were any other mysterious but shiny thing. He didn't want them to realize just how special it was. But what to do with it? The Boss had thought long and hard on this issue. He kept coming back to one solution. For that, he left the attic and went to a nearby roof to call a meeting of all his Snowpoint Murkrows.

Down on the streets below, people saw the Murkrows gathering. Whispers of some bad fortune coming over the town began to spread. They had noticed as the mischievous black birds had begun to infiltrate Snowpoint, but had no idea how many there really were. Upon seeing how many Murkrows were sitting on the rooftops... and whatever that grand black bird was. Seeing a Murkrow was thought to bring bad luck, but that Honchkrow, it had to foretell some terrible event coming upon them. The humans hurried home, making signs to ward off evil.

As the Murkrows were all chattering over what this meeting could be about, The Boss spread his wings wide in a showy display. It hushed them. He then nodded, made a grand gesture of tapping his foot, then started his announcement.

"My followers, you have all been loyal and true. I thank you for all your assistance in making this city our own. Without you, I wouldn't have gotten this far."

The Murkrows all cheered to this. "But you're The Boss, man," a few called out. "We would've gone nowhere without you."

"Our Boss is the greatest, man!"

"Our Boss is the Man, man."

The Boss chuckled. "Thank you, fine fellows. Now I have been thinking over my life, where I am and where I'd like to be. I have decided that it is time for me to take a bride. If any of you girls are interested, you are to find a great treasure within the next week that represents your devotion to me. To the lucky lady who wins my heart with her gift, I will use my special magic to make you a Honchkrow as grand as I! And probably more beautiful; we'll see about that."

There came some excited twitters among the female Murkrows. They were given the chance to become as great as The Boss? This would certainly cause a fierce competition.

The Boss smiled to himself. This was the perfect way to deal with that stray Dusk Stone and make sure he stayed in power. Delighted with his own cleverness, he went back to the attic and started plotting other plots.

A week later...

Dozens of gifts from potential brides lay on the floor in front of The Boss. A string of glass beads shaped like pink hearts, a great many jeweled rings, several school art projects made by gluing a thick layer of glitter in hopefully artistic shapes, this was just a sampling. The Boss was pleased, but still looking for something outstanding from the one he would choose.

The next hopeful put down a shiny spoon. "I'm an interesting bird, so I choose to give you this interestingly shaped object, just like our love would be interesting for everyone else to hear about in interest," she chattered.

The Boss picked up the gift. It was interesting, with a clamshell shape at the end, but he had other treasures of the spoon. And she talked a lot. "Very nice. I will consider it."

The next female came over, dragging a heavy gift with her. It was a silver hand mirror, with a beautiful human woman on the handle and black curly lines like a flower on the back. After she made the effort to bring the mirror in front of him, she bowed. "I bring you this fine gift as a token of my feelings for you. I think it fits nicely."

As he was much larger, The Boss picked it up with little effort. He admired his reflection and cooed. "It is a pretty thing."

"It reflects just you now, but maybe it will reflect us?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe."

The next female bumped into her with excitement. "Here, I found this pretty ring, it's so pretty," she clamored.

"Yes," he said patiently. And he stayed patient while the rest of the hopefuls came forward with their gifts. When he grew tired of the exercise, he flung his right wing out. "Stop. I have made my choice."

The last few females to bring gifts looked at him expectantly. The others looked on nervously. Save for one. She was completely cool under the pressure.

The Boss pointed her out. "You, the thoughtful miss who brought me this lovely mirror. You are to be my bride."

Amid coos of protest, disappointment, or thoughtless cheering, she hopped forward. "Thank you for choosing me. I did my best to bring that mirror back to you."

"Now the rest of you leave so I may work my secret magic on her."

After the other Murkrows left, The Boss closed the window shutters, just in case. She didn't seem nervous at all. Just curious about what he was going to do to her.

What he did was start a random muttering of stuff. One time when he was a Murkrow, he had watched a television program on wizards, and they seemed to always be doing random mutterings before casting their magic. Showmanship was more important that having actual 'magic'.

"Are you just muttering random stuff?" she asked.

"No," he replied. He brought out the dark shining Dusk Stone and passed his wing over it a few times. Then he handed it to her. "Here. Eat it."

"A rock?"

"It's not a rock. It's a magic piece of salt."

She sniffed it, then took it. "Alright." She ate it thoughtfully. "It does seem to be some kind of salt mixed with something else. Hmm..."

"You are sharp to notice that," The Boss said as the white light of evolution surrounded her. She grew into a lovely Honchkrow. A fitting bride to him, one who would prove how powerful and clever he was.

"Your magic does seem to have worked," she said, looking over her form. "May I see the mirror?"

It seemed like a harmless request. "Sure." He handed it over. "It will reflect us now, as you wished."

"Hmm." She tested it out, comparing her new strength compared to when she had to struggle to fly the thing up here. "Did you look closely at it?"

"Of course."

"Then you must have noticed the royal lady here." She showed her off. "This is a Queen's Mirror, you see."

At that moment, The Boss felt like he had made a mistake and had chosen a female cleverer than he was.

…

Emerald entry: Murkrow were feared as the alleged bearers of ill fortune. It shows strong interest in anything that sparkles. It will even try to steal rings from women.

Honchrow Pearl entry: It makes its Murkrow cronies bring it food. It idles its time away, grooming itself in its nest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cronies is an awesome word. Don't deny it. Making the evolution stone a piece of salt makes most sense to me. Salt is a very important nutrient, plus it would easily bond with whatever other minerals would require making a Dusk Stone, Fire Stone, or whatever.


	41. Drapion

The desert appeared quiet, but that was no reason to relax. There were all sorts of sand and tar pits that one could get stuck in. There were prickly cactuses and scraggly bushes that could hide anything. Even the Drapion scuttling low to the ground, who seeking out some prey for a meal, was cautious despite being one of the predators.

He came across an opening in the desert. Twisting his head around to get a good look around, he stayed low, for there might be larger predators out. He had strong purple body armor and sharp claws on his forelimbs and tail. Still, there might be something out there that could kill him. Today, he saw nothing of danger to himself, but there was a group of small rocks nearby that caught his attention. He left the scrub brush cover to check it out.

It was seven rocks arranged in a specific pattern: one larger rock surrounded by six smaller ones. One half of the resulting ring had been scraped to give it a different texture. It was a symbol that all Pokemon acknowledged. The symbol signified a special place where, according to the law of tradition, one could not kill another.

Drapion snorted and scattered the rocks. This was obviously a lesser Pokemon's attempt to keep him away from something. Perhaps newly hatched young or perhaps a resting place for a group that had traveled far. Although it was in the peace pattern, it was not the official mark, so he need not acknowledge it.

He lifted himself off the ground and turned his head to get a full look around. There was a disturbance in the sand to his right, a little behind him. He went over to check that out. From the indentations and ridges in the sand, it was apparent that a group of three smaller Pokemon had indeed slept here recently. Hence the attempt to make the place safe for them to rest in.

Nearby, there were ashes contained within a circle of rocks. There had been a fire, but small and contained. It was unusual to find a fire like that. To get a better idea of the situation, he took a deep breath and checked out the smells. These Pokemon weren't familiar to him, so they were likely traveling through this desert. The fire had died only a few hours ago. And there seemed to be another two body scents that weren't with the rest of the group.

Curious, Drapion went to one of the other scents and checked out the area. The pattern in the sand was unfamiliar to him. It was a set of perpendicular lines with a larger indentation. A larger Pokemon was protecting the smaller ones. A similar pattern was on the other side of where the three small Pokemon had slept. Not unusual; the smaller ones were probably doing something for the larger ones in exchange.

Would it be worth it to keep an eye on this site? They had left the symbol and he could wait a while. Drapion found a nearby scrub brush that could hide him and spent the rest of the day there.

They came back as the sun was going down. Of the small Pokemon, there was a yellow-orange fox with three tails, a dainty Bug with colorful wings, and a blue Plant with green leaves poking out its head. As he had thought, they were not native to the desert.

The larger two, though, they didn't seem like any Pokemon the Drapion had ever seen. They were tall and bipedal, mostly hairless save for their heads. They lacked any kind of natural defenses or offenses, so they had to wear the skins of others and carry large sticks. However, there was something these two had that seemed to indicate some great hidden power.

They were bearing the peace symbol on the backs of their hands, the sacred ring that was half red and half white around a central black point.

This greatly puzzled Drapion, for he knew of no Pokemon that could actually bear that mark. That symbol was likely the reason why the smaller ones stuck with these two, for even he wouldn't dare kill them while near it. How could they have enough power to make that mark properly while looking so weak? He decided to observe them for a while to find out.

The smaller of the two went over to the small rocks that had made up the symbol. He made a complex string of noises, which Drapion came to understand as him saying, "Something's disturbed our campsite."

An odd way of speaking. The larger male replied, "Go ahead and set it back up. We need all the protection we can get out here."

The smaller one nodded and set the rocks back into place. The presumably older one checked out the area; he either missed or ignored Drapion hiding under the nearby brush. Then they cleaned up the fire pit, set some new wood inside, then had the fox start a fire. Normally such a thing would burn out, but the strangers were able to keep it going and under control. Intriguing; they didn't seem to be Fire-types, not like that fox who had helped them.

The Bug flitted around, reminding Drapion of what he had started this stakeout for. If it could be lured far enough away from the symbol-bearers, he could have his meal. Quietly, he left the scrub brush and searched the area. After a few minutes, he located a few stray rocks. He picked one up with his mouth, then spit it out onto another rock, making a thwack sound.

By the campsite, the Bug noticed the sound and came to investigate. Drapion hid by a bush. Unfortunately, it turned out the Bug was also Psychic, as it noticed him and began shrieking. "Aaaaah, monster!"

"Quiet," Drapion ordered as he tried to snatch the Bug out of the air.

He missed, and then the younger of the symbol-bearers came. "Master!" he called. "I think it's the one we've been looking for!"

"Then don't let it get away," the older one said.

"Butterfree, use Stun Powder."

Under orders from the symbol-bearer, Butterfree calmed down. "Uh, right!" It flapped its wings furiously, sending a fine violet powder over Drapion.

"This is not worth this effort," he grumbled as he started to scurry away. But as he inhaled the powder, his limbs became heavy and he found it hard to move. So hard that the symbol-bearer was able to loop a rope around his legs to keep him from leaving. Snarling, he attempted to scratch the strange creature.

"Careful, boy," the older one said as he came over. "If he gets you, the poison will kill you."

"I thought we were here for a Drapion's poison."

"We are. While it is very deadly, its properties can be reversed to make a fine healing potion."

"You can't get to my poison," he hissed.

"That's false," Butterfree said. "But it is true that they can't understand us."

"What, are they idiots? All Pokemon can understand each other."

"These humans are not like Pokemon. They have power over all the elements."

He lifted his head up, getting a startled gasp from the younger symbol bearer. "What? But that's impossible!"

"I have seen them do it. That is why I follow them."

The older human then managed to put a stronger version of Butterfree's Stun Powder to his nose, robbing him of all movement. Then somehow, they massaged his claws in such a way that his poison dripped out into a glass vial. After he was drained mostly dry, the younger human placed a tablet in Drapion's mouth. Within seconds, he regained all movement.

"Would you follow too?" Butterfree asked.

"No way," he grumbled, then scurried off into the desert. It was going to be difficult for him to hunt tonight, with so little poison at his disposal. But he would have to eat something to get his strength back.

From then on, Drapion avoided humans whenever he smelled them around.

…

Drapion Pearl entry: Its body is encased in a sturdy shell. Its head rotates 180 degrees, eliminating blind spots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the third-gen games, the Lilycove art museum has 'ancient' statues of Pokeballs. That kind of things makes me wonder, how old is this technology and might it be a symbol of something else? And the 'using poison to make antidotes' is a scientific fact.


	42. Abomasnow

The fairgrounds were busy, noisy, merry, and sticky. It was ninety-six degrees Fahrenheit and it should have felt more like a hundred and ten with the heat index where it was. But there was a breeze blowing through, either cold or warm depending on where one was. And, obstinately ignoring the heat advisory, the central part of the fairgrounds was snowing.

Fair goers came to the central walkway to escape the heat, but soon had to leave as it was too cool in that area to be wearing shorts and tank tops. Brave people who came to find out why it was snowing in the middle of August found an ice cream stand where the snow was managing to stick to the ground, at least for a few seconds. And at that ice cream stand, they found an Abomasnow.

It was highly unusual to find a mountain Pokemon in Kansas, so the stout, six foot high, furry Pokemon was gathering a lot of curious onlookers. He was quite friendly, smiling at all who passed by (and unwittingly showing off his large teeth) and patting the heads of kids who came up to him (his hands were often bigger than their heads). Even though his natural powers chilled the air noticeably for the humans, he was keeping under shade. Being out in the sun was too hot for him.

One mother walked by with her toddler. "Oh look, Mark, look at the nice, um..."

"Abomasnow," the ice cream vendor said kindly. "His name is Mr. Bumble."

She nodded in a way that showed that she had no idea what this Pokemon was, and didn't care so long as he stayed nice. "Yes, Abomasnow. Isn't he neat?"

Meaning well, he growled softly, "Howdy kid."

The toddler, who'd been staring at Mr. Bumble with wide eyes, burst into tears and clutched his mother's leg.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the mother said, although it wasn't clear who she was apologizing to. She picked her son up and moved on.

Mr. Bumble looked down sadly and scuffed the ground with his feet. "Aw, I scared another kid."

"It's okay, buddy," the ice cream vendor said. "People aren't too familiar with your kind around here. How about we change the music?" She held up a CD case. "I've got the Bellsprout Boogie."

The Abomasnow grinned. "Sure, play that!" Once the cheery music started, he started bopping his head to the rhythm.

"What kind of Pokemon is this guy?" a young teenager asked. A Zigzagoon was trying to hide behind his legs, keeping a wary eye on the larger Pokemon.

"An Abomasnow," the vendor repeated. "I picked him up in Tibet. They call him the Ice Monster there, or the Abominable Snowman. But really, it's an exaggeration. Mr. Bumble is very friendly."

"Howdy, little buddy," Bumble said to the Zigzagoon.

"Uh, howdy?" the Zigzagoon replied uncertainly.

"He's awesome," the teen said. "Do you want to battle?"

"Against him?"

The ice cream vendor shook her head. "Sorry, can't do that here."

"Why not? It's not against the fairground rules so long as we keep out of the main paths."

"Yeah, but he's making snow right now because he's in a good mood. If we go into battle, he starts making hail. I don't think the people around here would appreciate a hailstorm."

"Oh I see. So what are you doing with him out here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the vendor asked, pointed at the sign above her head. "We're making and selling fresh ice cream. Would you like a pint?"

"Fresh?" the boy said skeptically. "Anybody can say it's fresh. You probably made it all yesterday."

She shook her head. "Nope, we're making it all today in small batches. It'll take a little bit, but we make the best ice cream anywhere. What do you like?"

He looked over the list. "Chocolate walnut sounds good."

"It's four dollars for a pint."

"That's a bit much."

"Super premium ice cream, made really fresh. It'd cost around five in stores due to taxes."

"Alright." He handed over the money.

She took the bills and put them in the register. "Good, then we begin with a cream base." She dipped a measuring cup into the mixture and poured it into a white container. "I remake this every hour because of the milk and eggs."

The teen leaned over the counter to watch. "Sure."

"Then chocolate sauce." She took a ladle and put a full scoop into the cream base. "And walnut oil, then the walnuts." After drizzling the oil from a black flask, she tossed in two handfuls of nuts. Then she took a lid with a spiked bar and screwed it on tight. As she gave it a quick shake, she added, "Now the key to great ice cream is to chill it as quickly as you can while keeping it agitated. Mr. Bumble, your turn." She tossed the container to her Abomasnow.

"Okey-dokey!" He caught the container, then began shaking it furiously. Using one of his Ice powers, he made the temperature in the container drop sharply. The air close to him grew colder too, making the teen shiver.

"You've got him trained to help you cook?" he asked.

"Just the cold items," the vendor said. "He can do other things, make no mistake, but he seems to enjoy this best."

After two minutes, Bumble tossed the container back. "That one's done."

The vendor spun the top off, then removed the inner lining. That went into a second paper container which she handed over to her customer. "There you are. And a spoon and napkin." She passed over the two items.

"Thanks." He took a taste of it, then looked at it in surprise. "Wow, that is really good."

"That's how we make it. Have a good day."

"Right, you too." The teen walked off with his Zigzagoon. The raccoon Pokemon glanced back to make sure the Abomasnow wasn't going to attack when their backs were turned, then trotted after his Trainer.

The ice cream vendor leaned on the counter. "Of course, we wouldn't be making much money if you weren't cooling the surrounding area down. It was nice of the organizers to give us that extra income."

Mr. Bumble looked out as another kid began crying. He sighed. "Now if only I wasn't scaring the kids off, it'd be a great day."

…

Abomasnow Pearl entry: It blankets wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. It is also known as 'The Ice Monster.'


	43. Lapras

Riding on the energy of the storm, the waves crashed into the rocky isle, sounding as loud as the thunder that roared overhead. The mix of near total darkness and sudden flashes of noon-like light was disorienting and nightmarish. It was dangerous even for sea Pokemon; they hid in crevices and caves. It was particularly frightening to a newly born Lapras, who huddled close to his mother.

He shuddered as a particularly vibrant stroke of thunder echoed across the sea. It would take a few months for him to reach full size, so he looked up to her. "Does this happen every night?"

She leaned down and touched his head with hers. "No dear, it just happened to storm tonight. We'll be fine."

He looked down at the cave entrance they had swam through just twenty minutes earlier, when the waves were starting to get rough. It seemed like those waves were gathering up enough strength to come up and knock them off their ledge. And while he had liked swimming before, he didn't like to looks of the sea now. He crept back away from the edge. "Okay."

"I know it can be scary," she said in a soothing voice. "But think on nice things and ignore the storm. Sometimes I like to think of things that I'm thankful for, like having a life of freedom, having good health, or being in the clean seas. And I'm thankful to have you with me now."

He smiled weakly, still afraid of the storm. "I'm thankful you're with me too. And I'm thankful those hunters didn't catch us."

She nodded. "I agree. I'm not sure what they do with us when we're caught. All I know is that I've not seen anyone else like us in a long time. All my friends disappeared with the hunters and I've never seen them again."

"Maybe they'd eat us like the Sharpedos."

"I wouldn't know. They could have the others working elsewhere." She shook her head sadly. "Still, I wish they had never gone away."

A lightning bolt struck awfully close to their cavern hideout, making the young Lapras shudder again.

"But we need to think on nice things," the mother said. "Let's work on your singing."

"In this storm?"

"A Lapras of true heart can sing anywhere, at any time. Give it a try."

The two of them practiced singing until the storm had subsided enough for the young one to go to sleep.

The next morning, the young Lapras swam along the island's beach, finding all sorts of items that had been washed ashore. There were lots of shells, rocks, seaweed, an empty Pokeball, a net, broken pieces of wood, and an unconscious human. He sniffed the human's face and felt a warm breath. "Mother, it's one of those hunters!"

She came up and examined his clothes. "I believe it is one of them. His boat must have been caught up in the storm last night."

He looked over the human more closely. He didn't seem so scary lying down like this. "What do we do with him?"

"Take him back to his village, that's what we're going to do."

"Take him home? But why are we helping him when he wants to catch us, and maybe eat us?"

"Because that's the right thing to do." She crawled up to the beach, then picked the man up and put him across her back. "We don't know exactly what they hunt us for and we are a noble race. Therefore, we help those who need it."

"What if he's trying to trick us?"

"I doubt that. Make sure he's not going to slip, all right?"

The young one nudged the man until he seemed more stable. "Okay, I think that'll work."

"Good, then let's go." She returned to the water. "They can't survive out here as easily as we can."

They swam across the waters to a place the mother knew about, a place where humans lived. It was a seaside village of simple wooden houses and fishermen. The fishing boats were gone already, but a few local children were playing on the docks when the two Lapras swam up. "What kinda Pokemon are those?" a young boy asked.

"Those are Lapras," his older brother told him. "You don't see them come up here much, especially not a couple of wild ones."

"Hey, they got somebody!" another boy called. "Is he alive?"

The sea hunter had come around to his senses, just barely. "Am I alive?" he echoed. He turned to the young Lapras with a bewildered look.

"I'm pretty sure you are," he replied with a coo. He tapped the hunter with his nose.

"Come on, mister," one of the boys said as he leaned over to help him onto the dock. "You guys go get Doc."

Once on the dock, the sea hunter patted the mother Lapras' head. "Thank you, lady. Although, I'm not sure why you'd want to help someone like me."

She bowed her head. "Kindness should never be a missed chance. Good luck to you." Then she nudged her son back towards the sea. "We've done what we can. Let's go."

Not wanting to get separated from his mother, he nodded. "Okay." And they left to travel the seas together.

…

Emerald entry: People have driven Lapras almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, it is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain.


	44. Chikorita, Feraligator

It was a toy wrecker, about five inches long with a four inch crane. It had a reddish orange body and a tanish-yellow crane. Despite some scuff marks and chips in the plastic, it was Basil's favorite toy.

The Chikorita nosed it backwards, towards a powder blue sedan that was upside down. "About right... there!" He lifted his head up to make sure, then pressed a white button on the cab's roof. The crane opened up, dropped down, grabbed the smaller car, then lifted it off the ground.

Crowing happily, Basil pushed it hard, sending the wrecker zooming along the floor and into a door. He raced after it, nudged it in a new direction, then sent it into the next room. There, it ran right smack into Elm's foot.

The Pokemon Professor looked down at his young charge chasing after the toy. He chuckled and spared a moment to pat Basil on the head. "Rescuing some unfortunate folks, are we?"

"You bet!" He nipped at the crane's tip and pulled it back, then looked up at Elm.

"According to the reports I've got, your two friends have all grown up. I keep thinking of sending you out with one of my helpers. Still, I think I'd miss you most if you left."

Basil flicked his leaf, sending some of its sweet aroma into the room. "Well I'm happy to stay with you. Somebody's got to keep you from working all the time, right?"

Elm then leaned over, turned the wrecker around, and shoved it back out the room. Scrambling frantically, Basil chased after it again, nearly crashing into one of Elm's assistants. He ducked out of the way of falling papers and got to his wrecker. Once he had it, he pushed it off and chased it all over the Pokemon Lab.

Until it made a run for the automatic doors and rolled outside. Basil paused for a moment to sniff the air. It was turning out to be a nice day, warm and sunny with a calm breeze to keep things comfortable. Pity that Elm was working indoors today, again. But there was something he could do about that. He nosed the wrecker back inside, released the powder blue sedan, then fetched a couple of items.

A minute later, he was back in Elm's office, holding onto a leash. His wrecker was now holding onto his Pokeball. He patted the professor's leg. "Come on, outside time."

Elm didn't notice right away, absorbed in reviewing new Pokedex entries. "If the theory is correct, then this can't be its initial form. But that's all anyone is finding it as. I wonder... hmm?" He looked down to a more insistent nosing. "You want to take a walk?"

He put the leash down. "You need it; it's not healthy for you to be inside when it's nice and sunny out."

"I really should finish up this review so I can upload it to Oak."

"Later. We go out now."

Elm looked at the screen, then back at Basil. "I suppose it's not due for a few days. Come on, let's go."

"That's more like it," the Chikorita replied as Elm attached the collar to his neck. The professor then tied the other end through the cab of the wrecker. Basil would take his toy everywhere he went, and this was the easiest way to let him take it outside. Elm then took the Pokeball, informed his assistants, then left to go on a walk.

The Route leading away from the lab was quiet. A few wild Pokemon were out, but weren't interested in attacking the pair. The sky was bright blue and clear, stretching above for as far as they could see. The trees were decked out in their deep summer green. It was calm, as if nothing bad could happen here.

Elm stretched his arms out, then looked down at Basil. "I'm certain that my productivity has gone down ever since you arrived. But it doesn't really bother me. I haven't been as stressed out lately."

"It's good to relax," Basil said, then nudged his wrecker around a patch of pebbles.

Then a loud bellow interrupted the calm afternoon. Basil jerked his head up, but only saw a blue blur as he was snatched up and stolen away. When he looked back, Elm had grabbed his Pokeball to call him back. But then a kid with spiky red hair yanked it from the Professor's hand. The thief then ran into the woods with them.

"Basil!" Elm called out, but then the Route disappeared behind the trees.

"Elm!" He tried to squirm away. "Let me go!"

"You'll thank me for this later," he replied, and kept running through the trees.

They came to a clearing and stopped. Basil was put down on the ground. Worried, he checked out his wrecker. After pushing it upright and pressing the crane's button, he figured out that it was okay. He looked over at his captor, who had dropped down on all fours and was breathing heavily. Like that, he was at eye level with the Chikorita. "What're you tired for?"

"I normally don't run that far," he said after a moment. "So the nerd calls you Basil? Hmph."

"What're you called?"

"My proper name, Feraligator." He winked. "You remember me, Chikorita?"

He tilted his head. "You? I don't know. Maybe. I see a lot of Pokemon in the lab."

He grinned, showing off dozens of sharp curved teeth. "Maybe as the toothy little terror?"

"You were Totodile? Gracious, you've gotten much bigger." He leaned forward and sniffed. Feraligator did smell like Totodile. "And much toothier."

"And you're still just a little sprout. But don't worry. We're here to change all that."

The spiky haired boy finally came into the clearing. "There you guys are. That went easier than I thought." He sat down by the two of them. "You'd think that after the first time, he'd learn to get some better security, but no." He shook his head.

"And this is the guy who kidnapped you?" Basil asked. "Why're you still hanging around him?"

"He liberated me. And he's the greatest Trainer in all of Johto. He'll make you strong, unless you wimp out and cry."

"So this was the third option, huh?" The thief took Basil's chin and looked him over. "You don't look that impressive, but you were the professor's choice. That means you've got to be great, somehow. They never give out losers and weaklings as starter Pokemon."

"May I go back to Elm?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because he needs me. I make sure he takes a daily walk and doesn't work too hard."

The thief then took the leash and looked at the wrecker. "And what's that thing attached to you?"

"It's a wrecker! Or a tow truck, if you must use the less interesting term. It's the best toy in the whole wide world."

Feraligator snorted. "Sheesh. I've gotten big and strong while you've stayed little and gotten spoiled."

The Chikorita flicked his leaf indignantly. "Just because I have a toy and you don't doesn't mean that I'm spoiled."

"We're gonna have to get rid of that," the thief said.

He gasped in alarm. "But it's my toy! I want to keep it. If I can't, then I want to go back to Elm right now."

"But we're going to make you one of the strongest Pokemon ever," Feraligator said, trying to convince him away. "We're going to build the best team in Johto and show everyone true greatness."

Fortunately, the boy thief didn't take the leash or wrecker away immediately. He took his stolen Pokedex and checked with it. "Okay, I think you stay as pure Grass type, which helps me out immensely. I'm done with just taking Pokemon as I find them. I've gotten rid of all but the one who meets my criteria of power,"

Feraligator grinned. "Me, of course."

"And you must become great; otherwise, Elm wouldn't have had you. So now I can work a team around you two and show them all up." He scowled. "Especially that goody-two-shoes... bah. I swear, he acts all innocent and sweet, but he must be doing something to his Pokemon to make them better than they should be. If only I could figure out what that is."

"It can't be that 'friendship and kindness' stuff he was going on about. That won't get you nothing."

"I think kindness can go a long way," Basil said, twitching his ears and leaf. "That, and making sure to relax some every day. That'll get you a peaceful and long life, at least, I think so."

"What? That's ridiculous. You can't hold onto peace, because too many bad things happen all the time. But I'll tell you what you can hold onto and believe in, and that's..."

He tilted his head as if curious, although he knew what was going on. "And that's what?"

Feraligator blinked. "Oh, um... darn... I had this whole 'get you pumped and ready to rumble' speech ready, and... I forgot it."

Basil flicked his leaf; he knew that it was his scent that was affecting Feraligator and he had to make sure he stayed affected. "That's too bad. Maybe you're just tired out and need a nap. It's a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a nap outdoors." He didn't have any skills to put Feraligator to sleep, but maybe some cunning could do the same thing.

"Yeah, that sounds nice right about now."

The thief looked up from his study. "What's wrong, Feraligator? You look spacey."

"We were gonna take control of the League and make them do things the proper way, our way," the blue reptile rambled. "But, uh, maybe we ought to take a day off and relax, you know?"

"Relaxing is good," Basil agreed, flicking his leaf towards the human.

"You need to stay alert in case... they come looking." The thief blinked, then shook his head. He tried to sound stern again as he turned to Basil. "Is this your doing?"

The Chikorita nodded. "Yup, I help people relax."

He took a deep breath of the sweetness, then coughed. "Okay, this isn't going to work out. I need a fighting team. I don't need somebody that's going to keep everyone from battle."

"Then I'm not for you, I guess. May I go back to Elm now?"

"We'll have to," he shook his head. "Nah, forget it. It's not worth the trouble." He tossed Basil's ball aside. "Let's go, Feraligator."

"Can we take the rest of the day off?" he asked as they went back into the woods.

Basil pushed his wrecker over to the Pokeball and picked it up with the crane. Then, not wanting to steer it around all the trees, he picked the wrecker up in his mouth and carried it back to the Route.

As he came out from behind a bush, he found a policeman searching the area. Pleasantly surprised, the officer patted his head, then stood up. "Professor, is this the one that was taken?"

Elm came over and smiled when he saw the Chikorita. "Basil, thank goodness you're all right." He undid the collar, then picked him up. "So you got away on your own, huh? I knew you were the clever one."

Basil nuzzled his head against Elm's neck. "Like I said, somebody's got to keep an eye on you."

…

Chikorita Emerald entry: It waves its leaf around to keep foes at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, creating a friendly atmosphere that becalms the battlers.

Feraligator Fire Red entry: It is hard for it to support its own weight out of water, so it gets down on all fours. But it moves fast.


	45. Flaafy, Togepi

The light in the room shut off. "Good night, girls," the Trainer said, dropping onto the bed. After a long yawn, she added, "Don't make too much of a racket." She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. It had been a long day.

"Racket?" Togepi asked.

"Don't make a lot of noise," Flaaffy said, then sighed and dropped her head onto the other bed.

Togepi looked at her other teammates. They were all tired too, asleep as quickly as their Trainer. But she had napped that afternoon, and hadn't participated in the Gym battle. Flaaffy wasn't sleeping either; she seemed miserable, though. The ball at the end of her tail flickered gently, casting a soft glow like a nightlight.

Wanting to do something, Togepi made it her goal to reach the bed Flaaffy was on. It wouldn't be easy; her feet and arms were small, so she often got toppled over by her speckled shell. Their Trainer's backpack was sitting by an armchair. Using that, she hopped up onto the armchair, then onto its arm. Then, it was a careful jump up to a cabinet and she could easily drop down to the bed.

She giggled. "Hi. I got up."

"Yeah, nice work," Flaaffy grumbled.

Togepi tipped herself over and smiled. "What's the matter? You're not usually grumpy."

"I usually don't fight terribly in a Gym. Weren't you watching?"

"Yeah. They were strong Pokemon."

"I thought I was strong too. But I guess not. I didn't even last two rounds. Who would have thought a stupid fish could beat me?"

"But you are strong. You've beat plenty of Pokemon. I haven't beat much of anybody."

"You've only been in a few battles."

"You just had an unlucky day. Cheer up; tomorrow will be better."

Flaaffy rolled her eyes. "How can you know?"

Togepi rocked herself back onto her feet. "I hope so. You're a great Pokemon, so don't let one loss get you down."

"Hmph." She closed her eyes.

She watched her teammate for a moment and realized she wasn't asleep, just upset about losing. Bored, Togepi bounced on the bed. She hopped down the bed, then back up, then sprang onto Flaaffy's back. Her skin was springy enough to send Togepi spinning and crashing into the bed headfirst. It only made her laugh.

Flaaffy lifted her head and checked on her younger teammate. "Careful. You don't want to break your shell."

Still standing on her head, Togepi waved her feet. "I'm fine!"

The sheep then came over and nudged her back upright. A small spark escaped from her wool and hit Togepi. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It don't hurt that much." She waved her arms now. "Of course, you weren't trying. When you try, zappo! Lots of power."

"Hush. Everyone else is very tired. We need our sleep."

"Okay. You know, she loves you lots, so you shouldn't be worried."

Flaaffy glanced over at their Trainer. "I'm not so sure. I didn't help her much today."

"But she was really really worried when you fainted. She came back here as soon as she could to heal you."

She tilted her head. "Did she?"

Togepi nodded so enthusiastically that she tipped herself over again. After a quick giggle, she explained, "I was with her to cheer her up. Look, look, I show you." She got herself upright and tapped Flaaffy's nose to share the memory.

The Trainer had set Togepi on the counter while Nurse Joy was healing the others. "It was my mistake to call her out then," she said sorrowfully, scratching Togepi's head. "I should have remembered that was a bad move. I hope she can forgive me."

Back in the darkened room, Togepi gave Flaaffy a friendly kiss. "She loves you lots, I can feel it. You're special to her. We're all special to her, so we have to do our best for her."

Flaaffy nodded. "Yes, that's true. Tomorrow's another day; thanks for reminding me." She nosed Togepi again. "Now get some rest, because we're probably moving on in the morning."

"Okay." She hopped over and leaned against her partner's side. Flaaffy lessened the glow of her tail and soon they were both asleep.

…

Flaaffy Fire Red entry: Its fluffy fleece easily stores electricity. Its rubbery hide keeps it from being electrocuted.

Togepi Emerald entry: As its energy, it uses the feelings of compassion and pleasure exuded by people and Pokemon. It stores up happy feelings in its shell, then shares them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My notes on the original post are 'Is it weirder that someone requested these two together, or that I immediately knew what to do with them?'


	46. Sudowoodo

There were Pokemon in the world that loved battle. They would test their skills against each other in dangerous games. Often, they would give control of their lives over to humans in order to fight and become stronger. Sudowoodo was not one of those Pokemon. Most of the time, they stayed hidden deep in the woods, but one was creeping out from the edge in pursuit of a promising smell.

It was rich and earthy, the smell of nutritious dirt. Like the rest of her kind, she ate dirt and only dirt. She could even distinguish between the dirts of various parts of the forest; if it was clay-heavy, it belonged near the caves, and if it was fairly salty with calcium, it probably came from near the river. But this was a new kind of dirt, not like anything that belonged in the forest. She really wanted to know what it tasted like.

She looked around from the edge of the tree line. This area had been cleared by humans. Their buildings had been growing out of the ground since last year. The scent she had followed was behind a large chain-link fence. In that fenced-off area, there was a large amount of trees, bushes, and flowers in neat even rows. To the side, there was a large building with a glass roof and a parking lot.

The dirt was spread all around the nursery and greenhouse. There didn't seem to be a way for her to get past the chain link fence or the building walls. However, some of the dirt was in the parking lot, unprotected. She could reach that.

She checked one last time for predators. She was a rock creature, yes, but her body was like chalk, soft and easily hurt. And easily eaten for the predators and battle-happy Pokemon, so Sudowoodo always took caution. Since nothing seemed interested in her, she snuck through the grass and to the parking lot.

Sitting by a van, there were twelve small Apricorn trees. Apricorns were commonly mistaken for bushes, but the short plants were indeed trees. They had little puffballs of leaves and bore orange fruits with hard pits. These seeds had an odd blessing from Palkia, the master of space: they linked up to little bubbles of extra space, which made them good for storing things and as primitive Pokeballs. More importantly, they looked exactly like a Sudowoodo, for it was the Apricorn tree that her ancestors had sought to mimic for safety and peace.

They were clustered, two to four in big pots of the rich-smelling dirt. Sudowoodo got into one of the pots and sampled the dirt. It was delicious, spoiling the Apricorns into growing stronger fruits. But she probably couldn't get a hold of this dirt often; the humans would make this dangerous. Sad, really; it would be good for the young Bonslies.

"We'd best hurry out," a man's voice said. "Pack up the rest of the trees and we'll go."

"Right sir."

She froze. They were too close for her to try running away. So she sat absolutely still. If there was one thing her kind was good at, it was being motionless. She also dropped a special skin over her eyes. It was tan colored, so it matched the rest of her body, but transparent enough to allow her to see what was going on. It did turn everything brown, though.

Two young men came to the back of the truck and began putting the Apricorn trees into the van. Not noticing the subtle signs, they picked up the pot she was in and packed it as well. Then they shut the door and locked it. A minute later, the van trembled and started driving.

Sudowoodo opened her eyes fully to get a better look around. There were the twelve Apricorn trees, eight evergreen bushes, various flowering plants, bags of mulch, bags of dirt, shovels, hoses, and various other tools. It didn't make much sense to her. What did make sense was that there would be no easy escape. The van was completely enclosed. The only light came from the front, where the early morning sun came through. But she could smell the humans up there.

She continued to hold still. That had worked all her life; it had worked for all the Sudowoodos that had come before her. Eventually, there would be a moment to get away. It just required patience.

Some time later, the van stopped. The humans began unloading the plants and tools in front of a red brick building. A sign out front stated that this was a psychologist's office. Although it was a carefully designed building, the landscaping was only half done. She disguised her eyes again.

"The designers called for twelve Apricorns," the oldest human said.

"Yeah, and we brought twelve."

"There's thirteen there."

The younger one checked over the pots. "Um, I was pretty sure I only grabbed twelve."

The older one picked up the pot she was in. It caught her off-balance, which she easily regained by mimicking how the real trees wavered. "Set one aside to bring back. And learn to count next time."

The landscapers then set about to planting. They had a special shovel that grabbed onto a pack of dirt and lifted that instead of touching the plants directly. Sudowoodo had to grip the dirt tightly with her feet in order to stay still through this. They set her down in a ditch with five Apricorn trees, then poured dirt and mulch around them.

As they worked on other plants, Sudowoodo kept alert to an opportunity to make a run for it. She heard the rustle of trees and smelled forest around behind the building. She could go there and check the dirt to figure out where she had gotten. But there was always one human working by her and she couldn't run that fast.

The leader of the group came over, carrying frightening looking tools. They had heavy but sharp blades built for cutting tough branches; those could take off her limbs. She tried not to tremble too hard.

He handed one of the shears to the other human. "Okay kid, now trim up those Apricorns for me. Make them look nice and neat."

The leader then stepped over to Sudowoodo and the Apricorn trees. He examined them, eventually coming closer to her and touching one of her false leaf balls. As he was still holding onto the larger pair of shears, she dreaded that her arm would be cut off. Every second he lingered was a torturous period potential discovery or pain.

"Like this one," the leader finally said, stepping back. "Even and balanced in appearance with no scraggly leaf spheres."

"So trim the rest up to look like that one?"

"Similar. But leave any growing fruits if you can."

Relieved, she continued to hold still while the human worked on the Apricorns. Sometimes he looked at her as if he might trim her up anyhow, but he never did. He also didn't recognize her as a Pokemon; humans had a hard time distinguishing an Apricorn tree from a hiding Sudowoodo.

The other young human came around with a hose. "You up for a shower?" he asked jokingly.

"You'd better not, or else," the other one retorted, playfully threatening with the shears.

"It'll be a tougher shower later on." He then turned the sprayer to water the transplanted plants.

She could never hold still during a rainstorm, and apparently she couldn't hold still when sprayed by a hose. Squealing in shock, she rushed out of the rushing water, towards the corner of the building and safety in the forest behind. The two young men jumped in surprise. "What is that?"

The older human managed to catch her and lift her up. "Hold on there. How'd a Sudowoodo get into the Apricorns?"

"Uh, I'm sure there were just twelve when I brought them out," the one with the hose restated.

"Well get that last one and plant it before you get much further." Then he brought her to the back of the van and kindly toweled her dry. "So, little one, what do you think of becoming a mascot for the greenhouse?"

And that was the beginning of her new life.

…

Sudowoodo Fire Red entry: It disguises itself as a tree to avoid attack. It hates water, so it will disappear if it starts raining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least in real gardening, there's never a worry that one of your plants might get up and run off on you.


	47. Farfetch'd, Bagon, Natu

Patchwork Cave was one of the stranger Mystery Dungeons in the region. Most Dungeons had at least the same look, if random layouts. Patchwork Cave seemed to have random looks as well. One chamber would be pale white limestone while the next would be sparkling red sandstone. One would have lots of water while another would be as dry as bone. Because of this, it was much easier to get lost in Patchwork Cave than to find the exit.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't have taken an easier mission instead?" Bagon asked.

"Buck up, buddy," Farfetch'd replied, twirling his green and white leek stick around. "Patchwork Cave is known for holding amazing treasures. We might pick up something awesome along the way."

"Our client got lost because she was looking for treasure and got in trouble. Who's to say that we won't get trapped too?"

"Isn't it a little strange that you're the worried one?" Natu asked.

Bagon shook her head. "Just because I like cliff diving doesn't mean I'm reckless. My last group ditched me because I was too practical for their tastes."

"Pity for them." The small bird glanced around, then pointed his beak towards a pile of rocks. "Could you clear that? I think that's the way."

"That's the rockslide, huh? All right." Bagon lowered her head, then charged at the rocks. The pile collapsed into the next room, clearing the path. "There you go."

Natu hopped over, then bowed. "Good work. Hopefully the Jynx isn't far. Farfetch'd, go check that hole up there."

"Right-o." Once he got into the new chamber, he flew up to the hole and peered around. "Heeelloooo? Any cuties stuck down thereeeee?"

The leader of the team sighed and hopped along down the chamber. Bagon followed him, glancing up at her teammate. "Is he always like that?"

"Yes, but it's not enough for me to dissolve the team. Hmm? What's that?"

At the end of this chamber, there was a crack in the ceiling, allowing a shaft of golden sunlight to descend upon a strange rock. The white rock had been carved into a perfect cube. Stuck in it, or growing out of it, was a green and white leek stick just like the one Farfetch'd carried. There was something mysterious and majestic about the set-up.

"But it's a stick," Bagon said, tilting her head. "Who would go to this effort to display a stick?"

"I know who would," Natu replied. She hopped around. "Farfetch'd! There's something you should see."

"What, a luscious babe?" He flew down to them. "Are you just," then he looked past them to see the stick. His lower beak dropped. "Tha... that..."

"It's a stick," Bagon said helpfully.

He hopped up and flapped his wings. "That's not just a stick! I never thought I'd ever... that's the legendary Styxcaliber! Oh my word, I think I'm gonna faint."

"Get the bag," Natu ordered.

"Oh, uh, right, that bag!" The Bagon opened up her pack and pulled out a brown paper sack. She put that over Farfetch'd beak. "We can't have you fainting this far into Patchwork Cave."

After taking a few deep breaths, Farfetch'd pulled the bag off. "Phew thanks. Anyhow, that is Styxcaliber, the most powerful stick known to Pokemonkind. It was owned by the greatest Farfetch'd warrior king ever, King Farthur who ruled over the fair kingdom of Pokelot with his lovely Queen Genev're. It is said that whoever can pull Styxcaliber from the rock will be the best hero of the age. And it's right here in front of us!"

"Are you making that up?" Bagon asked.

"No! It's a precious tale passed on from Farfetch'd to Farfetch'd for generations. I would not joke about Styxcaliber." He crossed his wings across his chest and stuck his beak in the air.

"But it looks like your stick."

"It is not like my stick. My stick is good, yes, but Styxcaliber is perfect! It has the perfect balance of weight, the ideal shape for gripping with a beak or wing, thin edges that never dull... it's every Farfetch'd's dream to own Styxcaliber. So I'm gonna take it."

"Are you sure? Natu?" She looked at their leader; he was staring at Styxcaliber with wide eyes. "Natu? What's wrong?"

"He does this from time to time, no biggie. I'll just..."

He waddled towards the stick in the stone, but Natu quickly hopped into his path. "Don't draw that stick."

"What? Why not? It's the best stick ever."

"Something evil is sealed by the stick. I see great destruction, battles that last all day, evil clouds, leaping flames... do not take that stick."

"Are you sure about that? What if we're supposed to take the stick in order to fight against the great destruction you see?"

"I guess it could be... but should we really risk it?"

"We'll be fine. You just worry too much." Farfetch'd hopped up with a quick flap of his wings to get on top of the cube stone.

"And you don't worry enough."

"Oh, I'm sure." He grabbed hold of Styxcaliber with his wing and pulled. However, the stick wouldn't budge. "Sheesh... it's... really stuck in there."

"Maybe if you use your beak?" Bagon suggested.

"Maybe." He bit onto Styxcaliber and jerked upward. His beak slipped and he tumbled off the rock. "Owww."

"So you're not ready to take your legendary stick," Natu said, sighing in relief. "Come, we still have to find Jynx."

"Sooo disappointing," Farfetch'd moaned, looking mournfully at Styxcaliber. Then he turned and followed his teammates into the next chamber. "Now when are we gonna find the babe?"

…

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Farfetch'd is always seen with a stick from a plant of some sort. Apparently, there are good sticks and bad sticks. This Pokemon has been known to fight with others over sticks.

Bagon FR/LG entry: Its steel-hard head can shatter boulders. It longingly hopes for wings to grow so it can fly.

Natu Leaf Green entry: Because its wings aren't yet fully grown, it has to hop to get around. It is always staring at something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have used the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda series. But Styxcaliber is infinitely funnier.


	48. Cherubi, Croagunk

The sky rumbled. Dark clouds advanced. Pokemon began to lie low. A storm was moving into the swamps.

Deep in a bush, a red spot quivered. Cherubi was certain now that coming this way to explore had been a mistake. There were pretty flowers in here that made tasty nectar, but there were more dangers than he had expected. The ground was almost liquid at some points; his weight was minuscule, but he still had to struggle out of one slimy pool before it swallowed him up. One flower had nearly eaten him.

And not just the flower. Lots of strange Pokemon had chased after him. There were many predators in his home meadow too, but at least he knew what they were and what they could do. Here, he had met moving vines, electrical threats, and some very mean bugs. There was even one Pokemon that manipulated fire; he had been lucky to escape that one's notice.

Could he make it out of the swamp before the storm struck fully? He'd be taking a risk moving when there might be strong winds coming, definitely heavy rains. But this bush wouldn't be great cover either.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

'Think of sunny days in the meadow,' he thought. That would make things seem better, at least. The beautiful sunny days, when the rays came down warm and strong, with not a cloud in the sky. Meadow flowers bloomed brightly; the grasses waved gently, offering thick cover for hiding. He and the other Cerubi would be playing hide-and-seek, or watching the Cherrims dance and sing with joy. Beautiful sunny days, with croaking...

Croaking?

Croa-gu-gu-gu.

Cherubi brought his mind back to the miserable present and looked around. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary to see, but something smelled different. Something smelled rather bad, like the slimy pool that had nearly swallowed him. That something was to his right, almost behind him.

He turned and saw a patch of pale blue before a blob of sticky mud got thrown at his hiding bush. Cherubi fled in time to avoid getting hit, but then was out in the open to face his hunter. She was an amphibian of some sort, to judge from her slick skin, webbed feet, and bulging eyes.

The frog made a fist and held it up in a threatening manner. "You hold still, yes?"

"No," he said, shakily. "Not for you!" He hurried to fly away.

He didn't get far when she jumped into his path. "Sweet little one, stay. You're mine."

"You just want to eat me," he cried, rushing in another direction. Maybe if he flew over one of the slimy pools, she would get stuck. He spun his small leaves as fast as he could. "Dear Shaymin, don't let the wind start now," he prayed softly.

This time when she jumped at him, she pushed her fist ahead with a dark energy. "I won't let you go."

"Couldn't you..." he panted, "not eat someone that can talk to you?"

The skin on her neck shook, making that 'gu-gu' noise again. "Couldn't you not deny me a meal?"

She jabbed a fist at him, raising spines that were probably poisonous. Cherubi darted out of the way just in time for the storm winds to strike. They grabbed hold of him and flung him away as hard as a wind could manage. He crashed into a path, rolling for several feet to lie right below the beak of a large bird.

This was bad. Trembling, he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure he could get off the ground right now, and even if he could, the winds could toss him into a slimy pool instead. Would he never see the sun again?

"What's that?"

A human voice? Cherubi opened his eyes. Overhead, he saw a teenaged boy, struggling to hold his brown hair out of his eyes. His brown trenchcoat flapped in the heavy winds, showing a Trainer's belt with several Pokeballs attached. The Staravia that had just frightened him was owned by the boy, and thus wouldn't be inclined to prey on others.

Thanking his lucky flowers, he struggled to get upright. "Would you take me? Please?" It would be a safe life, a productive one. Maybe rough, what with all the battles humans held, but the boy would surely take care of him. Right?

"What's a Cherubi doing out here?" the boy asked. "This isn't your standard territory."

"And we're not here looking for a featherweight like you," Staravia added, puffing himself up importantly.

"Cro-gu-gu-gu," the frog called out, then hopped onto the path. "Don't keep me from my meal, stranger."

The human boy clenched his fist victoriously. "Finally, a Crogunk! Get rid of the little guy, we're taking that one."

"Bub-bye, twirp," the Staravia taunted right before beating his wings furiously to create a small whirlwind.

"He-hey!" The whirlwind picked Cherubi up and tossed him even further away.

But they were taking the, the, Croagunk, right? They were taking the Croagunk away. There could be others, though. The swamp was too dangerous for him.

However, the winds were moving in the direction of his meadow. Not straight for it, but enough that he might be able to ride his way there. He spun his leaves quickly to gain enough altitude for the distance he needed to go.

With some luck, he'd be able to land near the meadow and wait the storm out.

…

Cherubi Diamond entry: The small ball holds the nutrients needed for evolution. Apparently, it is very sweet and tasty.

Croagunk Pearl entry: Inflating its poison sacs, it makes an eerie blubbering sound for intimidation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherubi's entries really aren't fair to it… another one mentioned its fruits shriveling over time.


	49. Shelgon, Salamence

Shelby lay in the darkest part of the room, under the bed. He smelled a pot roast. A lovely pot roast: beef cooked with onions, carrots, black pepper, thyme, sage, and bay... it smelled so good. It had been one of his favorite foods for the longest time. His body was feeling weak with hunger. But he remained under the bed.

The blanket was pulled up; a girl's face appeared. "Come on, Shelby or it'll get cold. Come out and eat."

He remained still. He would be strong, no matter what. He could survive, even through this test. And it was a test, to see if his determination and willpower was enough to reach full glory. But the onions and beef... that would be wonderfully tasty, melting in his mouth... no. He must endure temptation for the grand dream.

The girl dropped the blanket. "Please? I can't see how this can be normal. That dragon tamer guy must be crazy." She sighed and plopped onto her bed.

Shelby whined, feeling bad for making her worry. But she didn't understand. Every Shelgon had to go through with this. If he failed and gave into temptation, he would be this way for longer. This sluggish, heavy body, it wasn't what he wanted at all. If he endured, he would be rewarded.

Above him, there was a tear of an envelope being unsealed and a flap of folded paper being opened. He closed his eyes. This was tough. He wanted to eat, yes, but he wanted to be able to fly even more. Everything had to be sacrificed for the dream at this time. But how much longer?

The bed creaked as his Trainer sat up quickly. "Aw shoot," she said, deep concern shading her words. "I have to go back. But... dang it, I'm too far from home now. I don't have any Pokemon that can Fly back. And one of them is starving himself. This stinks." She dropped back onto bed and punched it.

About that time, his shell cracked.

Was it time? He opened his eyes and was caught surprised when not only did his shell pop off, but he also abruptly grew significantly bigger. His head knocked into the bed, not enough to knock him out, but enough to make it throb. The girl yelped when the bed was bumped up; it threatened to break with a snap of wood.

But he was finally a Salamence. Happy, but more hungry than happy right now, he crawled out from under the bed and gulped down the pot roast, mushy onions and all. It was wonderful. Obviously, she had gone out of her way to buy a nice piece of meat for this.

"Shelby?" She hopped off the bed, in case it decided to break. "Oh great! Do you feel better now?"

He felt better than he ever had. He growled contentedly when she hugged his neck, thanking her for making the roast for him.

"I'm glad you're eating again. But, you have wings now? Do you think you can fly me back home?" She clasped the letter she had been reading. "My mom's gotten badly sick; she's in the hospital, so I need to go see her soon. Can you take me?"

Well, he'd never flown before, certainly not with a passenger. But he had to make up for a number of things now, from the delicious pot roast to making her worry for several days. Shelby nodded.

"Thanks! I've got the Fly HM around somewhere. Let's go outside." She took his Pokeball and recalled him; it would be harder for him to go through doorways and halls now.

When she released him, they were on a grassy patch near the Pokecenter. Sitting on the ground, she pulled out her TM case and shuffled through the CDs she had collected. They hadn't been well organized, so it took her a minute to find the white HM Fly. She pulled it out of its slot, then placed it in the reader on the other end of the case. The reader was hooked up to a clear gem that refracted light into rainbows. This prism was a psychic transmitter that could translate signals from the CD reader. It unfortunately tended to destroy most CDs, but the HM CDs were sturdy enough to withstand repeated use.

"Okay, this shouldn't take long." She stood back up and placed the case close to Shelby's head. Once he nodded, she activated the machine.

Shelby listened to the machine's hum. The gem sent a train of thought into his mind: how his wings would work most efficiently, what air currents could do to him, how a passenger would change his center of balance. He had an instinctual method for flight and this HM was enhancing what he knew.

After five minutes, the machine shut off. "You feel confident?" she asked.

He nodded and spread his wings. He'd waited long enough and he wanted to fly now. Never mind that a trek back to her home town was quite a distance to go. Shelby felt like he could fly halfway around the world.

"Alright, I've got everything." She climbed onto his back, behind his neck. After a moment, she put her hands on his shoulder blades. "Gosh, I'm nervous. Don't go too high, okay?"

He nodded again.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Good. Smiling, he beat his wings and jumped into the air. She gasped in surprise and gripped him tighter. Pulling his forelegs in, he grabbed hold of her ankles to secure her, then set off over town. Being free of the ground and soaring high... well, soaring low over the ground... it was better than any dream he had had over his whole life.

Some time after they left town, she stopped trembling and leaned forward. "This is amazing," she said. "You can go higher now, if you want."

Roaring happily in response, he climbed into the sky with her.

…

Shelgon Emerald entry: It hardly eats while it awaits evolution. It becomes hardier by enduring hunger. Its shell peels off the instant it begins to evolve.

Sapphire entry: By evolving into Salamence, this Pokemon finally realizes its long-held dream of growing wings. To express its joy, it flies and wheels all over the sky while spouting flames from its mouth.


	50. Froslass

She wasn't sure what had happened. A deafening light; her ears were still ringing. An explosion? Maybe. It had gone by so fast: one second in a quiet refuge, the next second screaming and pain. Had she died? She didn't know that either. But the fact that she was thinking, that was promising.

Assuming that she was alive, Froslass opened her eyes. It was a white room, hushed, with green curtains. Someone had placed her on a bed, but hadn't put a blanket over her. Instead, the blanket was bundled up around her. That was nice; she usually slept in a shallow pit of snow or dirt, so whoever put her here knew about her kind. And the person must have healed her, for despite a possible explosion, she felt no pain anywhere. She left the bed and floated out past the curtains.

A blue haired woman spotted her. "Good, you've woke up. You're free to do as you like, although the man who brought you in is waiting in the lobby for word on you."

"That's kind of him," she said softly, then floated towards the door.

The nurse went ahead of her and opened it for her. There were several people in that room, although only one got up upon seeing her. It was a bearded man wearing a long black coat and a black hat. The nurse nodded to him. "She's all right now. You got her here just in time; there shouldn't be any permanent damage."

He nodded. "Good. We're lucky that bomb didn't hurt anyone else, but it wouldn't be right if we left an innocent Pokemon as a victim."

A bomb? A man-made weapon; she wondered what it had been in the middle of town for. She bowed to the man who saved her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He left the Pokecenter and she followed him. Once they were outside, he turned back to her. "You're free to go back to your home in the wilderness. God bless you, Froslass."

"I see." She bowed again, then flew off towards the forest.

But not too far away, she stopped and turned back. The man had saved her life, after all. She should do something for him. But what? He obviously showed no interest in capturing her. Maybe he had his own Pokemon and that was enough for him. There might still be some other way of repaying him.

Flying as stealthily as she could, she went back and searched for him.

Froslass settled in a tree outside of a large old building. The man in the black coat was standing there with another dressed similarly to him. The other looked older, with gray hairs instead of black. They were talking about the building, it seemed. Their breath turned to wispy vapors as they spoke, while the fog began to condense around them.

"It is sad that we've let the synagogue fall into disrepair," the older man said. "But we've all had tough times lately and we've been focused on helping the families keep going. Things are getting better, slowly."

"Can we raise enough money in time? Somebody on city council must still be against our presence." Her hero seemed disheartened.

The older man patted his shoulder. "We will trust in God. Let us pray and consider the options. We must overcome this obstacle."

"Yes." The two men went inside.

Froslass stayed in the tree for a minute. She wasn't sure what their problem was. It was something to do with this old building. They were trusting in God to help save the building somehow. Could she do something to help?

There was a flag on the synagogue. It was blue and white, like ice and snow, with a yellow six-pointed star in the center. Icicles from the previous night's rain remained on the flagpole and building, although someone had gone to the effort to replace the flag. It gave her an idea. She had only done this previously in fun, but just maybe it could be useful.

The fog continued to thicken, which was perfect. By the yellow-brown glow of the streetlights, she skimmed over the parking lot and found a clear area. This would work. She dropped down to the ground and blew hard across the surface.

It was just below freezing this night, but her breath was far colder than that. The fog crystallized instantly, forming a layer of ice on the ground. She would need a large base, so she created a solid area of ice. And then built more layers on top of that. This would take a long time, but this was winter and it would be a long night.

When she felt that the blocky base was strong enough, she created two pillars growing out of each other, like an elegant heart. The fog remained thick, giving her enough moisture to work with. She had to watch how she balanced everything, so that the sculpture didn't lean over and collapse. But it held up as she carefully blew on small portions of ice to join the two half-hearts into one whole.

Pausing for a moment, she looked over it. It was pretty, but not quite done. She checked the flag; as it was all-weather, it had been left out. She wanted to copy the star design onto the heart, to hang it within from the joining point. This would have to be planned carefully.

Froslass went back to the lower portion of the heart and began building the lower horizontal line. A gust of wind could mess her up terribly at this stage, but the air remained still. Slowly, she built the line. Then she built up two lines to make a triangle to the joining point. Icicles grew by water trickling down and freezing on the tip; she was building these in reverse, freezing water upwards. After she felt that was secure, she built an inverted triangle to complete the star.

It was pretty, but it left her exhausted, with a dry throat. She plucked one of the icicles off the synagogue roof and ate that. As the sun rose and started to clear the fog, she found a hidden nook and went to sleep.

By the time she woke up, the short-lived winter day was already gone. She ate a few more icicles, then went to check on her sculpture. It was still standing, but weakened a little by the sun's light. It was foggy yet again, so she strengthened weak spots in the ice.

A crunch in the snow put her on alert, but it was the man who had saved her yesterday. "Then it is your work, Froslass."

She nodded. "A sign of my thanks, that is all. I worked hard on it."

"You must have worked hard all night to make it." He smiled. "Many people came to see it, even those not of our faith. It's something special."

She brought her wings together on her chest. "It is the biggest one I have made. The best so far, I think."

He turned to the sculpture and looked it over. "Many people came. And they heard of how our synagogue is in danger of being removed unless it is repaired. We've gotten many donations to help cover the cost. We're not quite there yet, but we almost have enough money to cover everything. And it's all thanks to your work here."

"Is it?" she asked, bashfully cover her face. "I didn't mean to do that much."

He patted her. "Thank you, although I feel you did this in thanks to me. Perhaps God has worked through you today."

…

Froslass D/P entry: It freezes foes with an icy breath nearly -60 degrees F. What seems to be its body is actually hollow.


	51. Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres

Cerulean City was sparkling with colored lights and festive decorations. Lying at the foot of Mount Moon, it was surrounded by snow and ice, both in the fields and in the rivers. But the humans managed to keep their city clear of winter's signs. They even had evergreen plants hanging from lamp posts and other signs to remember the warmth and color of summer.

Articuno knew that, even though she was roosting on a mountain top some distance north of Cerulean. The city was just a sparkle of lights and snow-covered roofs from here. She had flown over the city late some nights, because she admired the people's compulsion to decorate. She wondered if she should try decorating anything, but she lived on mountains that were forbidding to most creatures. There wouldn't be anyone to admire her work.

And looking south was better than looking north right now. She kept an eye out that way, for she didn't like what she saw. There was a large army of conquerors there. Since they hadn't crossed into Kanto lands yet, she had no reason to do anything about them. But they were making a wide sweep of the area, blocking in her homeland. They were strong and well-disciplined, led by a brilliant if maybe mad general. It would be foolish to think that he wasn't interested in taking over Kanto as well.

However, there was an agreement that she had to abide by. Because of that agreement, she couldn't do anything about this army until they invaded Kanto. She kept thinking of sending word to her siblings Zapdos and Moltres, to warn them. She should.

There, Articuno had another problem to face. The last time they had met, it hadn't ended well. It had been a foolish fight, she realized. Somehow the conversation had turned to which one of them was the strongest. They were all about equal in power. But then Zapdos had to point out that she was weak to both of their attacks, so she was the weakest, and he had strong attacks against both of them, so he was strongest. Moltres hadn't taken that well, giving him a nasty burn on his wings, then leaving in a furious mood. She had snapped at him for inciting their younger sister, which made him mad at her. She thought about apologizing to Zapdos, but it didn't feel right unless he apologized first. That had been well over three years ago.

Articuno ruffled out her wings, then twisted around to smooth out a few stray feathers. The humans used this time of year to celebrate family love, right? The thought made her feel lonelier without her siblings. It had been three years and it had been a stupid argument; couldn't they make things up now? Especially with danger lurking over the horizon.

Looking closer around her mountain perch, she noticed a group that seemed to be stuck behind the results of a morning avalanche. It was four humans traveling by two sleds, one pulled by an Arcanine, the other a Ninetales. She wasn't one to leave humans stranded in these dangerous (to them) mountain paths, so she left the mountaintop and came down to listen.

"We can't just abandon this cause," a man dressed as a priest said. "The people of Sunridge City are allies and an important trade partner. We must support them under this siege by General Slagle."

"But the soldiers are watching the main trade route closely," another man argued. "If we go that way, they'll certainly attack us. There aren't many safe paths through here during winter, so if all three of my routes are blocked off, there's nothing we can do."

"Surely there's a way to get to the alternate path from the main route, once we get past the mountains."

"Last time one of my boys went out that way, he found troops at the end of the mountain part of the route. No, it can't be managed."

One of the traders; she usually trusted them to pull through, save for during the worst storms. Since the humans were together discussing if they would continue, Articuno landed near Arcanine and Ninetales. "Greeting, travelers," she said.

"Greetings to you, lady of the glacier," Ninetales replied. "We're all right, just can't get through."

"Don't even want to melt that," Arcanine added. "Could worsen things."

"It could. What are you taking to Sunridge?"

"Supplies to get them through the siege. You know, food, medicines, necessary things, and some toys."

"Toys?"

"The priest said that the church women made a bunch of cloth dolls, wooden blocks, and wooden trucks," Ninetales recalled. "War is hard on children, you know, so it should comfort them some."

"Certainly." Articuno considered it. She wasn't supposed to interfere; Sunridge City was out of her territory. But now that she thought of it, she wasn't sure if any Pokemon in her league of power watched over Sunridge. If she just took the supplies to them and didn't bother the army any, that shouldn't be a problem. "I could take the supplies that way, if you two cannot manage."

"You would?" Ninetales asked, tilting his head. "It's not part of Kanto."

"If I can help, I will."

"I'm sure they will be grateful." The two Pokemon barked to get the humans' attentions.

The four of them were awed when they realized that she was there. There weren't many Pokemon like her in the world; some humans said that she was the most beautiful in Kanto. She had dark blue feathers, some with an icy sheen that glistened in the winter sun. She had a long flowing tail that she kept clean and neat. She couldn't speak to the humans, so she whistled gently.

The priest came up to her and bowed. "Articuno, if I may ask something of you... we are trying to take supplies up to Sunridge City, but the snow is blocking our path and an army stands in between us. Would you take them instead?"

She nodded.

"Thank you greatly."

They then untied the two crates that held the donations. The crates were large and somewhat awkward, but she felt confident that she could manage them. Picking them up with her feet, she then took to the sky, heading for Sunridge. Snowflakes followed with every beat of her wings.

Being a part of Slagle's army was a rough life for both people and Pokemon. There were daily training exercises that everyone had to do. There were long months on the road, long hours on patrol. The soldiers pressed on, though, either from respect or fear of their brazen leader.

Ashton had joined a year ago, hoping for a better turn to his life. Bad luck seemed to follow him everywhere and he wasn't sure why. But it followed him here as well. For one thing, the Dodrio the army assigned him was a troublemaker that liked to chew on his boots and nip at his ears. And today he had been assigned to perform two long patrols, this last one just him and the mischievous Dodrio. Bad, bad luck.

He tried to watch the land, but the whiteness of the snow burned into his mind. Dodrio wasn't making trouble, but plodded along at a slow pace. Occasionally, they stumbled into a deep snowdrift. Both of them had the same thoughts: get done, go eat, then go sleep for ten hours no matter how much the commander yelled at them. It had been a long dreary day after a long night of guard duty.

Snow was falling, somewhat breaking up the monotony. But after a while, it got monotonous too. Ashton rubbed his eyes, then checked the sky. Sunridge had a famed Avian Guard, so the commanders had been adamant about insisting that not one bird was allowed to leave or enter the walled city... like that one up there now.

He squinted, but the bird was flying almost in the clouds, obscuring its form. It seemed a bit large for a Pidgeot... it certainly wasn't any of the flying Pokemon that Slagle's army used. Ashton took his rifle, loaded it, then fired at the strange bird.

There was a shrill cry of pain. For once, his luck seemed to be good, as he was much too weary to have actually made the shot on skill. He still couldn't recognize the dark blue bird as it fell. It wasn't like any that he'd seen. It was a bit of a shame that he'd hit such a magnificent and pretty Pokemon, though.

Wait... that seemed like one he'd heard of. That would mean...

Ashton grabbed his radio. His heart seemed to have jumped into his throat, yet somehow he got himself to talk. "Base 4, come in. This is Ashton and, I think I just killed Articuno."

General Slagel came to the scene himself. It was Articuno, one of the Guardians of Kanto. The bullet had pierced through her side and lodged in her left wing bone. With that there, she would be grounded for weeks. One of the first responders had placed a restraint band around her neck, preventing her from attacking them. She couldn't do anything right now.

The young soldier who had shot her was trying to hide his nervousness. But his skin was pale against his black hair, and he shifted his balance every few seconds. His Dodrio was looking to the ground with all three heads. Nearby, there were two wooden crates. Another soldier and a pair of Xatu were checking out what was inside.

"So you shot down a legend," Slagel said to Ashton.

"Sir, I didn't realize it was her, sir," he said hurriedly. "I just saw a bird in the clouds and you had ordered all birds shot down."

"Was she carrying those crates?"

"Y-yes sir."

"What's inside those?" he called to the other soldier.

"There seems to be a number of toys in here, sir," he reported.

"Toys, is it?"

"Yes sir."

"Strange. But no big loss. Let's go back to base."

"And just leave her... sir?" Ashton asked.

"It gives us a quick chance at Kanto territory if she's not guarding the northern border. Good work. Finish your patrol and return with a full report." And with that, he left.

Most of the soldiers left with him, even the Pokemon. But Ashton and his Dodrio didn't leave. Neither did the two Xatu. The two Psychic birds seemed nervous, sticking close and looking at each other's eyes. Ashton looked at them, then at Articuno. The bird looked at him sadly.

He couldn't leave her this way, practically helpless. He could take the bullet out of her wing; he had, unfortunately, had to do that to his Dodrio once. He wasn't sure if his partner had forgiven him of that incident yet. Besides, he had been taught to honor the legends, which meant not shooting one out of the sky. Perhaps if he helped, it could be forgiven.

Ashton turned to the Xatu. "Could one of you hypnotize her for a bit? I'm going to take that bullet out."

They checked with each other. Articuno cooed. Then one Xatu nodded and flew over in front of her. He gazed into her eyes, humming oddly. She watched him until her eyes drooped and she fell asleep.

Ashton walked over to her left wing and examined the wound. Dodrio followed, looking at him curiously. "Hold her wing steady, but gentle," he told him, then dug out a Potion spray to heal the wound in her side first.

Once that was clean, he turned to where the bullet was. It was in the bone, damaging it, but thankfully not shattering it. While it would be weak and prone to breaking for some time, Articuno could potentially get herself away. He took out his pocket knife and carefully pried the bullet out. Her wings were cold, enough that he could feel it through his gloves.

With that done, he took another Potion and sprayed it on this wound. It started to heal the flesh and killed any bacteria trying to infect it. Her bone, though, would take time to strengthen back up, if he recalled right.

He looked back at her face and saw her looking at him. He wasn't sure when she'd woken up; hopefully not while he'd been using his knife. The restraint band was still on her neck, so he took that off. "There, you should be able to take care of yourself now."

She made a warbling sound and gently nipped his nose with her beak.

He blushed and scratched his head. "Well, I guess you will have to rest here for some time. I'm really sorry about this. I have to get back to camp now, or we'll get in trouble. Still, I'm not sure I want to leave you on your own..."

She bowed her head. She seemed sad. At least, that was his interpretation of that look.

"But really, I don't want to get in trouble with Slagel. The punishments are severe. But then," conflicted, he glanced around. The Xatu were still here. "You two. Could one of you stay with her while the other looks for the other two? You know, Zapdos and Moltres?"

They didn't have to consult this time. 'We can do that,' the male said telepathically. 'You should go back to camp and rest. Then take our Pokeballs and meet us back here."

Ashton paled. "Steal your balls? B-but..."

'It will work out,' the female assured him.

"I, uh," he looked back at Articuno, who nodded. "Okay, I guess. I'll try. Come on, Donny." He got back on the Dodrio and went back to base camp.

Winter was Zapdos' least favorite season. It was harder to build up enough charge in the sky and in the ground to produce his noisy thunderstorms. He could still pull it off, though. With a wink of his eye, he managed a gorgeous branching bolt that struck Lavender Tower. "Ha-ha, I bet that woke the ghosts up," he chuckled.

After the thunder's echo ended, he heard chiming notes of distant music. The humans were indoors and weren't going to let his games interrupt their festivities. He checked, but it was going to take time to get enough charge for another one.

Zapdos sighed. "Gah, I'm soooo bored. Isn't there anything to do?"

He looked off to the west, into a mountain range. There was a volcano in that area. Was Moltres hanging about there? And where was Articuno, anyhow? His sisters had always been good for a flying game or an interesting conversation. He could go visit them.

But were they still mad at him? It wasn't really fair, but they couldn't understand his position. Technically they were neutral to gender, being the only ones of their kind. But their minds slanted to particular genders and he was the only one of the group that slanted towards masculinity. He liked to be competitive, proud, and brash. He always figured that it was something innately male that made him that way. But they, slanting towards the female side, they were about gentleness and gracefulness. Articuno was much too selfless, helping in situations she really shouldn't be messing with. And Moltres was much too sensitive, taking things more seriously than they were meant to be.

In a way, he couldn't understand how they were thinking either. He just knew that it was different. And that he didn't really want to apologize. It had just been a joke, right?

They took things way too seriously. Zapdos huffed at the thought. Still, he felt lonely right now.

As he looked around, he noticed a flying Xatu headed his way. Odd. He thought they didn't live around Kanto. It had to be a foreigner. Zapdos wondered if this bird realized who he was. He rubbed his wings against his body, making his static charge crackle.

"Hold on, lord of the storms," the Xatu called ahead. "I've got bad news."

Well he knew. He held his head up. "Bad news, huh? Then you'd better have good reason to bring it to me."

He got up to Zapdos' position and bowed his head. "It's your sister, Articuno. She's been shot down and badly damaged."

"What? Who shot her?"

"A member of Slagel's army. General Slagel told us to leave her as she was, but a few of us decided against that."

Guns were a worrying invention. If all it took was one shot to badly damage a Pokemon of their league, it could completely shift the balance of power in the world. Zapdos narrowed his eyes. "Some Slagel guy, huh? Idiot. Well come on, let's go wake up Moltres. I'll think she'll listen for this." He took off towards the suspect volcano, with the Xatu following behind.

People appreciated fire the most on winter nights. Its warmth, light, and protective nature was needed on these cold and long periods of darkness. Even now, when electricity warmed most of the human homes, those creatures still liked to have a fireplace with a comforting fire crackling away. Moltres was glad of this.

But both humans and Pokemon liked to gather together during this hard season. Moltres was alone. It was sad. She wanted to go see Articuno, to let her know that she didn't agree with Zapdos' boasting last time. But she also didn't want things to seem like they were isolating their brother, even if he had been a jerk. She wanted to tell him to apologize to Articuno, but didn't want to get into another argument with him.

It was really bad and she could see no way out of it. She rested on the side of a steaming volcano, thinking. She tried to keep herself occupied by observing the lava bubble underneath the plug of stone and ice. If the volcano showed signs of bursting, it was her duty to warm nearby Pokemon and humans of the danger. And winter was a terrible time for an eruption. There were thick sheets of ice and snow that would melt into terrible mud flows, and the rocks were particularly weak from water crystals growing inside cracks. Pressure was building, so it could happen.

A bright lightning bolt struck the volcano, blinding her for a second. The following thunder rattled her ears. Moltres growled before taking off into the clouds. "Zapdos, you idiot! What do you think you're doing? The volcano's unstable enough as it is."

"Getting your attention," he replied.

"Couldn't you just land politely and...?"

"Hang on, we can argue later."

"Would you cut that out!"

"Excuse me, lady of the lava," a Xatu with Zapdos interrupted, trying to be as polite as he could be. "But it's your sister; she's been hurt."

She looked at the smaller bird. "Articuno? What about her?"

"She got shot down past the northern border," Zapdos told her. "He's going to take us there, so are you coming?"

"Of course I'll come." She glared at her brother. "But you had better apologize to her now, all right?"

"Fine, I will. Let's go."

The three birds flew north, past the border of Kanto.

It didn't take long after he woke up for Ashton to recall what had happened yesterday. And what he had in plan for today. Grumbling to himself, he dressed as if going on another long patrol, then went to the supply tent to get restocked. Articuno probably wouldn't mind the cold, he reflected, but she might appreciate some food. He picked up several seed and suet blocks for her and Donny... and the pair of Xatu, them too. Fortunately, the supervisor of the supply tent seemed half-asleep.

When his pack was full, he went to the Pokemon barracks to pick up his Dodrio. He pulled that Pokeball and... how was he supposed to identify the Xatu? There were a good dozen of them in Slagel's army, as far as he knew. Ashton found the section they were in. There were nicknames by the registration numbers, but he had no idea who those birds were.

He checked one ball that held a Xatu, sliding the panel that hid the status screen. It reported that the resident was inside. So this one didn't belong. He checked two more, and finally the next one reported that its resident, a male nicknamed Isaac, was 'out-of-range'. Articuno's position was far enough to trigger that warning, right? He checked the females until he found another 'out-of-range' warning for Holly.

Ashton looked around, but it seemed that he had woken up early. No one else was in claiming their Pokemon partners. He slipped the two extra balls into his pockets, then brought out his partner. "Come on Donny," he whispered. "I don't know if we're coming back, but we have to leave before things get busy."

Donny nodded, then held still as Ashton got on his back to ride out. They watched the other soldiers nervously. Slagel was notorious with discipline; he wouldn't hesitate to order a beating, even in situations where the misfortunate one would be in danger. Punishments weren't the only reason that his soldiers died; nearly everyone below command level was overworked, living in poor conditions.

But those who were awake seemed busy with their own tasks. The only one who acknowledged him was the gatekeeper. "Heading out again, Ashton?"

He nodded. "Yeah, again."

"Somebody hates you. Anyhow, good luck, and get back quickly."

"Is something going to happen?"

"While you were out yesterday, Slagel announced that we're storming Sunridge this afternoon, then heading down to make a sweep into northern Kanto. They shouldn't suspect anything."

"I see. I'll be back." He tugged at Donny's middle neck, ordering him to run out quickly.

If he was going to desert the army, he might as well save some lives in the process.

Articuno had slept most of that night, letting her wounds heal. "But I do appreciate your company," she told the Xatu.

She nodded. "You're most welcome. I just hope he's okay."

"Your mate?"

"We're not supposed to bond like that within the army, but yes. We kept it quiet between us. He could have reached them faster teleporting, but we do not know these skies."

"That's fine. I hope they don't trouble him."

A Dodrio approached them. It was the soldier who shot her down again. She didn't mind him, though. He had tried to make up for it. Ashton dismounted and walked up to them. "Morning. Did I get the right ones?" He pulled out two extra Pokeballs.

Holly nodded.

"Good. I brought some breakfast." He pulled out three seed and suet blocks for them and some kind of energy bar for himself.

While they were eating, Zapdos and Moltres arrived with Isaac the Xatu. Zapdos landed by Ashton with a threatening look. "What are you doing here?"

"Calm down," Articuno said. "Even if he did shoot me, it was an accident and he's been taking care of me. The rest of the army would have let me suffer."

"Are you all right?" Moltres asked.

"A little weak now, but my wounds were healed. My left wing feels stiff, though."

"Look, I'm sorry about last time." Zapdos shook his head. "I was being an idiot, I suppose."

"I understand. And I'm sorry for arguing with you."

"Me too," Moltres added. "And about burning your wing."

"So can we never discuss that again?" Articuno asked.

The other two nodded.

She nodded too. "Good, then I have to find a way to Sunridge."

"You shouldn't really be flying," Moltres pointed out.

"But I promised to get those supplies to them. The roads are blocked off, either by ice or soldiers, and the people need them."

"That isn't really our territory," Zapdos said.

"But I promised," she sighed.

After being told a bit of what was being said by Holly, Ashton spoke up. "If you'll pardon me for interrupting, I got news that Slagel plans on storming Sunridge this afternoon, and then heading into Kanto quickly. I, um, don't plan on going back, although I'm not sure where to go now."

"Then we ought to stop them at Sunridge," Articuno said. "They've attacked me, so I think it won't harm the rules much."

"But what do we do about this guy?" Moltres asked.

"Since he hurt our sister, he ought to serve us for a while," Zapdos suggested. "That'll be a suitable penance."

"Since he accidentally hurt her," Moltres corrected, "He can serve her."

"I can work with that," Articuno said.

Holly told Ashton, who nodded. "All right, I agree to that. Articuno, my life is yours." He crossed his arm over his chest in his trained salute, then realized he still had Slagel's badge on. He unpinned that and tossed it aside.

"Then we need to get these crates to Sunridge and warn the people," Articuno said.

"But can you fly with your wing injured?" Zapdos asked in concern.

"If you must," Moltres said, "then let me fly in front of you to make things easier. Zapdos, take the crates; I might burn them."

Ashton got back on Donny the Dodrio, who was cooperative enough to fly with the group. Moltres flew first, both breaking the air up and warming it to make it easier for Articuno to fly in her weakened state. Zapdos flew with the crates nearby, while the Dodrio and two Xatu flew last.

Sunridge City was a community on its own. There weren't any regions it was connected to firmly, although it traded with nearby cities. Its trades were old, though: ceramics, weaving, textiles, and farming. Sunridge had a glorious past, although modern times were making it obsolete.

It was a walled city, surrounded by stone walls twelve feet thick and protected by a famed legacy of bird Pokemon. But those walls protected against old technology, not new. Slagel was holding a siege only because Sunridge had some secrets that he wanted. They were bound by ancient traditions to keep them secret, but could they manage?

Five children were having a snowball fight in the main square that morning. The main problem had been that they all wanted to be part of the Avian Guard and nobody wanted to be General Slagel. So they wound up fighting each other to see who would be the Master of the Guard.

There was a sudden rumble of thunder that made them pause and look at the southern sky. Three large birds came over the wall. The first seemed to be on fire, with her wings apparently little more than large red-orange flames. The second was bright yellow and brown, with jagged feathers that crackled with static. The third, struggling a little to keep aloft, was a beautiful blue as if she had been carved from ice. Three more familiar birds traveled with them.

"Wow, are those the Kanto Guardians?" a boy asked.

"What're they doing up here?" a girl added.

The ice bird managed to get to the main square before she dropped to the ground; the way she held her left wing seemed to mean that she had been injured there. The other birds landed with her. The Dodrio had a human with him. His black overcoat was in the style of Slagel's soldiers, but he didn't have any badges or patches identifying him as a member of the army. The kids ran over to see the strange legendary birds.

One of the real Sunridge Avian Guards was in the square with his Fearow. He went up to the soldier. "Who are you, stranger?"

The black-haired soldier made a respectful bow and salute. "I'm Ashton, a former solider of Slagel's army, now an attendant to Articuno here. She's brought a donation of supplies from Cerulean City, but got injured on the way here. May we stay here for a little while so she can recover?"

The Guard scratched his chin, then said, "We wouldn't deny assistance to her, but you... I'll have the Master of the Guard speak to you later. For now, stay only in this square."

"I understand. I also need to warn you that the army plans on a full attack on this city this afternoon. I believe Zapdos and Moltres are willing to help protect your city."

Moltres nodded and Zapdos cawed.

"I see. Fearow, go get the Master now; he needs to hear about this."

As the adults went to open the crates, the kids came up to the birds. "Can I pet you?" the youngest boy asked Zapdos.

He made an amused cooing sound and tapped the boy with his long beak. A small spark jumped to him; not enough to hurt, but enough to cause him to yelp in surprise, making the others laugh. Moltres echoed his laughing coo and teasingly nipped at her brother's head.

"Hey kids," one of the adults called, "the Kanto churches sent you something."

"What really?" a girl asked.

He nodded and held up a cloth doll in a green dress and a wooden truck painted red. "Go get the other kids around town; they sent enough for all of you."

The kids cheered and quickly ran off to the neighborhoods to find their friends.

Articuno smiled as the kids scattered in excitement. "It was worth it."

"Yeah, you would say that," Zapdos replied. "I say it won't be worth it until we knock some sense into Slagel and keep him from taking over this place."

"You rest and don't worry about us," Moltres added. "These people will be safe."

"I trust you. I'm glad we could come back together."

…

R/S/E entry: Articuno is a legendary bird Pokemon that can control ice. The flapping of its wings chills the air. As a result, it is said that when this Pokemon flies, snow will fall.

Zapdos Fire Red entry: One of the legendary bird Pokemon. While it is flying, it makes crackling and snapping sounds.

Moltres Leaf Green entry: It is said to be the legendary bird Pokemon of fire. Every flap of its wings creates a dazzling flare of flames.


	52. Meditite, Medicham

"Mind and body are one. Mind and body are one." The chanting Meditite was completely in tune with himself, but completely out of tune with the world. His large head was lowered, with his eyes closed, and his lean blue body was perfectly still. "Mind and body are one."

Nearby, a Medicham was supporting her weight solely on her off-hand, the left. Her pink legs curled over her head in an apparently uncomfortable position, but she was in perfect balance. She had her own meditations to go through, but she was also watching this apprentice. "That's right. Continue"

He didn't seem to register her words, but she knew that he had.

She looked around the mountain for any potential danger. It was dusk at Mount Pyre. The air was tinged orange in twilight and many flowers were closing up. More importantly, the spirits of the mountain were beginning to stir. Every kind of ghost Pokemon in Hoenn could be found here, if one were patient enough. Even those only slightly ghostly, like the elusive Chimechoes with their haunting bell calls, were here.

Ghosts were not good for herself and her apprentice. It was difficult to strike them and difficult to guard against them. But that was why their kind had always come up here for their most intense training. Tonight was one of those nights. Meditite had to continue his meditations through the moonless night in order to prove his dedication. He had to do this without moving from the spot he was in.

This was his first new moon meditation on Mount Pyre, which was why Medicham had come. Meditite was still working on focusing his mind and body into one whole, so he couldn't spare any attention to the ghosts. She would be his main defense against mischievous possessions.

The orange shifted to red and the red shifted to black. The sun sent up a last golden glow over the western horizon, then dropped away. Now it was night. Now the stars gave off tiny speckles of light, breaking through the darkness. Down below, a lamp from the human inhabitants shone. The little stars and the distant lamp would be the only sources of light this night.

"Mind and body are one," he continued.

"Except when you don't have a body!" the first heckler called out. A chorus of hoots and laughter indicated that the ghosts were well aware of their presence.

"We could always subtract your body for you," another added.

"Hah, then you wouldn't have to go through that stupid repetitive nonsense you're yammering on about. How'd you like that?"

"Careful guys," a sly one added. "He's obviously just a baby if his mommy's got to stick with him." That got a loud and rude response.

Medicham observed his reactions to this. So far, he chose to block them out. It would be an effective strategy, if he could maintain such ignorance after hours of continual taunting.

At least he was still working on his inward focus. That made this vigil less stressful. Once he reached inner balance and was able to focus outward, these long moonless nights would be nerve wracking to him. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the darkness held firm. The ghosts would spend several minutes teasing them, then lapse into silence. The periods of silence were the worst, for it made one wonder, what were they plotting?

She shifted her hands, remaining inverted. There had been nights that she had not been able to stay on Mount Pyre, but her spirit was much stronger now. She meditated on the question of if the ghosts were able to remember and recognize different members of her kind. Certainly she couldn't recall any individual among them; the ghosts kept to the shadows and rarely showed their faces. And they spoke no signs of remembering her from previous vigils. But what if they did remember?

There was a shuffle of rocks that put her on alert. The ghosts were making up some prank. Remaining in her position, Medicham glanced up the slope.

"Mind and body are one," Meditite chanted on. His aura was building, indicating that he was close to some epiphany. But this wasn't the time to interrupt him.

Her aura gave her a split second warning: the ghosts were sending a pile of loose rocks their way. Some of the rocks were quite substantial in size. Most would strike near her, but one was heading towards Meditite.

The minor rockslide rushed at them. Medicham braced herself, then flipped into the air. Focusing her mind and body to defy all apparent limits, she landed on the rock headed towards her apprentice, then pushed herself off it hard. The rock flew away from Meditite and continued on a different path than the other rocks. All that hit him were a few pebbles.

Then with elegant precision, she landed back on her right hand in the spot she had been meditating in.

The ghosts booed and hissed. They drifted away to leave the pair in silence. At least, for the moment. They would be back, with more pranks and more taunts.

"Mind and body are one," Meditite chanted on. The rockslide had not interrupted his inward focus one bit. It was a good sign of his progress, but also why she had to be with him tonight. That one rock could have killed him and he wouldn't have noticed.

His aura actually sharpened, she noted. His mind and body became so focused on becoming as one that his powers began deflecting gravity. For a full minute, he levitated a few inches off the ground. But those powers weren't strong yet. When he fell back onto the ground, his concentration was broken.

"What have you discovered?" she asked him.

He blinked a few times, then resumed his meditation position. "Gravity is what draws us to the planet, but if your aura is focused enough, you can push against gravity. You really can fly."

"As have you just now."

He tilted his head. "Really?"

"That was hardly an impressive flight," a ghostly heckler shouted out. "What was it, only three inches?" The rest laughed.

Meditite finally noticed their presence; his short fur began to stand on end. "When did the sun go down?"

"Just long enough for the darkness to settle," Medicham replied. "That was a good breakthrough, but now you must return to your meditations."

"More like retardations," another ghost countered.

He took a deep breath, then returned his hands to his knees and closed his eyes. "I must. Mind and body are one."

…

Meditite Emerald entry: It continually meditates for hours every day. As a result of rigorous and dedicated yoga training, it has tempered its spiritual power so much it can fly.

Medicham Emerald entry: Through crushingly harsh yoga training, it gained the power to foretell its foe's actions. It battles with elegant, dance-like movement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's the attack of the exaggerated Pokedex entries! Hehe.


	53. Happiny, Blissey

Lilac the Happiny hopped along the stools by the kitchen counter, excited by all the activity around her. The humans were preparing for the New Year's Eve party tonight. They even had the neighbors over helping. Their little girl laughed at Lilac. "She looks like a happy fluffy bouncy ball," she said.

"That she does," one of the women said.

"I'm happy, happy, happy," Lilac sang. She stopped over by her mother, a larger and prettier version of herself. The little Happiny dug in her pouch and pulled out a smooth oval rock. "Here you go."

Chantal the Blissey smiled as she took the white rock. "Why thank you, sweetie. It's kind of you."

Lilac giggled, then hopped onto the counter. There were several cartons of eggs there, but no ordinary eggs. The humans had spent all day on these 'surprise eggs': cutting small holes in them, draining out all the contents, drying them out, then filling them with sparkling confetti and glitter, and finally sealing them back up. Apparently at midnight tonight, they were going to smash these eggs over each other's heads. It sounded fun.

The mother in the neighboring family pulled out the container with all the yolks and whites. "So what are you going to do with this?"

"I'm making my special eggnog," she replied. She was pulling out several kitchen tools from the drawers. "But you only want a little bit of this at a time."

She laughed. "One of those 'special drinks', I see?"

"Not exactly, if I know what you're thinking. Have you ever had a Blissey's egg?" She glanced over as Lilac started for one of the surprise eggs out of the carton. "No, Lilac, those are for later." She picked up the Happiny and placed her back on the stool.

Lilac pouted. "Aw, I just wanted to play."

Chantal took the white stone and gave it back to her daughter. "Here, have this."

She grinned as she took it. "Yay, I have an egg now!" She put it in her pouch and began hopping across the stools again.

Footsteps thudding down the stairs announced the arrival of Lilac's Trainer, a fifteen year old girl. She was dressed oddly today, in her darkest colored casual clothes, black if she had it. She even had a black hair ribbon to tie back her long brown hair. And she'd used a different kind of makeup too, one that made her face paler. It was a look that she'd been shifting into for the past few weeks, but hadn't gotten dramatically dark until today.

Lilac hopped over to the nearest stool, then squealed and waved her arms. "You look spooky! What happened?"

The girl patted her absent-mindedly. "Mom, I'm going over to Jeremy's party now."

"You be careful, Sunny," her mother responded while she measured things out for the eggnog. "Don't let them pressure you into doing anything you don't want to."

"I know." She grabbed her coat and turned to leave.

Lilac hopped off the stools and ran over. "Hey, hey, what about me?"

Sunny shook her head. "Not tonight; I can't take a Happiny to a party with the cool kids, sorry."

She drooped as the door slammed shut. "Aw, why not?"

Chantal came over and picked her up. "It's okay. She'll play with you tomorrow."

"I hope so."

Sunny's mother sighed. "I get worried about her hanging out with those kids. I can't see anything really wrong with them, but they're so pessimistic and brooding. Kids shouldn't be like that."

"They're being teenagers," the other mother said. "It should be just another phase."

"I hope that's all. Still, I've seen that Jeremy boy wearing a t-shirt that said 'The world is hopelessly lost'. It sounds awful."

The Blissey considered that, tilting her head. "On the other hand..."

Lilac squirmed around. "What, mom?"

She put her down. "Let's go after Sunny and see what those kids are all about. But we've got to be sneaky and not get caught."

She giggled. "Sneaky! Cool!"

After leaving the house, the pair of Pokemon found the teenager walking along a path. By moving quietly behind bushes, they were able to sneak up on her. It did help that she was distracted in thinking about the party.

"Jeremy is just too awesome and cool," Sunny said to herself. "Everybody wants to be like him. And if I talk to him enough, I might be able to get him to be my boyfriend tonight." She squealed, then stopped and shook her finger. "No, not like that. He's not interested in girls who squeal. I have to be cool and mysterious like him."

"Why's she talking to herself?" Lilac asked.

Chantal hushed her, then continued following as the girl began walking again.

"Cool and mysterious," she repeated. "Only the night will listen to my cries. That's perfect."

"Is she sad? Should we make her happy?"

The Blissey frowned, then brushed the fur on her arm back. "She's not sad, just pretending to be so. She's actually excited and hopeful."

"Huh? But then why would she say something awful sad like that?"

"I don't know. I've seen people act happy when they're really sad, but not act sad when they're really happy. Let's keep following for now."

A couple blocks over, they arrived at Jeremy's house. The party was being held in the backyard. It was all teenagers there; not a single adult was around. Gritty music was playing on the stereo and nobody was dancing. The kids were all talking or playing a card game. A group of Pokemon hung around, but they were all spooky or creepy sorts, like three Grimers, several ghosts, and a Honchkrow. Strangest of all, to Lilac's eyes, was the fact that they were all wearing black or near-black. Some wore a vivid red too, but it didn't help to lighten the spookiness.

Sunny walked up to a boy in a long black coat and longer red scarf. "Hi Jeremy," she said in a bored sort of voice, then sat down with the group around him.

"So you came to my cheap party too?" Jeremy asked sarcastically. "Are you also ignoring everyone's weak-minded attempts to wish for a happy new year?"

She sighed. "Yeah. It'll still be the same boring stuff over and over again."

"Mom, why are they all acting upset about the holiday?" Lilac asked, tugging at her mother's skirt frill. "They should be happy and celebrating."

"I still don't know why," Chantal responded. "None of them are truly unhappy, although a number of them are bored. Let's see if they're just waiting on something to happen."

So the Happiny and Blissey sat and watched the party. Nothing seemed to happen. All the teens talked and complained about whatever they were talking about. They drank the punch and ate the snacks, but then called out on the host on being cheap (something he seemed strangely proud of). The card players griped about losing or acted as if winning was nothing but chance. And there was never any dancing, singing, real playing, or laughing.

After an hour, Lilac huffed. "This is the worst party ever. There aren't even any balloons."

"Hardly a decoration," Chantal agreed, eyeing some origami boxes made from black paper.

Sunny was still talking to Jeremy. "I know my name doesn't fit in," she said, looking embarrassed to be talking about it. "I thought about changing it, though. Something like Luna, maybe."

"It is awful that people can name you before they know what you're going to be like," Jeremy agreed.

"But I like her name," Lilac said.

"Well this won't do," Chantal added, picking her up. "Come on, we're gonna crash the party!"

"All right!" she cheered as her mother leapt the fence, surprising some kids lounging in lawn chairs on the other side.

"Let's ring in the happiest new year!" Chantal called out, throwing a cloud of mystical sparks in the air as her daughter somersaulted to the ground.

The teenagers all stared, not sure if they should mock the Blissey or cheer with her. The party-going Pokemon mumbled, having been content with the lackluster bored air. Jeremy bolted up in his chair, eyes wide. "Hey, who let those two losers into my party?"

"Sunny, Sunny, Sunny!," Lilac called out, scrambling over to her Trainer with her arms held up. She hopped into her lap without asking. "Don't change your name."

"They belong to my mom," Sunny answered, trying to salvage some pseudo-bitterness to keep face around this group. "Did she send you two after me?"

"No," Lilac answered.

"We came to make this party a party," Chantal said as she pulled her last egg from her pouch. She tossed it up spinning, then caught it. "So everybody can be openly happy and not falsely sad!" Next, she expertly cracked off the top half, revealing a soft boiled inside, and presented that to Jeremy. "I've only got one right now, so it goes to the host. I'd have brought some eggnog too, but that might be a little strong for you kids."

Jeremy looked at it puzzled. "An egg? That's weird."

"How'd she cook it without a fire?" another kid asked.

"She just does from time to time," Sunny answered. She considered for a second, then added, "They are pretty good, to tell the truth."

"An egg a Pokemon cooked on its own?" Jeremy asked skeptically. "Guess it's no big deal." He took a bite of it.

"Do we have to put up with such pink and pastel Pokemon hanging about?" another girl asked darkly, getting a few laughs. "They're for little kids and sick people, not us cool party people."

"This party's not very cool," Lilac complained. "It's no fun at all to just sit around complaining about nothing to do."

"You have no clue about the coolness of an epic lament," a nearby Ghastly sneered.

"Wow, these are really good," Jeremy said. Then he laughed. "That's amazing that you can do that, Blissey. Thanks."

While the kids around him gasped, Chantal bowed. "You're welcome. I'm always glad to make others glad."

"Is that some kind of happy drug?" the rude girl said loudly. "That's crazy."

"It is not a drug," Sunny said sharply. "It will leave you a little weird for a bit, but it's perfectly fine."

"It's really great," Jeremy said dreamily, then held the rest of it up to the rude girl. "You want a bite?"

She cringed. "Not if it'll kill my cool."

"It's not like that," Sunny muttered, uncertain of if she should glare at Chantal and Lilac for crashing the party or at the other girl for making nasty remarks about them.

Jeremy laughed. "Kill your cool? Come off it. You know that it's all fakery and facade."

The rude girl was now puzzled. "Uh, yeah, we know others are fakes..."

"Everybody here is fake," he went on. "Especially me. I act all depressed and stuff because it gets all you girls attracted to me."

"What?" at least three girls nearby (including Sunny) asked in shock.

He shrugged. "So what if I get dates out of pity? I still get far more dates than any other loser in school, which means that I am the best guy around." He smiled, too blissful from the egg's influence to care who heard him.

"Is that it?" Sunny asked, standing up in a flash of temper. "I came to this terrible boring party and you're just faking everything?"

"I probably wouldn't get any girls if I didn't fake stuff so well," he responded.

Sunny went over and slapped him across the face. "Well that's what I think of that!" Then she stormed out, carrying Lilac with her. Chantal, and soon after, every other girl at the partly, followed her lead.

Lilac popped her head over her Trainer's shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the Ghastly. He responded in kind, spooking her into gasping and looking away.

When it was just her, Lilac, and Chantal, Sunny put her Happiny down. "Sorry for that, girls. And, thanks. If I'd have known that he was a true loser, I wouldn't have gone to that stupid party in the first place."

"You live and you learn," Chantal encouraged, patting her on the back.

"I never really liked how I looked in all this black anyhow." Sunny pulled the black ribbon out of her hair. "I guess there's still time for me to clean up, change, and go to the other party. I wasn't looking forward to the cheesy games, but it'll be better than all that bad poetry about 'another awful new year', right?"

"Of course you have time," Chantal said, nodding.

Lilac squirmed while trying to wave her arms. "Yay, we're gonna go to a real party! Let's smash some eggs over people's faces!"

Her mother chuckled. "Over their heads, dear, and only the surprise eggs."

…

Happiny Pearl entry: It carries a round, egg-shaped rock in its belly pouch and gives the rock to its friends.

Emerald entry: If it senses sadness with its fluffy fur, a Blissey will rush over to the sad person, however far away, to share an egg of happiness that brings a smile to any face.


	54. Leafeon, Drifloon

It was an idyllic suburban neighborhood, with tidy green lawns, brightly white houses, pretty flower beds, and the occasional tacky lawn statue. It was a place where fences were to keep pets in place and the kids could run across the street at any point. Freed from the worries of the big city and small town alike, residents were able to pursue any passion they wanted.

Particularly if it made one's family look better than any other family in the neighborhood.

One home was especially happy, if the delighted squeals and laughter from the backyard were any indication. There was a toddler tied to a harness, which was secured to a large oak tree. Somehow, she had climbed up the tree, got the leash caught on a knot, and thus was using the harness as a bungee cord to bounce up and down in midair. "Hi Buttons!" she called shrilly before being snapped back up.

In a sunnier part of the yard, a Leafeon wagged his tail in response. He wasn't too concerned about her play, even if he was supposed to be watching out for her. He'd seen Mindy pull off crazier stunts and she always walked away unhurt. As for him getting hurt by her stunts... he'd rather not dwell on that.

The backdoor opened, letting out two nicely dressed women. Buttons looked over them, wary about any strangers coming close to his girl. But it was just the lady of the house and one of her party guests.

The guest came over to him, knelt down, and scratched his head. "Aw, it really is a Leafeon. It must have been so much trouble to get him, since Eevees are so expensive and it requires extreme effort to get this evolution."

The lady of the house smiled, knowing that she had one-upped everyone with this choice of a Pokemon pet. "But it's worth all the trouble. He's such a sweetheart and very gentle around Mindy. Since he gets most of his energy from the sun, he doesn't eat much, so the food doesn't cost a fortune like your Arcanine. And he cleans the air in the house naturally, so what more could you ask for?"

"How wonderful," the neighbor said cheerfully, although inside she was burning with jealousy.

The back door opened again. "Honey, how does this camera work again?"

The neighbor sighed. "I'll be right there." She patted Buttons one last time. "He's obviously a sweetie." Then she got up and went in the house.

The lady of the house waited until the door was closed, then said, "Remember, Buttons, that you can't be making a lot of noise while everyone's over. And don't go digging in the trash can; we don't want to look like savages, do we?"

He shook his head. "Of course not."

She patted him on the head. "Good. Mindy?"

The blond-haired toddler squealed as she started back down. "Hi Nice Lady, wheee!" She bounded back up again.

"Can't you call me Mommy, at least for the party?" she pleaded.

"Okay, Nice Lady," Mindy replied, blissfully more concerned with her bungee harness.

She shook her head. "Oh, I hope you break out of this phase soon. It's so embarrassing. Don't hurt yourself." She went back inside to the party.

Buttons watched, then huffed. "And you wonder why I'd rather spend all my time with her," he mumbled to himself. He went back to soaking up the sun. So long as Mindy kept bouncing and squealing, she was all right.

A gust of wind blew through the yard, bringing in a violet colored balloon. The balloon opened its eyes, betraying itself to be a Drifloon instead of an ordinary decoration. Thinking, he twisted his ribbon arms together, then apart. He moved closer to the toddler. "Child, come with me," he said soothingly.

Mindy's momentum had slowed some, so she pointed at the Drifloon. "Ooo, pretty balloon."

Knowing that tone, Buttons checked on her. That 'ooo' nearly always meant trouble. This time, the cause was a Pokemon that he wasn't familiar with. He got up and moved closer, just in case.

Drifloon held his ribbons out and swished his string tail. "Come with me to another world, yes? You never need come back to this one again."

A kidnapper? Buttons growled. "You're not taking my girl anywhere!"

"Aaa," Mindy said, reaching out with all her might. She grabbed hold of the Drifloon's tail. "Gotcha!"

"You get away from her," the Leafeon threatened.

"What can you do about it?" Drifloon taunted smugly. "I'm up here, and you're going to be toast." He flicked a ribbon, summoning a gust of wind.

Yipping in pain, Buttons was knocked over and flipped in the strong wind. He got back onto his feet, but was dizzy. "Ugh, I'm gonna... get you for that." He fumbled to the ground, too dizzy to stand.

Mindy broke into laughter. "Silly Eevee," she said.

'She doesn't mean anything by it,' Buttons reminded himself. 'She's too little to really understand.'

Drifloon wrapped his tail around her wrist to get a better grip. "Come away, child, come with me." He started to pull her away.

The girl looked down at the ground and noticed that she wasn't bouncing anymore. So she squirmed until the harness started stretching and retracting again. "Whee!"

Still holding onto her, Drifloon was tugged up and down as well. "Whoa, hang on! I..."

By the time Buttons got his bearings back, Mindy was going at full tilt again. She clung tight to the stranger, jerking him about. "Bouncy, bouncy!" she called out merrily.

"Oh, my poor head," Drifloon moaned. "I think I'm going to hurl."

He snickered. Then, an idea came to him. Buttons went over to the trash can and located what he had in mind. He plucked that out, then returned to the backyard.

One way or another, Drifloon had managed to unwrap himself from Mindy's wrist. He was hovering low by Buttons' house. The Leafeon came up to him and dropped his item. "So you're gonna play with Mindy now?"

"Yes, play," he replied deceptively. "She will play with me. I do wish that she would come down and play a little nicer."

"That can entertain her for hours. Anyhow, I thought you'd like to see this." He nosed the limp remains of a popped balloon.

It was just an ordinary balloon, but it had the effect he wanted. Drifloon shivered. "Th-tha... what terrible carnage."

"This was Mindy's last balloon. I'm just warning you to watch out for yourself. She's too young to realize when she's being too rough."

In the meantime, Mindy had slowed in her bouncing enough to unlatch the harness from the leash. It was supposed to be childproof, but nothing was around that child. She dropped to the ground and ran over to the two Pokemon. "Balloon!"

Drifloon hovered up out of her reach. "Erm, I believe I must locate a less dangerous child to ta... I mean, to play with, of course."

"But she'll miss you," Buttons said in mock sadness.

He flicked his ribbons. "Ahem, I won't." Then he set off to catch the wind again.

"Awww," Mindy pouted, sticking her lower lip out.

Buttons nosed her affectionately. "You're better off with regular balloons."

Just then, the lady of the house came back out. "Now where did I put that bowl?" she mumbled to herself.

Uh-oh. Buttons knew that his mistress was occasionally sharp-eyed, and that included things like the busted balloon. He went to cover it with his paw.

But she came over to them. "Mindy, what are you doing off... Buttons! I told you not to go digging in the trash." She snatched the broken balloon away.

He lowered his ears. "B-but I was saving her from an evil balloon," he stated, even though he knew she couldn't understand.

Seeing him upset, Mindy hugged the Leafeon. "I love you, Buttons." Then she gave him a sloppy toddler kiss.

That made the trouble worthwhile. He put a paw on her shoulder. "Thanks."

…

Leafeon D/P entry: Just like a plant, it uses photosynthesis. As a result, it is always enveloped in clear air.

Drifloon Pearl entry: It tugs on the hands of children to steal them away. However, it gets pulled around instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Buttons are from the Animaniacs cartoon show. Just made to fit the Pokemon world instead.


	55. Ludicolo, Shiftry

The Zamastil Wilderness was an alpine forest, thick and green all year round. There were signs of a former human habitation. Open-walled wooden structures provided shelter from rain. Cozy cabins held coal-burning stoves, which could be used by Fire Pokemon to keep others warm during snow. The asphalt paths were mostly broken-up by tree roots and hardy weeds, but could still be followed. However, humans hadn't been here for a long time.

Another thing they had left behind was a building called the Main Lodge. It had solar conductors on the roof, which provided good power for the stray Electric types that survived only on that food source. The solar conductors also powered an intercom system, through which any sound played in the control room could be heard for miles around. It had provided a novelty for young Pokemon when the control room was first broken into, but was primarily used by the two Guardians of the woods.

Unfortunately, the sound system led to a civil war.

During the day, Ludicolo was Guardian. He was a bright and cheerful Pokemon. He loved high-energy festive music, and there were a dozen CDs of samba, salsa, mambo, and polka that he adored. He would then dance his way merrily through his patrols, calling out greetings to others and making sure nobody littered. The daytime Pokemon liked their Guardian in the same way they liked his music: they either enjoyed it or learned to tolerate it.

But when the sun began to set, the festive music abruptly ended. Ludicolo would rush to the Main Lodge and call out, "What was that for? That was the best music ever and you interrupted it for your boring slow songs."

The Night Guardian Shiftry shook her head. "Your music is a pain and so are you." She would then slash her fanned leaf arms at the air, sending an intense gust of wind at him. He would tumble back into one of the pine trees, then get up and grumble off to bed.

During the night, Shiftry protected the forest. She was a quiet and somber Pokemon. She loved music that touched the soul, and there were a dozen CDs of blues, soft jazz, meditative chants, and soul that she adored. She would then quietly go through her patrols, telling others of her reflective meditations and breaking up any arguments. The nighttime Pokemon liked her, but thought she was a bit spooky and that her music wasn't a good background for battles.

But when the sun began to rise, the gentle music abruptly ended. Shiftry would appear by the Main Lodge and call out, "Your music is too disruptive. Nobody can think properly with that racket going on."

The Day Guardian Ludicolo would stick his tongue out at her. "Your music is boring and so are you." He would then strike her with a blast of water, which invariably messed up her carefully arranged leaves and hair. She would then slip off and grumble her way to bed.

Over time, the twice daily arguments got louder and longer. Shiftry would try to be at the Main Lodge before dawn so that she could sneak attack Ludicolo before he changed the music, but then he would come in through the window. He would try to disturb her nest so that she slept longer, but then she would already be gone. They even tried using the sound system itself to discourage the other, calling out insults or challenges.

Then the battles spread down to their younger cousins. The Lotads and Lombres followed Luidcolo and declared that the daytime music was better. The Seedots and Nuzleaves went with Shiftry and argued that the nighttime music was better. These ones would fight each other upon sight, often disrupting other Pokemon.

And then the battles spread to others in Zamastil. Weedle fought Caterpie, Geodude fought Nosepass, Bellsprout fought Oddish, Zubat fought Taillow. Some species even fought within their own group when two individuals preferred different music styles. During this, the shy kinds, like Abra and Ditto, went into deeper hiding to avoid all the fighting.

Finally, it got to be too much. In one terrible battle, both Shiftry and Ludicolo fell unconscious, leaving the forest without an able Guardian. During this time, a particularly brave Ditto snuck into the control room and made an announcement. "The wise and considerate Elder Venusaur sends me with a challenge: a week from now, Ludicolo and Shiftry are to have a dance contest to see whose music is better. Until then, she decrees that there will be no fighting and no music."

And since nobody wanted to argue with Elder Venusaur, the Zamastil Wilderness was silent for one week.

Then came the fateful evening. Elder Venusaur arrived early to make sure everything would be fair. She was one of the oldest and wisest creatures in the woods, yet the crimson and yellow flower growing from her back was still bright and soft. She didn't move around much these days, so a great many young Pokemon came to see her as much as they came to see the contest.

Ludicolo was there. He had brushed out the yellow-green fur on his body and polished up his colorful sombrero. Being naturally energetic, he shifted about and paced while waiting on the contest to start.

Shiftry was there. She had carefully dusted over her leaves so that there was no dirt in them and brushed out her long white hair to be graceful. Patient, she sat on a log bench and checked her red-brown skin to make sure the sheen was still uniform.

Venusaur ruffled her fern-like leaves, causing the gathered crowd to hush. "I want no booing or disruptive actions from anyone," she told all that were there.

The crowd of Pokemon nodded in agreement.

"As for you both, you will have one song to dance to. A Kadabra is already in the control room, ready to play the CDs for you. The songs will be of equal length, so it is up to your dancing alone to decide which kind of music is best. Who shall go first?"

Shiftry glanced suspiciously at her peer.

Ludicolo made an overzealous bow. "I will allow the lady to go first."

"I thank you for being so gracious," she replied, although the tones they used showed no graciousness.

"Then let's begin," Venusaur said.

When the music began, Shiftry was pleased that Kadabra had picked one of her special favorites, an elegant jazz piece with a reminiscing saxophone and a plaintive piano. She danced with her soul, using gentle twirls and beautiful leaf swirls to express her love for this music. It was very touching. Even Ludicolo was reminded of the quiet tender moments of his life that brightened his soul when all else seemed dark.

At the end of her dance, the audience clapped, rustled, buzzed, or cheered in approval. Or just politeness in a few cases. Shiftry smiled and gave a bow, feeling confident that she had passed on her love of her music.

"That was beautiful," Venusaur said. "Now, it is your turn."

"All right, Elder," he replied. He felt nervous to be going after that flawless performance. But if he did not succeed here, then his music might be banned and life would become dismal. He prepared to show off his best moves.

Thankfully, the Kadabra picked one of his absolute favorites, an animated polka with a joyous accordion that never failed to boost his mood. He danced with his heart, using spinning jumps and a righteous boogie to express his love for his music. It was invigorating. Even Shiftry felt elated and festive as she watched her peer dance about with no inhibitions.

At the end of his dance, the audience all cheered and whistled, ready for a party. Ludicolo smiled and made an exuberant twirl for them. Shiftry felt worried, because he had put everyone in a good mood that did not agree with quiet moments.

"That was thrilling," Venusaur said. "Now, give me a few minutes to consider this." She closed her eyes and would not be bothered by anyone.

The Kadabra appeared in the crowd as various Pokemon discussed which dance they liked better. "Don't forget your duties," he quietly reminded the Guardians.

Agreeing with that, Shiftry and Ludicolo walked among the crowd and made sure none of the discussions broke into arguments. They knew Venusaur did not like being interrupted when she was thinking. And neither wanted to lose because of that.

After a long wait in which the night completely overtook the evening, Venusaur opened her eyes and rustled her leaves. "I have made my decision."

Everyone paid attention in earnest.

"Shiftry's music is ideal for the night: contemplative, meditative, and somber. Ludicolo's music is ideal for the day: active, bright, and cheerful. Therefore, each should play at those times, not the other."

"But what about evenings and mornings?" Ludicolo asked.

"Those are always the times we argue over," Shiftry added.

The Elder nodded. "The evenings and mornings. These should be times of silence, in respect for the passing of the old, and in awe of the coming of the new. And thus it will be."

And thus the Zamastil Wilderness had festive music for the day, elegant music for the night, and silence for the morning and evenings. With that, the battles lessened and peace returned.

That is, until a Mankey discovered how to work the zip cord lines.

…

Ludicolo Emerald entry: When it hears festive music, all the cells in its body become stimulated, and it begins moving in rhythm. It does not quail even when it faces a tough opponent.

Sapphire entry: Shiftry's large fans generate awesome gusts of wind at a speed close to 100 feet per second. The whipped-up wind blows anything away. This Pokemon chooses to live quietly deep in forests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like all sorts of music. That last line still makes me snicker.


	56. Torchic

August 25

I got the Torchic! The boys were arguing as usual, so I slipped by them into the lab. That way, Professor Birch gave me first choice. My Torchic is very cute: as soon as I picked him, he started hopping along after me. If I stop suddenly, he bumps into me and falls down. Poor guy. His balance is kinda bad right now, but Birch told me that he'll improve.

I was so excited. I named him Trails, because I wanted to take off right away. But then we got an unwelcome announcement. Since we're only ten, we can't leave because we have to start school tomorrow. It's so unfair. People keep talking about how exciting it is to pick your starter, and then go off on a journey around the land, maybe even around the world, but then school has to butt its ugly head into the picture. Gah.

I still like Trails, though. He's watching me write, occasionally nipping at the pen. Stop it, Trails! He's funny.

September 2

I feel bad about going to school and leaving Trails on his own. He always follows me to school, giving me the most forlorn look for leaving him behind with the other Pokemon. I keep telling him that I'm sorry, that I'm not abandoning him, that I'll be back to pick him up when the school day is over, but he still gives me those sad eyes.

The principal says that we can't bring our Pokemon into the classroom. He says it would be distracting. Well I think it's distracting when I feel bad about leaving him behind.

September 14

Trails has been better about not giving me a guilt trip over leaving him for the school day. I guess he's figured out that he just has to be patient. However, he's been tired whenever I do go and pick him up. I've caught him napping when I get out of class. I wonder what he's doing.

I don't think he's fighting. The Mudkip and Treecko are getting really good at battles, while he hasn't improved much at all. It's weird, but I bet the boys are going to pick on me about that, saying that a girl can't be a good Trainer. I've tried to tell Trails that we can't slack off. But I don't want to make him fight if he's tired.

September 17

I found out what Trails has been doing while I've been in school. It's funny and it proves that he's much cleverer than the other two.

At lunchtime, he came up to my table and got my attention by nipping at my pants and tugging. I thought he was just looking for attention at first, but then he would hop off elsewhere and look back at me. I finished eating early, so I followed him into an unused classroom near the room where our Pokemon stay.

There was a TV with a DVD player on the desk. Trails can get up there by hopping onto a chair, then onto the desk. And he's figured out how to peck at the buttons to turn them both on and off, as well as control the volume. When he turned the DVD on, there was a screen saying that there was no disc inside. He chirped at me.

I fiddled with the TV and discovered that it doesn't get any channels in. I figured he was just watching movies during school; I wish I could watch movies during school. Anyhow, I went to a shelf with DVDs and pulled one out for him. But that wasn't what he wanted. When he saw the movie previews, he shook his head and chirped again.

Then he did this funny little dance where he scuffed his foot along the desk, then tried to kick up. But he unbalanced himself and fell down. It took him a bit of pointing and more attempts at dancing for me to figure out what was going on. There were five DVDs of tap dancing lessons in with the others. He'd been watching one repeatedly, trying to figure out how to tap dance.

I probably shouldn't have laughed at him, but it is a silly thought, isn't it? But I figure, if he wants to dance, I might as well let him try. So I put in one of the tap dancing lessons and he was happy with that.

October 28

I bought Trails a couple more videos on tap dancing with my allowance money today. Mom was surprised and asked if I wanted to take lessons. I hadn't really thought of it before, but it could be a lot of fun to learn to dance with my Torchic. So I told her about what he's been doing and had him show off his progress. He's still tripping himself up and stumbling over his little feet, but he seems to have a few routines memorized.

And starting in a couple of days, I'll be taking dancing lessons too! It should help both of us.

November 5

I got a new outfit for my dance lessons, and new shoes. I think Trails is jealous, though, because my shoes are actual tap shoes and make clacks when they hit the floor. He can only make little scuffing sounds. I asked the salesman if they made tap shoes for Pokemon, but he said no.

That's really disappointing.

December 11

My dance instructor got after some of the other kids for not practicing by saying that Trails was a better tap dancer then they were. He heard that and puffed his little chest up proudly. It was so adorable; I wish I'd gotten a picture of it.

But then he stumbled onto his face when he was trying out a new step. Poor Trails. He's really happy when other people comment on his dancing, but then gets upset when he fumbles a lot. I've been telling him not to give up yet. I've been having some trouble too, but it'll be so cool when we can dance great together. We can go to contests and surprise everybody with our moves.

I hope that cheered him up.

December 25

Dad just proved himself to be the most awesome dad ever. He normally fixes up old cars, but for Christmas, he used his best tools to make a pair of tap shoes that fit Trails' small clawed feet perfectly! He even made them a little bit wide so that he can balance himself better.

I think Trails loves them for the noise. He hasn't let anybody take them off yet. Mom says that she'll always know where I am now, because she'll hear Trails going 'click, click, click' right behind me.

January 3

Well the reason Professor Birch called us back to his lab was because he wanted to check on our Pokemon's progress. He said that he'll use this to decide who gets to be his assistant over the summer. I was worried when he said that at first, because of the boys.

They made fun of me and Trails at first because he's still a Torchic. Their Pokemon have already evolved into a Grovyle and a Marshtomp. But then Birch started asking all sorts of questions: what did the Pokemon like to eat, what kind of personality did they have, what they liked to do. The boys could answer stuff about battles, but on other things, they were clueless.

On the other hand, when Birch asked me about Trails, I proudly told him about how we were learning to tap dance. I even put his shoes on and let him demonstrate his favorite routine. And Trails was happy to do so. He's happy whenever he gets to dance and shows it by fluttering his wings and stretching up on his toes.

The other two Pokemon must have been mean, though, because he ended the dance suddenly and shot fireballs at them for making fun of him. They both squealed and jumped away. The Marshtomp just had a burn on his front legs, but the Grovyle's skin became blacked with soot. He whined until a Burn Heal was sprayed over him, and then he quieted down to a sniffling whimper.

The boys laughed, but then the Professor said that I had learned far more about Pokemon then they had. And that means that I'm more likely to get picked as his new assistant when summer comes. But I'll have to wait and see about that, you know. I might want to take further tap dance lessons with Trails during the summer.

We'll decide later. That is, when Trails stops nipping at my pen! He's always trying to get my attention when I'm writing.

Could he want to learn to write? Nah, that's just silly.

…

Ruby entry: Torchic sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokemon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees F, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, since a Torchic is a Fire Pokemon, that means that this one is a Trails Blazer… giggles.


	57. Igglybuff, Wailord

The cool breeze smelled salty. An Igglybuff sat on the boat's rails and looked around. Water was all around them; only a green haze on horizon indicated an end to this ocean. Elsewhere, the light blue of the sky moved right into the dark blue of the still waters. "It's bigger than any big thing I've seen," she said.

"Careful there, Melody," her owner warned. She stroked the tuft of pink fur growing from the Igglybuff's head. "The water's very deep around here."

"I won't fall," she stated as she looked up at the old couple. She had been an anniversary gift for them, a Pokemon companion when their others had passed away. They were kind, lavishing her with attention. They were both silver-haired and weak-eyed, but they were still active, still traveling the world on a quest to see all of its wonders. Melody adored them, but was waiting on the right time to grow up.

One of the sailors came up to them. "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Woodward, but you should go inside for the next few hours. There's a storm nearby. We're trying to avoid it, but we don't know where it's headed."

"Alright," the old man replied. "It does look calm, but the sea can change moods rapidly."

"I hope it's not a loud storm," Melody said before hopping into the old woman's arms.

Due to a planning mixup, they had missed the large passenger ship that was going to take them to their next destination. Instead, they were traveling on this moderately sized research ship. Due to the smaller size, the ship began rocking when the storm hit an hour later. The wind blew loud and the rain crashed into the ocean with a steady hiss.

The old couple wasn't bothered much by it, though. They played chess with a magnetic board. "I once saw a storm at sea where the waves were as tall as three story buildings," the man said. "That was an exciting voyage."

"I think I could live without that kind of excitement," Melody replied nervously. The rocking of the ship made it hard for her to stay in one place

"But you never know your true strength unless it is tested." He nodded to that. Having lived with Pokemon his whole life, he usually knew what she was saying.

The woman was the same way. "That's true, but she is just a child."

After a quick knock, the sailor from before opened their cabin door. "Have you got everything secured?"

"I think so," the woman said, glancing around to see if there was something.

That unsecured something was Melody's black and gold Luxury Ball, which was sitting on a stand by the door. A particularly strong wave crashed into the boat, causing the ball to tumble off and roll past the door. "I'll get it!" the Igglybuff called, jumping down to the floor after the ball.

"Whoa, hang on there," the sailor said, reaching down the grab the ball or the Pokemon. Both of them slipped by him and onto the deck.

The rain had made the floor slick, causing Melody to stumble and slide after her Pokeball. The ocean was the complete opposite of when they had been watching just an hour before. The rough waves reached up towards the terribly dark clouds. As a lightning bolt split the sky, Melody saw her ball hit a bump and skip straight into the air. She wasn't sure what would happen to her if it broke. Afraid that it would be something bad, she jumped up after it. Although it was quite large compared to her size, she managed to catch it.

And then kept going right over the edge of the ship.

She hit the water shrieking. The crashing of the waves soon overwhelmed her ears. Shortly after, those waves threw her into the side of the boat, overwhelming her everywhere else.

When Melody woke up, she was damp with salt water, but not overly wet. She was in a dry and cool place. The ground below her was smooth and almost rubbery, like that wetsuit she had found in the dive supply room. Curious, she opened her eyes and sat up.

A shimmering shield formed a small domed space around her. It emitted a slight luminescence. Beyond that, there was a thick watery darkness. Below her was a dark blue surface. Melody got up to check out the shield.

"Stay still, little child" a Pokemon's voice came from below. "I don't want to lose you. Are you better?"

"I think so," she replied. "Where are we?"

"Underwater. Don't worry; my power will protect you."

She looked down, but there was only the strange blue surface she was on. "Where are you?"

The other chuckled. "Right with you. The surface is still agitated, though. It would be risky to go up. We shall follow the boat until they enter calmer waters."

"But what happened to my Pokeball? It fell in with me."

There was a low clicking following her question, then the ocean Pokemon replied, "I think I have found it. Hold still."

Melody's body trembled with a strange movement. She was holding still, yet she seemed to be moving quickly. It was almost like the ship's motions, but smoother. She looked around for something to explain this, but the dark waters held no clue that she could read. Occasionally she saw hints of other ocean life: the cruising wing shape of a Mantine, the silvery glisten of a Tentacool, the yellow glow of one she could not identify, the shining sharp teeth of another stranger. But none of them gave heed to the small Igglybuff, so they couldn't be her rescuer.

Then she spotted a golden reflection, followed by a spherical shape. "Oh, that's it! But how can I get it? I can't swim."

"Be patient."

The Pokeball moved oddly, finally giving her something to compare the motions she was feeling. It drifted upward, then came towards her. When it came to be above her, it fell straight into the shielded bubble she was in. Melody grabbed hold of it when it landed by her. "Got it! Thanks."

"You're welcome. It will take some more time, but the ship will come out of the storm."

"But who are you? What are you? Can I see you?"

This amused him. "I am sure you can see me, for you are riding on my back."

Melody tapped her foot gently on the blue surface. It could be skin, she guessed. "This is you?"

"Yes. I am a Wailord. I don't have a particular name; I do not mind. Now what would you be? I'm not about to let a land creature drown in these waters, but I've never seen one like you before."

"I'm an Igglybuff! My people call me Melody, so that's my name. I have to go back to them. They're old folks and I'm the last Pokemon they have left."

"I see. It is good that you can make friends with humans."

"And with you."

"If you wish. I'll certainly remember you."

Melody giggled. "I can sing for you. I'm still learning, though, so I can't sing for long."

"I would like to hear that, thanks."

While the Wailord trailed the ship, Melody sang for him.

He surfaced alongside the research ship, immediately getting their attention. He felt the small Pokemon hop up on his back and heard her squeal for attention. "Hey, I'm back!"

It had been an odd encounter when he found the Igglybuff falling in the water. Remembering long-distant days of when he had traveled with a human and other Pokemon, he had gone to catch her, using his Dive skill to give her a safety bubble of air. She reminded him of the Clefairy that he had known back then. She had been a good singer too.

The humans on the ship noticed. "Hey sir, I think he has your Pokemon with him."

"Excuse me, Wailord," another sailor said before he climbed over the railing of the ship and jumped onto his back. He picked up Melody and brought her back on board.

An elderly human woman soon came up and took her. "Thank the heavens, you're safe. We were so worried."

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffling a bit. "But I made a new friend!"

He swam out a little ways to get a better look at those on the ship. He soon spotted little Melody, a round ball of pink fluff that fit nicely in her Trainer's arms. Turning slightly, he brought up his long fins and waved to her. "I'm afraid we split ways here. But don't be sad. Be glad that we were able to meet."

Melody waved both of her arms. "Okay! But wow, I've never seen a Pokemon as big as you before! The ocean's full of big things."

Amused by her awe, he shot a quick spout of water into the air. "I've never seen one of your kind either. Take care, Melody."

"Take care, Mr. Wailord!"

He dove back under the water. A couple minutes later, he jumped out of the water and gave Melody one last wave goodbye.

…

Igglybuff Leaf Green entry: It has a very soft body. If it starts to roll, it will bounce all over and be impossible to stop.

Emerald entry: It breathes through nostrils that it raises above the sea. By inhaling to its maximum capacity, a Wailord can dive close to 10,000 feet beneath the waves.


	58. Turtwig, Staraptor

The road winding around Mount Coronet was rocky and dusty. The old pick-up truck kicked up a tall plume of dirt behind it. Trying to see more of where he was, a small brown Turtwig climbed onto the bench.

His captor, a blue-haired man in a silver and blue jumpsuit, picked him up and set him back onto the floor of the truck bed. "Stay down there, squirt."

He stretched his head out of his shell. "Where are we going?"

However, the grunt didn't care enough to know what the Pokemon was saying. He kicked the Turtwig back. "Keep it quiet. You're going to assist on a very important mission."

"Like what?"

"You'll be a big help," he added, then yawned and stretched his arms up. "Unlike before. You ought to be grateful that we're giving you this opportunity to become important."

Turtwig waved his forepaw in the air. "Important how?"

"Your last owner was a twit, leaving his PC account unsecured, then just stuffing you in a box and leaving you there to rot. You'll be of better use with us."

He couldn't be sure of that. He didn't know what had gone on since he last saw the boy who had chose him. Certainly, there was a time gap of several days that he hadn't realized were gone by. Had he been abandoned? More importantly, how was he better off with these losers?

The driver snorted. "Like it's going to live through the process. Don't get too attached to it."

"Of course I know better than that." He rubbed his eyes and slumped down against the cab. "They'd better be grateful for all the hard work we did getting a hold of this one. **** **** lazy admins, expecting us to work all night, then drive all day."

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Sheesh." He grumbled under his breath a bit longer, then closed his eyes.

Turtwig waited a moment, then crept up and nosed the grunt's shoe. He was asleep. The young Pokemon decided that if he was going to make his escape, he'd better go now. Looking around the truck bed, he tried to gather a plan.

Between his short legs and bulky shell, it would be hard to climb up on anything. But if he made the effort, he could get up on the edge of the truck bed. Turtwig started with the angled part of the wheel cover. After pulling himself onto that, he could stretch up and hook his front legs onto the edge. From there, he lifted himself to look over the edge.

Due to the slope and the winding nature of the road, the truck was going fairly slow. He was facing up the mountain, so he might be able to make it. His back legs flailed for a moment until he got one propped against a hook. Then he pulled and pushed himself up and over the edge of the truck.

Ducking into his shell quickly, he let it absorb the impact of falling onto the rocky road. His momentum made him roll over a couple of times, thankfully ending with him upside up. His sprout got bent up a little, but that could fix itself in a few days. He then remained in his shell while the dust plume passed over him. Some of it slipped into the cracks and made him sneeze. The Galactic grunts kept on going.

It took a few minutes, but the air and dust settled back down. Turtwig peered out of his shell. The road appeared empty. He brought his head out further and looked around. This was a desolate area, all craggy. There were plants growing, but they were harsh weeds that defied the tough landscape. Although the road was in decent condition, there were no other signs of human habitation. He was on his own now.

Deciding to locate some place with water to hide, Turtwig started walking along the road. This place seemed arid, so he might have to travel some ways. Downward seemed like a better choice, even though that meant he was headed in the same direction as the truck.

"Sccrrriiiiii!"

Hearing that intimidating shriek, he froze. Next thing he knew, something snatched him from above and took off into the air. The ground dropped away at a sickening pace. Turtwig felt like his head was spinning.

A minute later, he was dropped onto a small ledge. The large black and gray bird that had swiped him landed next to him. She had a large crest over her head that seemed like a great feathery knife. She clucked proudly. "Hello, dinner."

His mouth felt dry with fear, but he still managed to squeak out, "Um, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say back, so hello."

Startled, the Staraptor ruffled her feathers. "You're not supposed to say anything! Sheesh, are you trying to make me lose my appetite or something?"

That did seem like a good idea, to him anyways. "Sorry. It's just, it's like my mom says. Some days the world is like a big happy meadow and other days everyone is out to eat you."

"Can't argue with that." She leaned down and sniffed. "You smell dirty. I'll have to wash you off first."

He shook his head. "Oh, no, that's normal. My shell is made up of dirt."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's packed dirt that I've accumulated all these days. I've made good progress; don't you agree?"

She gagged. "Eww, that's disgusting. On second thought, I don't think I want to eat you."

"What, am I not good enough for you?" he teased.

"I didn't think that you were a dirt clod. So anyhow, sorry for snagging you for dinner. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"

"What can you do?"

Staraptor stood up proudly and patted her chest with a wing. "I can beat up anybody you'd like! Doesn't matter if they're ten times bigger than me. I'll cream 'em good. That's because my kind are the strongest birds ever."

Turtwig wasn't too sure of that, but it seemed better not to argue. "No thanks, I don't need anybody turned to cream. Are there any human towns around? I'd like to figure out what happened to mine."

She pointed off to the west, down the mountain. "Sure thing, there's a nice one over that way. In fact, they got one of those Gym places that likes green grassy sorts. You could get a job there."

He perked up to this news. "Really? That'd be great. Can you fly me there?"

"Sure thing, dirt clod. Oh, and you might want to close your eyes if that little flight earlier nearly made you sick."

Staraptor picked him up again, then flew Turtwig to Eterna City Gym.

-Next time: Gardenia chews out Turtwig's former Trainer.

Not really, but that would be funny.

…

Turtwig Diamond entry: Made from soil, the shell on its back hardens when it drinks water. It lives along lakes.

Staraptor Pearl entry: The muscles in its wings and legs are strong. It can easily fly while gripping a small Pokémon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By this point, I had gotten Pokemon Pearl for myself. So I knew these two better. This is a reverse from my earlier Torterra and Starly story, obviously. Turtwig itself had some kinda boring entries at the time. I haven't checked since Platinum, so there might be better ones.  
> I always wondered how Galactic got energy from evolution. It sounds very bad for the Pokemon.


	59. Kangaskan

Cold rain dripped into his eyes. He blinked and shook his head, then continued bicycling along the muddy route. Someone had bravely tried to make a stone road, but the mud made everything slick. It was somewhat dangerous, but the lesser used of two winding routes to a remote city. And when it came to criminal business, the lesser used was the better choice.

The city of Sia Gendru was his goal. There was some festival going on there later tonight. A religious holiday? A celebration of some long-ago victory? A tribute to independence? A special time for a different culture? He wasn't quite sure. He had the notes in his backpack, but didn't want to stop just for that. What he was after was a special charm made in Sia Gendru that enhanced certain Pokemon abilities. The managers of his group wanted one to see if they could make one.

He was regretting his decision to sign up for the job, though.

The bike sloshed through the veil of mud. The chain spit water droplets everywhere, slowly soaking his pant legs. Because of the haze, he couldn't see hazards until he was almost on top of them. Because of the winter's frosts and thaws, the rock road was further cracked and dotted with potholes. His raincoat didn't do an adequate job of retaining heat and he knew he would be chilly if he stopped. The standard uniform would have kept him warmer (and drier), but it would stand out too much and betray him.

This was all before he arrived in Sia Gendru. Once there, he had to consider how to get a hold of the charm, who might be guarding it, if there was a hiding spot... if he could get a warm shower. That would be nice, really. He could feel slick mud that had been flung from the front wheel starting to slide down into his socks.

Letting out a huff of water vapor, he looked ahead. There was a roadside shrine of some sort. It was brightly colored in orange, red, and yellow. It had no walls, only a rocky slab floor, four columns, and an elegantly designed roof. The roof was all that mattered to him. He parked his bike next to it and took shelter for a short break.

There was a low table with a few worn offerings: tiny bowls, foreign coins, little boxes with prayer slips peeking out. This sat in front of a statue of a legendary Pokemon he wasn't familiar with. It was probably some myth the locals believed in, nothing that really interested him. He was interested in the real and powerful Pokemon of the world.

However, he had lost his last team in a debacle about a busted mission a month back. It hadn't been his fault. Everything had been going smoothly and he had nearly gotten away with the artifact. And then there was that Trainer. Nobody had warned him that there would be some ten-year-old kid running around with the most powerful Pokemon he had ever seen. The kid had a Raticate, a freaking common Raticate, that was at least twice as strong and quick as any that he had seen other associates use. It was ridiculous.

The blame had somehow fallen on him and his team had been taken. Not that he cared. If they could be beaten by a stupid Raticate, he couldn't use them. Surely the syndicate had some better Pokemon in storage. If he succeeded in claiming this charm, he should prove himself worthy of those better Pokemon.

Now that he had stopped, he was getting cold. The near-freezing rain was going as steady as ever. He looked around for any hope that it would let up. Nothing really, but...

Further up the road, he could see a small shadow through the rainy haze. It seemed to be a child splashing through the muddy puddles. But in this chill? As it landed, he realized that it was much too small to be a human child capable of jumping like that. It was some kind of Pokemon.

He bit his lip. He was supposed to turn over any Pokemon that he acquired. However, didn't that concern stolen Pokemon? If he caught a wild one, he might be able to keep it. Some guys he knew did have personal Pokemon that could not be taken. That would keep him from finding himself in this kind of situation again. But would he want a random Pokemon he found on a strange Route?

The Pokemon kept traveling down the road, closer to the shrine. He could begin to make it out: a broad oval head with small outgrown ears, a thick tail for balance, strong leaping legs, a dark brown and tan skin that was thick and hard. It was around two and a half feet tall. It didn't seem familiar until he saw the pointed claws on all four paws and the way it playfully jabbed at the puddles as it landed. She was the youngest Kangaskan that he had ever seen alone.

His heart thumped in excitement. Those were really rare and powerful. This kind of Pokemon was restricted to the upper levels, not given to grunts like him. But if she was his own, they shouldn't be able to do anything about it. Right?

It was worth a shot.

He opened his backpack quietly, to avoid drawing attention from her. He had several pieces of equipment, including the secret Bandit Pokeball. When a stolen Pokemon was released, it was normally hostile to its captor. If it was transferred over to the black and silver Bandit, though, they would initially be released confused, but less hostile. The manual said that it could be used as a normal Pokeball and the captive would not become confused. He could only hope that it was true.

With a Bandit in hand, he hid by a column and waited for the young Kangaskan to come by. Rare Pokemon were usually hard to catch wild, and the Bandit wasn't much better than a cheap Normal Pokeball. But he could chuck some mud at it. That would startle her enough to make things easier. And since she was a youth, she might be easier that way too.

She continued jumping along the road, landing in mud puddles whenever she could. If she even noticed, she paid him no heed. He knelt down and scooped up some of the thicker mud. When she splashed close enough to splatter the column, he came out and...

Stopped dead in his tracks. Behind the young Kangaskan was her mother, a grand eight foot tall dame that looked like she could yank the shrine's columns right out of the ground. She could easily snap his bones. The daughter looked up at him and barked curiously. The mother smiled darkly and shook her head. She flexed the claws on her left paw, then drew them across her neck in warning.

She wasn't worth taking on alone. He stepped back into the shrine carefully, holding his hands up. The mud ball he'd been holding splattered onto the ground. The mother watched him without blinking. Unnerved by this, he backed into the offering table and nearly stumbled onto the statue. But he caught himself and kept watching her.

After a minute which seemed to last forever, she took her eyes off him and went back to watching her child. The adult walked instead of hopped, with surprisingly soft footsteps. That was how he had missed her completely. Hoping they would pass by soon, he stepped over to where the rain streamed off the roof and washed the mud off his hands. This wouldn't go into his mission report. Not a chance.

The daughter eyed the road, spotting a particularly large puddle by the corner of the shrine. Engrossed in her game, she shook herself, then bounced as high as she could manage to land in the puddle with a grand splash. Mud went flying everywhere: onto the columns, onto his bike, onto the mother, onto him, onto the offerings, onto the statue.

The mother made a concerned gasp. He looked at the statue and noticed that the mud had splattered onto the legendary Pokemon's face. Although he didn't know anything about this myth, he knew that it generally wasn't a good idea to anger one of the legends. This dragon might not care about a lowly roadside shrine, or it might be fickle enough to be enraged over a muddy statue. It might not even exist, or it might be able to take immediate vengeance. One could never be certain.

In this case, it was best to not take any chances. He remembered getting a packet of finger wipes from the last restaurant he ate in. Finding them in the front pocket of his backpack, he used those to wash the mud off the dragon statue. As he cleaned off the dragon's eyes, he noticed that yellow gemstones had been placed into the sockets. Temporarily shined by the wipe's moisture, they seemed to gleam with life.

It caused his blood to turn icy cold. It was just a statue, and yet there was something about this shrine. Looking at the yellow eyes made him uneasy. It was like his mother had caught him stealing cookies and was about to scold and punish him. He felt guilty, but he wasn't sure of what.

There was a hard tap on his shoulder.

Tensing, he managed not to jump in fright and knock over the offering table. He turned and looked up at the mother Kangaskan. Her head barely cleared the roof of the shrine. It was far more intimidating to see her from this angle. But she just nodded and made a soft yet rough growl. Was she grateful that he had taken care of the unintentional insult?

He nodded back, finding his mouth too dry for anything else. Satisfied with this, she turned and left the shrine to say something to her daughter. The Kangaskan girl's eyes went wide and she nearly whimpered. The adult told her something that seemed to settle her nerves. She then took another step into the rainy road, then bounded away. She was gone.

The young one was still there. She looked at him, tilted her head. She made a quiet bark that could have been saying anything. Was it really going to be that simple?

He got up, but made the mistake of glancing back at the statue. The dragon's yellow eyes were glaring at him accusingly. The mud was gone, so the young Pokemon was in no trouble. But somehow, he found himself being judged of something he couldn't understand. Or maybe it was something he did know, but conveniently ignored.

He went ahead and used the Bandit ball to capture the Kangaskan. She didn't struggle any, so it locked her to him with no difficulty. But that only served to make the statue's gaze more intense.

Grabbing his bike for a running start, he set off back on route to Sai Gendru. The rain never did let up. Neither did the gaze of the unknown legend.

…

Emerald entry: If you come across a young Kangaskan playing by itself, never try to catch it. The baby's parent is sure to be in the area, and it will become violently enraged.


	60. Garchomp, Dragonite

The most dangerous Mystery Dungeon of the region no longer existed. Known as The Trembling Tunnels, it had been a place where a team could prove themselves the best of the best, if they survived. To get to it, one had to pass through a vast field of stinking sinkholes and poisonous pitfalls. Even the strongest and nastiest of Poison Pokemon could become overwhelmed by the lethal vapors.

Once the team found one of several entrances, they had to make their way through confusing and winding tunnels. These tunnels were littered with lava pools, steam geysers, and frail stalactites. And as the name suggested, earthquakes were rampant. It was highly likely that the path out would be obstructed. In order to prove that they made it, they had to acquire and bring back a rare Star Ruby from deep within the Dungeon. Rumor had it that an even greater treasure lie within.

However, that treasure was possibly long gone along with the dungeon. Last month, The Trembling Tunnels had experienced a massive explosion. It had been felt in distant regions. A giant cloud had mushroomed from the spot, putting those within view in awe. But then that cloud had rained rocks and ash everywhere. It had been a frightening time.

What remained? No one was quite sure. No one had been brave enough to come out and see, fearing another explosion. So he was the first, as far as he knew. He had the most experience with The Trembling Tunnels, but he was never after the Star Rubies. He was after the special treasure, the thing of legends.

He was Jaithan, a Garchomp. He didn't work with a team. Teammates would drag him down. Those who could match his speed usually couldn't match him in battle, and those who matched him in battle couldn't match his speed. Jaithan didn't mind. Being around other people usually got on his nerves.

He made it through the toxic fields the same way he always had. Running on all fours, he kept low to the ground. He kept his elbows out, as the fins on the back of his arm kept him stable at full speed. He could hold his breath for a long time, and knew by feel which air was dangerous and which air was safe. In this manner, he could fly along the ground from safety zone to safety zone. Where a team could take weeks to scour this deadly land, Jaithan could zig-zag across it in hours.

As he approached the central area above the dungeon, he noticed strange things. The land itself had sunk. He used to see a large shallow dome above The Trembling Tunnels, but it was gone. Did that mean the dungeon, and its legendary treasure, was truly gone? After dozens of attempts to find it, the heavens merely laughed at him.

No, it had to still be there. It was a treasure greater than any other. It had to exist. It was known as the Holy Nail. It showed up from time to time in history. Although the stories varied, it was obvious that whoever managed to find the Holy Nail was destined for greatness. He had already proved himself to be the best in the land, yet he wanted something greater. He felt like his growing legend was incomplete. Gaining this treasure of treasures might be just the thing he needed.

Jaithan arrived where one of his regular entrances had been, near the center of the dungeon. But it was no longer there. A massive chunk of the land was gone. In its place was a gurgling gray lake of mud. Escaping gasses caused large bubbles to rise from the surface, bursting with hisses of dangerous vapors. Steam filled the air. Strange that it had changed like this.

He shook his head. This was not good. The books he had read indicated that the Holy Nail was last left here. How was he to find it now? And, what if it had been blasted away with the rest of this rock? If that was the case, then where was it now?

Normally, he preferred to stay close to the ground, but for this, he lifted himself on his hind legs and looked into the air. Where would it have gone? He had been in and out of various damaged dungeons, but had seen nothing resembling the Holy Nail. It was reported to be a shed claw of the Original One, but anyone stumbling onto it should recognize the power of the One it came from. Not only that, but it had been marked centuries ago with an open eye, a symbol of great power and knowledge.

While he was musing on what to do, he spotted a ripple in the sky above. Something up there was flying unbelievably fast. It slowed, then descended in a wide circle. Jaithan dropped back to all fours; his dark blue skin didn't blend well with the brown rocks, but it made him less obvious. The flying Pokemon descended a long time, indicating that it had been extremely high. What sort of Pokemon could reach that height and speed?

It was a fellow Dragon, one even rarer than him: a Dragonite. She had yellow skin over a large body. With her relatively small wings, it was hard to imagine how she flew, let alone so tremendously fast. Of course, it was hard for him to imagine how it was to actually fly. The Earth was sacred to his kind. He felt strongest when he was close to it.

The Dragonite stopped to hover over the putrid lake. She gazed over the remains of The Trembling Tunnels. Within the steam and vapors, Jaithan could see a strange force coming from her wings. It seemed that her true wings were much larger than what could normally be seen. They were strong for both hovering and racing. He felt quite jealous.

However, her kind was known as the wisest of all mortal Dragons. They were hailed as sages; they knew and understood many things that other Pokemon did not. She may know something that he needed to know. So he moved closer to her. "Greetings, cousin."

"Greetings, cousin," she replied, not looking at him. "The same force that made the Star Rubies made this deadly lake. The forces of the Earth are so strange, to both create and destroy."

"The forces of Earth are sacred," he replied.

"As such. Now you know what has come of this place, so now you may go. Hanging around longer could bring your doom."

"I came looking for something."

"Something you left for another to find? That is unfortunate, to have lost a treasure. You're out of luck in finding it."

"I've never left anything here. And it's not the Star Rubies. Once you got down far enough, they were easy to find."

She looked at him gravely. "Then you must be looking for the Holy Nail."

"It was here?" he asked before he could think to check his excitement. So he countered it with a more subdued, "Rumor had it that it was left here over a century ago, and yet no one has found it."

"No one had returned with it," she corrected.

"Where would it be now?"

She shook her head. "It could be anywhere. It's probably not here, just somewhere in this land. Someone will find it."

"How should I go about finding it?"

"Why do you want to find it?"

He tilted his head, curious at her lack of desire. "Doesn't everybody want to find it? It is a power directly from the Original One. Those who hold it become more powerful, perhaps even immortal themselves until they let it go."

She hovered around to face him fully. "Why do you want more power? You can reach this dangerous place and you have survived it. You have all the power you should ever need and then some."

He straightened his front legs up to lift his head. "I want to find the greatest treasure, that's it. You seem to know something about it, so how could I go about finding it when it could be anywhere in this land?"

"But can you take the treasure?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It is a source of great power, yes, but not everyone can handle this power. It is said that only the truly innocent can touch the Holy Nail without going insane. Do you know your heart to be truly innocent?"

He crouched back to the ground. "That's just part of its legend. Nothing can affect people like that."

"Nothing? Lesser treasures can cause great strife, dividing teams and inciting battles. The greatest treasures can cause the greatest wars. Many Pokemon will die so that one can claim it. But if this is so, what is so great about it? What is Holy about it anymore? Perhaps only the truly innocent can remind it of its origin and thus becalm its bloodthirsty desires."

Jaithan snorted. "That's just plain ridiculous. It's Holy, so that's that. And I will find it." He took off across the poisonous fields again. He would find it. And if someone else happened to find it first, well, he'd find a way to get it before they realized just what they had on their paws.

He would hold the Holy Nail.

The Dragonite sage sighed. "And thus, the strife continues. Forgive the foolishness of us poor mortals, oh great ones."

…

Garchomp Diamond entry: When it folds up its body and extends its wings, it looks like a jet plane. It flies at sonic speed.

Dragonite Leaf Green entry: Only a very few people ever see this Pokemon. Its intelligence is said to match that of humans.


	61. Zubat, Golbat, Crobat

As the sun began to cross the horizon, Zubat woke up. He didn't open his eyes, though. He never opened his eyes. His ears and sonar voice told him everything that he needed to know. What he found out for the moment was that he was still in the shadows of an old rundown barn. A difference in warmth told him that the sun was coming close to his location, something he didn't like. But an older member of his kind, a Golbat, was hanging next to him, blocking the light from reaching his more sensitive skin.

Zubat stretched his wings out to help wake himself fully. "Hey, thanks man."

"No problem, man. You think you can find your flock?"

"Pretty sure. Once I find some landmark, I should be able to find the cave, at least."

Golbat, who did have full use of his eyes and sonar, looked around the countryside. Farmland was all around them, fields full of wheat, soybeans, and corn. The barn they had spent the day in was abandoned and falling apart, but other buildings around were in better shape. From memory, he could name off twenty or so small caves that the young one could have come from. But he needed something to help Zubat become un-lost.

He rubbed an itchy spot on his nose with his wing tip, then pointed out to the northeast. "There's a group of three grain silos out that way a couple of miles. That any help?"

Zubat checked to hear which direction Golbat was pointing in, then nodded. "Three grain silos? Yeah, I think I know which ones you mean. We hunt around there sometimes. I can find my way back from there."

"Good. Well, you've got a little while before the sun fades. I'll hang out so nothing tries to snag you while you're alone."

"Right, they would once I was by myself. I got lucky last night in finding you before dawn."

"S'alright, man. No biggie."

Then, quite to their surprise, another one of their kind came flying over the roof. This one slowed abruptly, sending it into a couple of aerial somersaults to turn around and face them while hovering upside down. "S'up, dudes? Mind if I hang out and rest my wings for a bit?"

"Nah, we're waiting on the sun to drop anyhow."

Zubat was quite awed. "Hey, you're an actual Crobat, man!"

Crobat flipped around and clamped his lower wings onto the underside of the barn structure. "Sure am, little dude. I come from far off, by the western sea."

"Wow, I never thought I'd actually meet one of you. Almost nobody can evolve that far."

Crobat shrugged. "Well almost nobody means somebody has to, am I right?"

"So how do you get that far, man? Is it like some super hard quest of the gods?"

He laughed. "No, thankfully not that. You got dreams to fly this far, little dude?"

Zubat flipped his wings excitedly, almost falling off. "Well yeah! I want to be that awesome."

Golbat snickered at the near-accident. Then he added, "I've wondered that myself. I thought about it real hard, but can't seem to figure it out. It's not about getting real powerful like the other Pokemon 'round these parts, cause some of my kin can fight off a Tauros, but can't evolve."

Crobat nodded sagely. "Well, you're right, we ain't like that. It's a personal journey, dude, in order to get to this point. The inward instead of the outward, if you get my drift. You've got to take a good hard look at yourself and figure out who you really are and what truly makes you happy. It is hard; the answers will escape you at first, leaving you with more questions and uncertainty. But then there is that magic moment where you realize the simple truth and that's when you can evolve into a bat like me."

Golbat frowned. "Well if it is a simple truth, how come more of us don't evolve? And what is that truth?"

"Sorry, can't tell you."

"Is it one of the secrets of the universe?" Zubat asked, timid now.

Crobat laughed warmly and tapped the young one. "Dude, you've got some serious dreaming going on in your head! I ain't sure about that. The truth seems to be slightly different for each one that reaches this point. At least, mine wasn't quite like the other Crobat I met a year back. But keep on dreaming; it's a good sign that you might fly up to my level someday."

"Oh, okay. So what're you doing around here, man? You said you were from the sea."

"Well I heard it said that the Shellos of the west coast have different tasting blood than the Shellos of the east coast. Now Shellos aren't exactly the greatest meal in the world, yeah, but I've been wondering if that's true. I've lived on the west coast forever, it seems, so I'm flying out to the east coast to find that truth."

"I've heard about that too," Golbat said. "But I'm not sure it's worth flying a great distance just to sample the blood of a Shellos."

"Come on, dude, where's your sense of adventure? I'm sure there'll be other Pokemon I've never tasted before too, so I think it's worth the trip."

Golbat shook his head. "Nah, there's plenty of farm Pokemon around here, so I know there'll always be a meal. And if I get lucky, I can take the blood of a human. Now that's some good stuff."

"Oh, I'll agree with you on that. But humans are a dangerous prey to mess with. They got tools that'll mess you up far more than any Pokemon could. And the Pokemon will usually fight you back alone. The humans will bring up other Pokemon and stomp you flat."

"I wouldn't know about that," Zubat said. "I only eat microbugs right now."

"That's fine, you're just a little dude right now. But if you ever get the urge to try later on, make sure to confuse 'em real good. Or better yet, get them asleep."

"But make sure they're not confused in the first place," Golbat advised. "I did that once and her blood tasted funny. And then I was all funny in the head all evening, not flying straight and laughing at every stupid little thing. Then in the morning, ugh, it makes me queasy just thinking about that morning after."

Crobat snickered. "That's called being drunk, dude. The human probably had too many beers that evening. You can tell cause they smell like it."

"Whoa, okay, I'll keep that in mind." Zubat stretched his wings out again; he sensed that the warm areas were cooling down, a sign that the sun was completely down. "Well we've got to find my flock now. Goodbye, Crobat."

Crobat stretched out one of his main wings. "Bye, little Zubat dude."

…

Sapphire entry: Zubat avoids sunlight because exposure causes it to become unhealthy. During the daytime, it stays in caves or under the eaves of old houses, sleeping while hanging upside down.

Ruby entry: Golbat loves to drink the blood of living things. It is particularly active in the pitch black of night. This Pokemon flits around in the night skies, seeking fresh blood.

Crobat Pearl entry: A Pokémon that gained vastly enhanced flying performance by having its legs turn into wings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Microbug is my term for insects that are not Pokemon: fleas, mosquitoes, flies, beetles, normal 'bugs' for us. I imagine that you couldn't catch them in Pokeballs (and wouldn't want to, anyhow). And Crobat is the hundredth Pokemon I covered!


	62. Gengar, Gallade

It was late. The flow of people along the city sidewalks was slowing. Most were in a hurry, to get home, to get to a party, to get to an appointment, to get somewhere else. A woman trying to hold onto a full basket and dial her cell phone was unwittingly asking for an accident. The accident obliged, catching her heels in a crack and causing her to stumble forward.

Someone caught her. At first, she thought it was some skinny teenager with odd tastes in clothing. Fresh white and spring green wasn't a fashion trend that she was aware of. But then it was apparent that his body was too slim and his head was not quite human-like. It was a Pokemon.

Still, it was polite enough to bend over and pick up a stray package that had fallen out of her basket. When he handed the underwear box to her, she was briefly glad that it was a Pokemon helping her. Blushing, she slipped it back into the basket. "Thanks," she mumbled, then went on her way.

The Gallade nodded. "You're welcome," he replied, then went on his way.

He walked down the street on his errand. True, he could have teleported and made this menial task much quicker. But he wanted to soak in this moment alone, reflective... quiet.

The night streets weren't exactly quiet. There were still cars and motorcycles rumbling along the roads. The lights overhead hummed and attracting buzzing bugs. Apartments he passed by had blaring radios, loud conversations, noisy machines. It was different though, and in that difference he could be reflective.

Arriving at the parking lot of the convenience store, he paused and wondered why he was doing this. He had been loyal and obedient to his Trainer for years. He had defeated many difficult opponents and achieved many lofty goals. All that, and what did he get out of it? Moving into a frantic city where the best thing to happen all day was running a simple errand? It didn't seem fair. He was still young, he should be able to...

Although he was standing, his shadow jumped out in front of him and made a rude gesture. He tensed for a moment, but soon realized what was going on. He stepped forward with his right foot and extended both of his arm blades. "Looking for trouble, shadow?"

It appeared to laugh, bringing out identical blades and waving them about like a bad kung-fu actor. In contrast, the Gallade made several quick jabs with his right blade, then followed up with a graceful slash of his left. The shadow brought both of its arms over its head, then sliced them down in a motion of brute force. He responded by retracting his left blade, then shooting Psybeam at the ground.

The false shadow popped right out of the ground, transforming into a hulking dark purple beast. It had ghostly claws on bulky arms, nothing suitable for mimicking a graceful sword artist. Still, he had a broad grin. "Hey Ray. It's been a while."

He sighed as he retracted his right blade too. "Good evening, George. And yet you still look like a fool when playing at my shadow."

The Gengar held his claws up and shook his head. "I ain't got no interest in following your smarmy style. How's the jerk doing?"

"You're just angry that he traded you off." Ray paused a moment, considering that it was a fair reason for his former teammate to dislike their Trainer. "He's all right. Does good at his job, has lots of friends, that kind of thing."

"Boring. I'm glad to be on my own."

"So what exactly are you doing? Pestering me for old time's sake?"

"Could be. Nah. I was looking for you, actually."

Skeptical of this, he put his hands on his hips. "For me?"

George nodded, but the glint to his eyes suggested something was up. "Yeah, for you. What are you doing on this lovely night?"

"That's none of your business."

In his usual spooky manner, he was soon standing next to Ray instead of in front of him. "Oo, are we being evasive tonight? You're not evasive unless it's something you really dislike."

"It's nothing, really, just picking up some things from the store."

"Like what things?" Enjoying his discomfort greatly, George grinned to show his sharp teeth. "I know you won't lie to someone you know."

"You know me way too well," he grumbled.

"So what is it that's got us all tensed up tonight?"

"It's just a stupid errand, but it's the only excuse I've had to leave the house all day. I'm picking up some baby formula and diapers."

To Ray's surprise, George seemed almost pleasantly surprised. "Is that so? The jerk and his woman had a baby?"

"Twins, actually," he replied, relaxing some at how the news was taken. "Two boys. It's been quite exciting the past year."

He chuckled. "Nice, twins. Sounds a bit too exciting, if you ask me. You all getting settled into the domestic life, then?"

"It's only as long as the twins are little. When they're older, we'll go back to traveling and camping like before."

"Yeah right. Sounds like you're stuck being a homebody."

"Just temporarily," Ray argued, getting tense again. "Our, sorry, my Trainer is all for heading back out to the wilds when the kids can handle it. He likes to tell all the great stories, like how we explored those old mines and found that Dawn Stone just in the nick of time to keep me from evolving into a Gardevoir. And even ones with you, like how you intimidated all the Gastlies into leaving us alone in the graveyard that night..."

George waved that off. "Ah, then he's turning into a storyteller like all the others. I've talked to a bunch of other guys, and they say that once the humans start having kids, then it's all over for you. Your best days are behind you."

"No they're not," he replied, although there had been many times that he had thought that exact thing today.

The Gengar chuckled, then pulled out a large coin and tossed it over. "You keep telling yourself that. Or, I've got an offer for you."

He caught the coin and looked at it. Made of copper, it was marked with an Octillery on one side, and a name on the other. "A bar token?"

"I'm heading out on a quest of sorts, with some guys. It'll be quite an adventure, but I doubt any human would come along with us. We were talking about what and who we might need and I knew immediately that you would be an immense help. That is, if you'd come along."

"I'm a loyal Pokemon," Ray said sternly.

George nodded. "And so am I, to those who deserve it. That is why I came looking for you. Are you really going to stay loyal to someone who's going to restrain you to home for the rest of your life? And what difference is there between how he treated you and how he treated me?"

"He's not about to trade me."

"Are you sure? You keep your blades pretty sharp, don't you?"

"Of course. I'm proud of them."

"So what's he going to do when his woman complains about having a bladed Pokemon around their kids?"

"I wouldn't hurt the twins."

"But you know how mothers can get."

"She knows I wouldn't harm them."

"Okay, then you just keep telling yourself that it's not a bad thing to be stuck as a homebody, only getting out at odd hours to serve the crying babies. Or, you can drop by that place some night this week and talk with us. But this week, mind you. After that, I'm sorry, but you're on your own." George then dematerialized back into the shadows and left.

Part of Ray's mind told him it was best to throw the Octillery bar token away. But it wasn't strong enough to make him do it. More of him feared that George was speaking the truth, that his best days were behind him thanks to those two brats. Not that he'd tell anyone that he thought of the twins as brats who were stealing his Trainer's attention and love.

Even after all this time apart, George knew him much too well. Ray went in to pick up the formula and the diapers. But as he paid for them, he wondered if he had the nerve to run away.

…

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Sometimes, on a dark night, your shadow thrown by a streetlight will suddenly and startlingly overtake you. It is actually a Gengar running past you, pretending to be your shadow.

Gallade Diamond/Pearl entry: A master of courtesy and swordsmanship, it fights using extending swords on its elbows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the original version of A Mundane Story, so go check that out if you like this. I like the issues this story brings up; you don't see them very often.


	63. Aipom, Piloswine

The first in line was the Piloswine. He seemed like a tall mound of brown hair wading through the sparkling snow. Acting as a natural plow, he dug his tusks into the stuff and heaved it off the sidewalk. He did not walk directly down the path; instead, he wove around clearing it of snow. Snowpoint nearly always was coated in white, but last night's storm had dumped two feet of hard icy snow on top of everyone. It crunched delightfully when one walked on it, but made it dangerous to go far.

The second in line was the Aipom. Unlike her peer, she was not happy with the cold. Over her natural violet coat of fur, she wore a bright green coat borrowed from a child, a rainbow hat knitted by their Trainer's granny, and a custom made glove over her tail. In that tail's grasp, she held onto a shovel. She used that to get spots the Piloswine missed, as he was best at clearing large amounts of snow.

The last in line was their Trainer, a ten-year-old boy who carried an old broom and pulled a red wagon. The broom was for clearing any leftover snow and scaring off wild Pokemon from his working ones. The wagon was for carrying his things and for Aipom to ride in on the way back home. While Piloswine didn't mind walking around all day, she would get tired or start fussing over her wet feet and hands.

Although it wasn't yet noon, they were starting to feel tired from the day's work. They'd been up since dawn shoveling people's walks and driveways. While it was a chore that the residents got used to, their neighbors were grateful to have a Saturday morning free. They had paid pretty well, the boy thought. His goal was to buy a heated bed for Aipom.

He had caught her during the summer when he'd been visiting some relatives in Florama Town, so she really disliked the northern city's climate. She had been sleeping near Piloswine for a while, but they wound up annoying each other. His parents did not like the two of them arguing in the middle of the night, so he had to tell Aipom not to sleep by Piloswine even though his fur was warm. Then she started digging into the laundry basket and sleeping in the dirty clothes. The boy's mother had not liked that either.

He was pretty sure that he had enough money for the bed, but felt bad in not buying his older Pokemon anything. However, his parents had limits to how far he could go from the house, even with his two Pokemon. They had run out of driveways and sidewalks to clear. But then at the last house, he got a great offer. They could get ten dollars instead of two if they cleared the path and stairs leading up to Snowpoint Temple.

The Temple was a source of wonder for all the kids of Snowpoint. Few people allowed inside, but the older kids said that if one snuck in, there were tons of powerful Pokemon waiting for a fight. He wasn't interested in doing that today, though. He didn't think his Pokemon could handle the ones inside alone. Maybe if they were stronger.

The group reached the stairs, which presented something of a problem. The Temple sat on a raised stone surface, so there was nowhere to throw the snow to except back down where they had already cleared. Piloswine stopped and turned to him. Aipom dropped her tail down, putting the shovel on the sidewalk.

"Go ahead and toss the snow down here," the boy told the older Pokemon as he parked the wagon. "And you swap tools with me."

Piloswine huffed agreeably, causing the lower parts of his fur to billow out. Then he dug a patch out of the lower step and began shoving the snow down.

"Oook," Aipom squeaked, then brought the shovel back up for him to take hold of. When she took the old broom, she playfully spun it around before figuring out how to wield it properly.

The boy then went about shoveling up the snow Piloswine threw down, then tossing that off the sidewalk. Aipom followed up by sweeping off the steps and getting into the corners. It took a long while; the houses he'd done so far had a few steps leading up to the door, at most three. The Temple had twelve long steps leading up to its entrance. Adding to that time, Aipom and Piloswine kept flicking snow at each other. But they seem to be having fun, so their Trainer only laughed.

As they finished up, the gatekeeper of the Temple came down the path. "Thank you very much for doing this," she said. "I've been busy making arrangement with a group of scientists who are visiting later." She handed over a ten dollar bill.

"You're welcome; glad we could help." He took the bill and put it into a box where he kept all the other payments. This would be enough for the heated bed and some treat for Piloswine. And maybe even some trading cards for himself.

"You three are good workers. I never liked having Fire Pokemon clear the walkway. If they don't make sure the path is completely dry, it freezes up something awful."

"Really? So, what's it like in there? Can I go see?"

"No, you can't. It's too dangerous."

He was going to try pestering her into letting him in anyways. Realizing this, his Pokemon looked around for something to do to pass the time. Aipom looked up at the edge of the roof. A dazzling row of icicles sparkled in the sunlight. One of them had something stuck in it. Something dark, shiny, and small.

Cooing in interest, she hopped over to underneath it. There were columns holding the roof up, but none close enough to the icicle she wanted. There were trees growing thickly nearby, but they also weren't close enough. So how should she get to it?

She tried putting her tail hand on the ground and stretching up tall. But when she stretched her small arms out, there was no way she'd reach it. She tried hopping up, but couldn't manage the height. She even tried standing on her forearms and stretching her tail up. No, that wasn't enough.

Piloswine scuttled up to her. "Fuuff fuu?" he huffed. He rarely made significant noises, but she could tell by how his eyebrows pushed his fur aside that he was curious.

Hopping back up on her tail, she pointed up at the mystery treasure in the icicle. "Ooo, ook."

He shook his head, clearing some fur away from his eyes, then looked up. Those brown eyes squinted, though. He didn't have the best eyesight. Huffing again, he looked at her.

Aipom waved him over and hopped back. Trying not to be too excited in her gestures, she pointed at the spot directly underneath the icicle, then back up at it. Piloswine might just be tall enough to help her get the treasure.

"Mmmm?" He glanced back up, then seemed to get the idea. He shuffled over to the spot she pointed to. "Fuff."

"Aaip." She dropped down to her hands and feet, then reached her tail up to grasp onto Piloswine's back. Flipping herself up from there, she checked her reach to the icicle.

It was closer. Not quite there, but other icicles were longer and she could reach those. She grasped the nearest one. It was slick and she instantly lost grip. After trying a second time, she tensed up her tail and hopped up higher. "Ooof," the Piloswine responded, then shuffled aside to watch what she was doing.

Aipom had to scramble to get a good hold on the icicles. Once she found a rough patch, she managed to steady herself. She was now in a better position to see the treasure. It was some sort of claw, either mid- or dark-blue depending on how she tilted her head. Its owner had probably lost it climbing up these icicles too.

But it was hers now. She grasped the icicle with her tail hand and yanked it off the roof. It snapped off cleanly. The claw stayed in place. But above her, the snow pack on the roof trembled. "Uh-ooo," she murmured.

Nothing happened.

Relieved, she reached over to the next icicle in order to get a good look down before jumping off. It snapped quickly, disturbing the snow pack again. This time, it slid right off the roof, taking several icicles and Aipom down with it. The mass of snow crashed down right next to Piloswine, making him grunt in surprise.

The two humans then paid attention to the Pokemon again. "Aipom?" the boy called when he didn't see her right off. He hurried over. "What happened to Aipom?"

Piloswine huffed, then went to the new pile of snow and dug. Before long, he had enough snow moved so that Aipom could get herself free. "Brrrr," she said, shivering.

"Fuuuff fu," he responded, bumping into her.

"I'd better get you back home. Come on, you can ride in the wagon."

She scrambled fully out of the snow pile and brought her tail up to her face. The icicle was still there, along with the claw. "Oook!" she called excitedly, presenting the frozen treasure to her Trainer.

He took the icicle. "Huh? Is this a Weavile claw? Cool!"

"Now there's something we don't see in town often," the gatekeeper said. "I hear that you might get lucky if you let a Sneasel hold onto that."

"I don't have one of them. Might as well keep it, in case I manage to catch one. I'll see you later. I'm really cold right now, but I'm sure she needs to get warm more than me."

She nodded. "Right. Thanks again for your hard work."

Aipom jumped into the wagon and waved at the gatekeeper. Piloswine huffed, then followed alongside the boy as they went home.

…

Emerald entry: Its tail ends with a dexterous, handlike appendage. However, because it uses the tail so much, Aipom's real hands have become rather clumsy.

Emerald entry: A Piloswine is covered by a thick coat of long hair for enduring freezing cold. It uses its tusks to dig up food that has been buried under ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always pleasant when two seemingly unrelated Pokemon work well together.


	64. Luvdisc

The coral reefs of Hoenn made for one of the most diverse and colorful ecosystems in the world. There were many kinds of fish and fish Pokemon. There were both jellyfish and Tentacools. There were micro-bugs and the occasional Surskit. Even the reefs themselves, much of them were ordinary plants, but some of them were Corsolas. Hiding within these reefs were Luvdiscs, a Pokemon special to local traditions.

The small heart-shaped fish usually kept hidden, save for springtime mating rituals and the test of adulthood. The latter was a rite peculiar to the species. Most other Pokemon did not have such tests, but ancient traditions stated that a Luvdisc was not considered fully mature unless it could produce a whole Heart Scale and offer it to a loving human couple. Why this was so was buried in legend to the point of the Luvdiscs continuing it simply because it was always done that way.

And that was her mission when she had left the reefs a week ago.

She had been so excited when she'd finally shed a whole Scale that she'd crashed into a Clamperl trying to find her mother. It had not been pleased and she had been afraid for a bit that it would ruin her first Heart Scale. But she'd managed to get away and show off the Scale to her family and friends.

It was a lovely thing. Most of their scales were pink, but a few had an iridescent sheen to them, like a rainbow painted on a pink canvas. The iridescent ones were the only ones that could become a true Heart Scale. However, when they were shed, most of the scales had frayed edges or cracks. To shed a whole one, with clean edges and no dullness, that was something to be proud of. They were happy for her, but now she had to give it away.

But who knew that it would be so hard? She could see plenty of humans on the beach, but none she felt right in giving her scale away to. Maybe she was just being possessive. It was her first Scale, after all. And yet...

It was nearing the end of winter, as the days were becoming even with the nights and the air was warming little by little. Still, there were people walking along the shore. There were beachcombers carrying their woven baskets. There were joggers running up and down in daily routines. There were a few children, but that was in the afternoon and their parents weren't around. There were surfers and swimmers, artists and anglers... but not many couples.

The young Luvdisc swam close to one couple she did see. It was a young man and young woman, he wearing waterproof pants that all the beachside anglers wore and she wearing a nice yellow dress that made her wary of getting too close to the water. For a minute, he had put down his fishing gear to help her balance on some rocks. The cold waves lapped against those rocks and teased at her black shoes.

Once she was as far out as she would go, she knelt down and tossed a berry into the water. "Luvdisc, Luvdisc, heart of the sea, will you prove my true love to me?"

The young Pokemon had heard that little rhyme several times over this week. The berry certainly smelled tempting, but she had been warned not to accept bribes from undeserving couples. And this pair didn't seem right. There was a feeling of tension between the two that didn't bode well for long-lasting love. He had put away his fishing for the moment, yes, but was annoyed because he had been doing well before the interruption. She had dressed up nicely for this, yes, but her attention wasn't completely on him.

They were doomed to fall apart unless they changed themselves. They might be looking for a Heart Scale, but once their love failed, it would no longer mean anything special to them. With that in mind, the Luvdisc ignored them and swam off to find another couple.

The next pair she found was a pair of teenagers, both with red hair. They were playing around, kicking a soccer ball between each other and joking around. "No seriously, it's an awesome Pokemon and would work great on your team," the boy said, knocking the ball high into the air.

"But it stinks something horrible," she replied, catching the ball with her knee, then kicking it back. "I don't want one like that."

"Aw come on. You're not going to stand a chance in the League if you only use cute and pretty Pokemon."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "What makes you think that, squirt?" Then she laughed.

He laughed back and shook his head.

They certainly loved each other, even if they weren't that open about it. But they didn't feel right either. Somewhere in her heart, the Luvdisc felt that this pair were actually cousins, and thus weren't appropriate humans to offer her Scale to. So she left them and moved on.

How did she know how to judge the quality of love humans had for each other? She knew she could do it, but she didn't know how. Legend had it that long ago, there was a holy man and holy woman who were deeply in love with each other, so much so that they had died at the same moment because they could not bear to live without the other. The older Luvdiscs had told her that a pair of trees had grown from their graves that were so intertwined that one could not tell which leaf came from which tree.

During their lifetime, the man and woman had seen many of their peers foolishly pursue false loves and unhappy marriages. They tried to show others the wonder and joy of true love, but human society wouldn't pay attention. They then began leaving offerings on the sea, praying that the others would learn to be loyal, loving, and patient. The Luvdiscs living at the shore began eating the offerings, and then some way or another, they gained the ability to discern true love from false. To use that ability, they began rewarding true couples with a lovely Heart Scale.

It seemed such an odd story, even to her limited understanding. Why would the spirits decide to answer the couple's prayers by giving the knowledge of true love to a lowly Pokemon like herself? There were far more beautiful and graceful fish in the sea, so why the Luvdisc? But even if she couldn't answer those questions, she knew she had to follow tradition. It was her gift, and it was only right that she share it properly. Which meant waiting patiently to find the right couple for her Heart Scale.

She paused a moment to check the sky. The sun was starting to pass from its highest position. Wondering if she would meet that one human again, the young Luvdisc hurried on to the southern arm of the sheltered bay. The land was a bit higher here, with many grasses and reeds growing freely. There was a hardy oak tree by itself. Next to that tree, she was indeed there again.

This human was about the same age as the fisherman and his girlfriend, old enough to be on her own. She had tinted prescription glasses and long black hair, which was how the Luvdisc knew this was the same human. Every day this week, she had come out here to eat her lunch. And she shared, which was the main reason a handful of other fish were gathering.

Like before, she pulled out a chunk of bread and began tearing it into pieces. "I thank the sea for your protection, your life-giving abundance, and your unbiased ear. I thank you for listening to me." She then tossed a handful of pieces into the water.

Normally, the Luvdisc ate algae and small pests that bothered the corals and Corsolas which made up her home. But such things were scarce in these shallow waters. She darted in and snatched a piece of bread before another fish could take it instead.

The woman noticed. She lay down and reached her hand into the water. Most of the fish scattered at this, but the Luvdisc remained. "Are you the same one I've been seeing all week? It's early for you to be up here and you're all by yourself."

She swam up and sniffed at the woman's hand, getting patted for the action. This young woman held a great love, she could tell, but was always alone and thus she couldn't give away her Scale. It was reckless to judge true love just on one half of it.

"Of course, I'm all by myself too," the woman said. "It wouldn't be like that if I'd said something to him before he left. And now you go into the Trainer's Fan Club and hear all sorts of talk about him. He could probably date anyone he wants now, so why would he think of returning to me? I knew he'd be good, but I didn't expect him to get this popular with the Frontier."

She felt sad for this human, since there wasn't anything she could do about it. She could only reward truly loving couples. Frustrating, that the only love she could find worthy of her Scale couldn't properly be judged because the man wasn't around.

Someone else walked up to them, startling the Luvdisc into darting off towards the bottom. When she looked back, she saw the woman stand up and greet him warmly. Curious about this, she swam back up to listen better.

"I heard you like to eat lunch around here lately," he said, obviously familiar with her. "I was in town and decided to drop by and see you. So what are you doing?"

"Oh, just feeding the fish. It's relaxing, for the middle of the workday."

This was the guy she'd been talking about all week. He had dark blue hair and light blue eyes, like the ocean against the sky (that's how she put it yesterday). The Luvdisc wasn't much of a judge on human beauty, but guessed that he might be attractive to others. And he held a great love for her as well, but was holding back on the issue. He didn't want to ruin their friendship by trying to be something they weren't.

If her Heart Scale could encourage them to take that risk, she'd gladly give it to them. She popped through the ocean surface and splashed around to make noise. But they were too intent on talking with each other to pay attention to her.

Well she'd spent all week waiting for them to appear together. She wasn't about to let them slip away from her. The Luvdisc swam down to the bottom, then rushed upwards and jumped clear out of the water. With a clumsy flop, she landed on the ground.

"Oh dear," the woman said, kneeling down to pick her up. "What was that for?"

He smiled in amusement. "Your pink friend is a bit enthusiastic, don't you think?"

"She's been here by herself all week. I'm not sure why."

The air hit her gills and irritated them greatly. She found it difficult to move and to breathe, but she'd got their attention. Squirming until she could manage, she took her Heart Scale from underneath her fin and pressed it against the woman's hand. She then found herself being gently placed back in the water. It was such a relief when she could shake the air out of her gills and fill them with water once again.

"Oh, she gave me a scale," the woman said, surprised.

"Really? That's odd. People say the Luvdiscs only give them to certain people," he stopped abruptly, not sure what to do.

"Yeah, that's true."

He was awkward for a moment longer, then opened his travel bag. "You know, I've got an extra Net Ball hanging around. Do you want to see if you can catch her? I know you haven't had your own Pokemon in a while."

The Luvdisc watched as he handed the blue Pokeball to her. What should she do? Should she go with them and see if the legends were right? Or did she go back to her school and be accepted as a fully mature member?

There was only seconds to decide.

…

Emerald entry: Luvdisc make the branches of Corsola their nests. There is a custom from long ago of giving a Luvdisc as a gift to express one's feelings of love.


	65. Mudkip, Diglett

The surface of the pond was brilliant blue, but the water underneath was dim. Mud particles saturated the bottom, making it difficult to see. But Azure had no trouble with that. She could click in a low tone, then use the returning sound waves hitting her headfin to figure out what was on the muddy bottom. There didn't seem to be any more, so she started back for the surface.

Plop.

She raised her fin back up to get a better feel of the disturbance. A small sphere had dropped into the pond. As it was an inanimate object, she swam right up to it and snatched it with her mouth. The small dimples on the surface confirmed what it was: another golf ball. She brought it up to the surface, where her Trainer waited.

He was an older human, with a bald patch he hid under a tan baseball cap advertising the Pristine Meadow Golf Course. He always wore tan overalls; at least, she had only ever seen him in tan overalls for the two weeks she'd been working with him. He was the groundskeeper of the golf course and she was learning to be his assistant Pokemon.

Azure dropped the ball into the basket, which held twenty others that she'd retrieved from the pond. "That should be the last one."

The groundskeeper patted her head. "Good work, girl. Any more?"

She shook her head.

"Okay then. Hop into the cart and we'll head over to the third hole. Now that I know you're a hard worker, we have to talk about the most important part of your job as Pokemon Assistant."

Eager to hear that, she jumped into the passenger seat of the golf cart they used to get around. It was like every other cart on the course, yellow-tan and off-white, except for the green flag on back. That marked them as staff and the golfers respected them for it.

She hadn't been over to the third hole yet. There were no ponds for the golf balls to fall into, just several groupings of trees for them to get lost in. The grass was green and immaculate, like everywhere else in Pristine Meadow. The groundskeeper did an excellent job and Azure was proud to be picked as his assistant.

He stopped the cart and leaned on the steering wheel. "Okay, you see the problem?"

Azure put her forepaws on the dash and looked ahead of them. But the course looked pretty much the same here as anywhere. Lots of tough grass and a flagpole marking the third hole. "Ummm, not really."

"It's that darn Diglett again," he answered, hitting his fist on the dash. "I call him Little Demon. He can dig pretty deep into this soil, that's for certain, but he always digs right under the surface, leaving unsightly lumps and trenches that ruin all my hard work. And every year, at least a dozen people sprain their ankle stumbling into one of his tunnels. I've gone with all the traditional ways of getting rid of a Diglett, but Demon has it out for me."

Knowing what to look for, Azure finally spotted the trouble. There were several long winding lumps in the otherwise smooth grass. "That jerk. You do so much for the course and he can wreck it in no time."

The groundskeeper scratched her head. "But that's why I picked you, Azure. You can hit him where he's weakest. And when you evolve, you'll grow into the same type as he is, so he won't stand a chance. You're my best hope of getting rid of Demon once and for all. You can do that, right?"

"Sure thing! I'll root him out." She hopped off the cart and sniffed the ground.

"Careful. He's a tricky one." The groundskeeper picked up one of his tools and went to work himself.

Keeping her fin extended fully, she checked out the scene. Some of the tunnels seemed fresh, with newly revealed dirt. And there was a scent of another Pokemon around. So Little Demon was here. The trick would be making him appear.

Through her paws, she felt a slight rumble through the ground. There he was. She couldn't sense him with her fin while he moved underground, but wherever he popped up, she would know.

He came out right behind the groundskeeper. All that showed was his smooth head and his grubby paws, but that was enough. Azure rushed up to tackle him from behind. His head and grip were harder than she expected, as she was pushed back instead of him being thrown out of the hole.

Demon spun around in his hole with surprising fluidity. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You're ruining our work," she said, getting back onto her feet. "So I'm gonna get rid of you."

He gripped the ground and leaned forward. "Get rid of me? But this is my turf! My family has lived here for centuries before the humans took over. So it's my land and you need to be gotten rid of."

"You've lived here that long?"

He crouched partly back into his hole. "Well yeah. Great-great-great-great-grandad Dugtrio was born here, and he kept the land as fresh and pretty as anyone would like. But now it's all strict manicures and foreign plants. He's ruined everything."

"But he's my Trainer, and he works hard to keep things nice."

"Well it ain't so nice when..." he trailed off into a sad mumbling.

Azure hopped closer to the Diglett. "When what?"

He looked down at the ground and mumbled some more.

The Mudkip stepped closer. "I can't hear you well."

He popped back out and slashed her across the nose with her claws. Laughing maniacally, Demon dropped into the ground to come out of another hole. "Hah! You'd believe any sob story, huh? Softie. I came here to overtake this field and it shall all be mine!"

Snarling, she turned to Demon. "Not a chance, jerk!" She shot him with her Water Gun attack.

At the same time, he threw a rock at her. Both attacks struck their target, but the Water attack hit harder. Demon dove back underground and scurried to another hole. Azure stood her ground until she knew where he was appearing, then shot another Water Gun at him. This time, he didn't stick around, but went back under and to another hole on her other side. He was trying to make her dizzy, but thanks to her fin, she was able to keep focused.

After several minutes of hide-and-seek, Demon moved to right underneath the Mudkip and slammed into his tunnel walls with such force that it felt like a minor earthquake. Azure stumbled and fell into one of the holes. After a second to get her bearings, she saw Demon looking back at her. "Hah, I've got you now!"

He grinned. "Well, well, well. Welcome to my side."

She shot Water Gun at him; he responded by flinging a slimy ball of grime at him. Some of the gunk slipped into her mouth and made her gag. Upon realizing that she had gotten poisoned, she scrambled to get back out of the hole. She managed, but fell unconscious shortly after.

The groundskeeper saw her fall. Dropping his gear, he ran to pick her up. "Curse you, Demon!" he shouted. "You may have won today, but your days are numbered!" Then he left to get her healed.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought that he heard laughter from behind him.

…

Ruby entry: The fin on Mudkip's head acts as highly sensitive radar. Using this fin to sense movements of water and air, this Pokemon can determine what is taking place around it without using its eyes.

Diglett Fire Red entry: It burrows through the ground at a shallow depth. It leaves raised earth in its wake, making it easy to spot.


	66. Dunsparce, Qwilfish

At a secretive-business-like-location-but-most-likely-Japan, there was a building that served as the development lab for Game Freak. It is a unique place in this world, where ultra-hidden gateway portals allowed Pokemon to cross into reality in order to help programmers develop their games. Any who would dare to take a peek at a real live Pokemon would be in for a nasty shock, though. The development lab had defense systems that made military bases green with envy and background checks that would make the FBI blush. And with oaths that made the workers swear lifelong loyalty to the company or else be damned to designing and playing party games for the rest of eternity, the portals were kept under utmost secrecy.

It was a bustling time for the lab and the Pokemon who visited. Work on the fourth generation of games was in full swing. Some didn't need to worry; Pikachu could rest on his laurels, knowing full well that he would get some nice place within the games. Others weren't too sure about development on 'new mechanics'; it looked to shift how nearly everyone was used or not used. New Pokemon were always a worry, as it made unknown rivals and adversaries.

But the biggest announcement had to be that many older Pokemon were getting the chance to gain new evolutions and abilities. This caused some to worry and hope a great deal. Many of them were virtually ignored as they couldn't handle the top tier battlers. They didn't stand a chance against such Pokemon as Skarmory, Blissey, and Milotic. But new forms and new powers could even the odds, perhaps even giving a forgotten member a chance to shine.

One of those hopefuls was finding the biggest obstacle to be the stairs. He had an awkward shape: rounded body with poisonous quills and an oval tail fin that flopped uselessly as he forced himself up the stairs. In order to do so, he rocked himself a bit backwards, then pushed forwards and up with all his might. This was his fourth attempt at climbing the stairs. The previous three times, he would miss a jump and bounce all the way back down the stairs.

He cussed on his trips down and grumbled on his trips up. "Darn stupid rules saying that all Pokemon must use the stairs instead of the elevator. Sure, it's no problem if you've got feet, but what about us fish? Not to mention how chapped my gills are getting from being out of water. Man, I ought to go to school and study law. Then I'll sue for unnecessary hardships and unfair employment."

"Wouldn't that be eating the hand that feeds you?" a female voice said from behind him.

"What would you know..?" he started to snap, but then saw the speaker. "Oh, sorry Dunsparce. Didn't hear you come up."

"It's no problem, Qwilfish," she replied. She was designed as oddly as he was. She was too fat to be a snake, but had no legs. She had a head like a spearhead, but a tail with a conical drill so she could slither forwards or drill backwards. And she had two tiny white wings that were almost like a cherub's, except that nobody could mistake Dunsparce for a chubby baby.

"And I think that it's 'biting the hand that feeds you', not eating it. I know it'd be a pointless suit to make, but I just get frustrated. Still, it might be neat to become a lawyer. I'd get more attention by doing that then continuing on with these games. We've never played an important role."

Dunsparce had some problems with the stairs too, but she managed to slither up them easier then he was hopping. She slowed so they could keep talking. "We did in that Coliseum game."

Qwilfish snorted. "We were cast as Shadow Pokemon, remember? And we still didn't get much attention. All the players were like 'let's get these two purified in a hurry so we can use the better ones'. Bah. Kids ain't got no respect for the trouble we go through for their entertainment."

"At least they had to pay attention to us. I heard that in Gale of Darkness, some Pokemon just got stuck in the Purifying Machine, not even to be considered again. They had to experiment with us manually in order to figure out how to turn us back to normal."

"I still don't like it."

The door up ahead burst open as a dark blue Pokemon entered the stairway. Sneasel jumped onto the railing and slid down past his two peers. "Haha, I got it! Later, losers!" At the bottom, he bounded away towards the main portal.

Qwilfish snarled. "Jerk. Just because he's based on a weasel doesn't mean he has to be one."

Dunsparce raised her head, looking over the last few steps. "Want me to carry you up the rest of the way?"

"Can you manage without poisoning yourself again?"

"I'll be careful."

Beating her small wings into a blur, she lifted herself into the air. Delicately, she took hold of his tail fin and carried him up to the next floor. She put him down, then landed with as much grace as she could manage with her awkward body. Which is to say, not much grace at all, just plopping down onto the concrete surface.

Qwilfish hopped around to face her. "Thanks. And you're getting better with the hovering bit."

Pleased, she shook her drill tail. "I've been working on it; thanks for noticing."

One of the human employees opened the door. "Qwilfish and Dunsparce. Here for your review?"

"No, Mr. Rocket Scientist, we're here for the free donuts," Qwilfish retorted. "Duh, of course we're here for that."

He smiled slightly. "Okay, then wait outside the interview room. They're interviewing Sudowoodo right now." The worker went back to his work area.

They were now in a large room with many drafting table, cabinets, markerboards, and other tools of the design trade. An automated water fountain was over their heads and next to the closed door to the interview room. Dunsparce looked around. "Do they have donuts? I like the jelly filled ones."

Qwilfish shook himself. "Hah, Sudowoodo. What're they going to do with him? He's a fake tree, for goodness sakes."

"Well, they have to give everyone the chance to make a case for themselves."

He replied sarcastically, "Yeah, I know, and we ought to be grateful. What kind of evolution are you looking for?"

She perked her head up. "Me? Well I'm not sure how, but... I thought it would be neat if I could evolve into a kind of holy Godzilla."

"Holy Godzilla?"

"Well, I'm a reptile, for one, and I'm an angel, for another." She twitched her white wings. "Look at these wings and deny that I should be an angel."

He had to give her that one. "I wouldn't deny that you're an angel. A kind of unrealized case that needs something more to prove to disbelievers."

"So what're you thinking about suggesting?"

"I've been thinking about that a lot. The thing is, I'm already based on the most poisonous fish in the sea." He rolled his eyes. "And the deadliest delicacy, for that matter. But they did call me a balloon Pokemon. They ought to make a blimp out of me. A big spiky blimp."

"Spiky blimp, huh?"

"Hey, I think there needs to be more balloons like me. And what better way to do that then to make me an even bigger balloon?" He smacked his lips. "Man, I'm thirsty." He found a nearby chair and jumped onto that, then jumped onto the automatic fountain.

Dunsparce turned her body around so that she could look up at him. "Be careful up there."

"I'm fine. I've survived bigger falls." He hopped into the sensor's range, setting off the water spout. Letting it run over his gills, he sighed in contentment. "Ah, that's the ticket. Now if only it went a little faster." He opened his mouth and let the spout hit him.

The snake giggled. "You're silly."

Once he had enough water to satisfy his thirst, he jumped back onto the ground. His weight had increased enough so that he hit harder, but his quills were tough. "Hey, a fish has got to do what a fish has got to do."

She tilted her head, examining the way his quills were fully extended from his internal water pressure. "You sure it was a smart idea to drink until you were armed?"

He turned to the door to see if there was any indication of how long they had to wait. "Hey, it's no big deal. It'll soak into my dry parts before long and everything will be..."

The door slammed open, letting out a brown rock Pokemon that looked like a small tree and a tall human in a black suit. "All right then, we'll..."

Startled by the door, Qwilfish shot out all of his quills and the water he was storing. Sudowoodo yelped and bolted back into the interview room. Also panicking, Dunsparce stuck her tail to the floor and quickly drilled away from the Poison Pokemon. She crashed right underneath of a row of drafting tables and cabinets, wrecking them all and frightening the employees. Anyone struck by the flying quills was poisoned so badly that they had to be rushed to the hospital.

That included the man who was interviewing the Pokemon. "What was that for?" he snapped. "Why did you do that?"

Letting his cheekiness get the better of him, Qwilfish retorted, "We're doing exactly what you designed us to do, no more, no less."

And that is why neither Qwilfish nor Dunsparce received new evolutions in the fourth generation Pokemon games.

"But I want to be a holy Godzilla..."

…

Dunsparce Emerald entry: If spotted, it escapes by burrowing with its tail. It can hover just slightly using its wings.

Emerald entry: A Qwilfish uses the pressure of water it swallows to shoot toxic quills all at once from all over its body. It finds swimming to be somewhat challenging.


	67. Beedrill

"I won't be late, won't be late, won't be late..."

The young Beedrill rushed through the forest, trying to reach his destination in time. His bright yellow and black pattern could be easily seen, but kept most other Pokemon away instead of calling their attention. The swarm owned this forest. The others knew to leave the Beedrills alone or else face the wrath of all of them.

He zipped around at speeds that others would be shocked at, from a creature of his size. He darted up in order to avoid crashing into a large tree branch. Looking back at it, he thanked the spirits for his quick reflexes. Otherwise...

He smacked right into the next tree branch.

"Uuuurrrgh..." he moaned as the impact vibrated his entire exoskeleton. That was the fifth one this week. He really ought to have learned by now.

"Toughen up, soldier," a gruff voice scolded. "Report!"

"Y-y-y-yes sir...ow!" He had flipped around, trying to get into the proper saluting pose when he crashed his head back into the branch. "This is Private Jun reporting for guard duty, Captain sir!"

The older battle-scarred Beedril, whom Jun only knew as 'Captain', grunted in response. His sharp harsh eyes contrasted with his battered stingers. According to stories, Captain had defended the swarm against many hostile enemies. It was said that he even defeated a giant three-headed Fearow. Captain was no longer on active duty. Instead, he trained the young members of the swarm to be great warriors like he had been.

"So sir, what am I guarding today, sir?" Jun asked, anxiously flipping his antennas.

"Calm down," Captain snapped. "You got a lot of energy, soldier, but maybe a little too much. Today, you are to watch this path." He jabbed his right stinger, which was nearly split in half, at the area below them.

Jun looked down at the footpath. It had originally been made of flattened dirt and gravel, but tough grasses were beginning to overtake it. The main way anyone could see that it was a path was how the vegetation was less dense there. "The path, sir?"

"It leads to our swarm's meadow! For that reason, we need someone to watch this path in case humans come through. If you see any humans, rush right back to the meadow and warn the advance guard." Captain narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure that even you can manage this without breaking anything. Except maybe your head from crashing into things."

Jun brought his front stingers up in front of his face in embarrassment. "Uh, yes sir, I mean, no sir! I mean... I'm not going to break anything today, sir, not even my head."

"Good for you." He started to fly back to the meadow, but then paused. "Right. Soldier, I want you to keep an eye out for any Combees as well. Some of the scouts have reported spotting these dastardly Bugs in and around the forest. But this is our territory, and we aren't sharing it with some honey-loving wimps."

Jun tilted his head. "Combees? Aren't they the ones that are led by the beautiful Vespiqueens?"

"Don't lose your head! We live for the swarm, we fight for the swarm, we die for the swarm. Remember that."

"Yes, sir! Of course, sir! Won't ever forget it, sir!"

"Sometimes I wonder about you." Then Captain took off for the meadow and training others.

"But I try real hard," Jun said plaintively. Not that it mattered. The old Beedrill was gone.

Landing on the branch, the young Beedrill looked around. Okay, so today it was watching this path. Warn the advance guard if humans show up. And report any Combees sighted. That wasn't so bad. Not like the nerve wracking job that was being on the advance guard. An advance guard Beedrill was likely to get into a battle every single day, with any other Bug that tried to take over the forest and any other Pokemon that tried to take over the small meadow the swarm rested in.

Watch the path. Watch, watch, watch. It wasn't like the path was going to go anywhere. Would anyone come down it? Or was this going to get really boring really fast?

He began counting the grass that was growing in the worn path to pass time, but lost count somewhere in the seventies when his eyes crossed and he couldn't remember if he counted certain stalks or not. That passed a good deal a time. As he started the count again, a Ratatta ran across where he was looking. "Hey!"

"Hey what?" the Rattata snapped back, but then looked up and saw who was speaking. "Oh, sorry there! I didn't mean to cross into your territory, I just..."

Jun looked at her, then shrugged. "Eh, I'm only on the lookout for humans. Don't go that way," he pointed back to the meadow, "but carry on if you're heading somewhere else."

"Um, well okay. Thanks." She ran into the vegetation opposite of where she had come in.

"Rattatas probably don't matter," Jun said to himself. "But if a Combee came, I'd smack some sense into it." He jumped up and began jabbing the air with his stingers. "You call yourself a bee warrior? You only got one puny little stinger while I have five! You think you can stand up to the jab-jab-jab-jab-JAB!"

Jun got so into his mock fighting that he twirled around while jabbing and stuck his poisonous stinger... into a Spearow that had stealthily landed beside him. The red and brown bird shrieked, jumping back into the air. With his insides turning cold in fear, he brought his front stingers up defensively.

"What in the world was that for?" the bird screamed at him. "That hurt!"

"Uh, of-of course it did! For I am a mighty Beedrill warrior!" Who happened to be scared silly of being eaten at that moment. But the bird didn't need to know that.

The Spearow glared at him. "One of these days... ooo, my head is spinning. I feel sick." He flew back into the depths of the forest. After a moment, there was a distant crash in the bushes.

Jun relaxed. "Did I really do that?" He looked himself over and found a brown feather stuck on his tail stinger.

That evening, when another Beedrill showed up to take path-watching duty, Jun went in to report to Captain. "The path didn't move an inch, sir."

"Very funny," the old Beedrill grunted. "So no humans. What about Combees?"

"None of them either, sir. But I defeated a Spearow in single combat!" He brought out the feather as proof.

"You did what?" Captain snatched the feather and looked it over. It was torn from his stinger, but the end of it had some blood from being ripped out of the Spearow's body.

"Honest to goodness, I did, sir," the young Beedrill said proudly. "Poisoned him and made him crash into the bushes, sir."

Captain stared at the feather a moment longer, then chuckled. "It seems you did, soldier. Nice work. There might be more to you than meets the eye."

Jun jumped up gleefully. "I did my be... ow!" He rubbed his head from smacking into the branch above them.

He laughed. "But you still need work."

…

Beedrill Fire Red entry: May appear in a swarm. Flies at violent speeds, all the while stabbing with the toxic stinger on its rear.


	68. Porygon, Porygon2, Porygon-Z

Porygon condition check... good.

Situation check... located in the doorway to Trainer's room. Trainer is at computer, examining program files. Porygon currently guarding doorway.

Noise detection triggered... footsteps. Three sources, all climbing stairs. Check identity.

Identity check... Subject 1: annoying little brother. Subject 2: annoying little brother's friend. Subject 3: Mom.

Orders are to forbid access to Trainer's room to annoying little brother. Response 1: Growl.

Humans speaking. Commencing translation.

A.L.B: See Mom? Porygon keeps growling at me whenever I come up here.

Mom: Michael, what's the meaning of this?

Trainer: Todd keeps bugging me when I'm trying to work. I wouldn't have to do this if he'd stop coming into my room without knocking.

Mom: Todd, you should be knocking. But Michael, you don't need to have your Pokemon growl at him every time he walks by. And you should stop working in that dim room. Come out and get some fresh air and sunshine.

Trainer: But Mom, I'm almost done...

Mom: Make Porygon stop.

Trainer: Alright, sheesh. Porygon, you can let Todd in my room, if he knocks. And stop growling as much.

Orders altered. Affirm with short call.

ALB: We wanna see what you're doing.

ALB knocks. Move aside and allow him in.

Mom: I still think you should get a real Pokemon.

Trainer: But Porygon is a real Pokemon.

ALBF: She's artificial intelligence, though.

Mom: And she doesn't act like a real Pokemon should. She just sits there until you tell her to do something. I can't believe people were willing to pay so much for a fancy paperweight.

Trainer: Well this science is still new. This Upgrade will make her better, you'll see.

Mom: We shouldn't be playing God, you know.

Mom leaves the hall and returns downstairs. ALBF kneels down and pokes Porygon. Recommended response: Turn to him and see if he means harm.

Trainer: It's not like that.

ALBF: So this is the Pokemon you stole from the Game Corner?

Trainer: I did not steal her. I liberated her from Team Rocket.

ALBF: Yeah, right.

Trainer: It isn't really stealing if you're taking it from a thief. Besides, she's officially registered under my ID Number, so as far as anyone is concerned, she's mine.

ALBF: So why haven't you given her the Upgrade? Did you get it late?

ALB: No, he signed up for it as soon as it was announced.

Trainer: I'm studying it carefully so that I know how it works. I already know most of Porygon's programming, I just want to see what Porygon2 is capable of.

ALBF: I hear they use Porygon2 in space to repair satellites and explore the moon.

Trainer: That's true, but I'm not sure this Upgrade will be enough.

ALB: You've had it for two months now! Come on, evolve her already!

Trainer: Well it's not going to do any harm, and I have a copy of it made. Porygon, move to my computer.

Move onto computer; affirm with short call.

Interface with infrared connection... done. Transfer data into computer... ... ... ... done.

Silph Inc. Upgrade 2-PYGN-XGSC detected. Checking registration... authenticated. Checking for bugs... none found.

Install Upgrade? Y/N

Y

... ... ... ...

Data downloaded. I am well.

...

I?

I have encountered a small item that is not identified in my database. It is on the kitchen floor. It is a spherical object with a diameter of nearly one centimeter. It is green and partially coated with ice crystals. I poke it with my beak and it rolls. It smells of frozen water and green foodstuff. It must be some sort of food.

"What are you doing, Porygon?" Mom asks. She looks down. "Oh, you have a frozen pea. Play with it if you want. Or can."

A pea that is frozen. It has been three years since my upgrade and I still find new things to notice. I have registered that item and will recognize another frozen pea if it falls on the floor.

I push it around for a bit. That seems to be play for the other Pokemon, although I see no point to it. I eat the pea, and it is good.

The door opens as Michael and Todd come home. The younger boy rushes in. "Mom, I got an A on my history test!"

She claps a few times before hugging him. "Good job. What about math?"

"It's good," he replies.

I bring my wings around and look at them. Could I clap? It seems possible, a simple motion. I bring my wings together. Yes, that seems right.

Michael takes an envelope from the table and opens it. After reading the letter inside, he grins. "Yes, the tech institute accepted me!"

"Ooorriii!" I cheer and clap for him.

He laughs and picks me up to pet my head. "Hey, you learned something. Thanks, Pory."

"Gooo," I say as I put my head against his chest. The petting always feels nice.

"Good going," Mom says. "How are you going to pay for it?"

"I'll manage," Michael replies.

I clap again.

He shakes his head and taps my beak. "No, that's not the right time to clap."

I will have to learn when the appropriate time to clap is.

...

Michael has been working almost non-stop since he got thrown out of tech school. They did not appreciate his attitude, if I understand correctly. I do not know what this means for us, but he shows no obvious signs of being upset. Unless, this constant work is a sign. He has worked all night on previous projects. However, this has taken him months.

My internal programming recommends that I make sure he does not make himself ill. So once an hour, I prod him to make sure that he is drinking plenty of fluids. When it is time for him to eat, I gently nip his arm. And when it is time for him to sleep, I tug at his clothing.

It works on most occasions, but then he goes right back to his computer and works. Is this normal for humans? It is normal for him.

"Don't worry, girl," he tells me. "I've almost got it."

He's always referred to me as female. It makes no difference to me, other than having to learn to look at people when they say, 'girl' or the like. The last friend who visited suggested that it was because I am taking care of him so much. But that was over a month ago.

"I'll make it so that they can never deny that you're real again," he continues. "You're the only one who stands by me now. You appreciate me and I appreciate you. I'll make sure that everyone can appreciate how wonderful you are."

He is my Trainer and that is why I stand by him. That is how I was programmed. That is how other Pokemon must be programmed as well, for they stand by their Trainers faithfully too. I do not understand what this business about me being false is, but if Michael says he can fix it, then I know that he can.

...

"Pory!"

I had been napping, but I woke up. I brought my head up and looked at Michael. "Re?"

He clapped his hands and grinned. "I've got it! The Psyche Disc!"

I looked at the orange CD case he had, then smiled and clapped for him.

He came to pick me up, then sit me on his lap in front of his computer. "This will further enhance your emotive and learning capacities, as well as give you an open-ended editing routine that will make you truly like the other Pokemon. You'll still be made of pure information, but with this, no one should be able to distinguish your behaviors from that of others. Then you and your peers can be fully appreciated, as you were meant to be."

I am not sure what this all means, but if he is happy, then that is good.

Michael gazed at the computer screen. "I'll call your new form Porygon-Z, for it is the zenith of created intelligence programs. Whenever you're ready, move into the computer and download the information." He opened the case and slid the CD into the tower.

My systems are all working fine, so I transfer myself into the computer. I can recall how drastic my first evolution was. A Porygon2 does not look much different that a Porygon, but my mind advanced so much. How will this change me?

I cannot answer that now.

I check the download. I trust Michael, but procedures must be followed. It is good and clean. It is official from Silph. I connected myself to it and take in the information.

... ... ... ...

It is done! Hurray!

...

The spring shower feels utterly divine as I spin and dance in it. The cold water splatters on my brightly colored skin, giving it a sheen that Contest Pokemon would kill for. Such fools! Wasting their time in hour after hour of parlor treatments and dance lessons. They endure blindly hot spotlights while wearing such ridiculous costumes to look their best when all I have to do is dance in the rain. The raindrops are cool and kind, natural and friendly, while those hideous spotlights are hot and bright, unnatural and merciless. No thanks. I'd rather take my chances with the mud puddles.

Michael slips his cellphone down to softly call, "Pory," then taps the bench beside him.

Giggling, I come over and sit by him. "It's such fun," I tell him. "Why don't you dance?"

He turns back to his cellphone, though. "No, we're waiting on the evaluation of Porygon-Z... No, I'm not obsessed with Porygons, Mom. I've worked hard on this, but... I don't have a girlfriend. I don't think I'm ready... it's not like that! Don't you ever listen?" He hung up. "Why do I even try this again?"

"Don't get too upset about her," I say, patting his leg. "She was never on our side."

A man comes out with an umbrella. Another Porygon-Z is beside him. "Michael."

He gets up. "What do you think? Aren't they great?"

The other Porygon-Z looks up at the sky and gawks. "Oh my goodness, the sky is crying! We'd better do something to cheer it up, fast!"

I laugh at him and spin around. "I think they're tears of joy! It makes the flowers happy."

"This is awful! It's the worst possible evolution to the Porygon line I've seen, and we didn't even let the others enter actual testing phase."

"But haven't you seen how strong they are? And how much they act like other Pokemon? It's an insult to call a Porygon-Z an artificial intelligence now."

"That's precisely the problem. We didn't need them to act like other Pokemon."

"That's why people say they aren't real."

"And that's why a lot of our customers like them. You only feed them when you want to and they require almost no care to gain their trust and loyalty. Plus, with their limited numbers, they're a great status symbol for rich people who have little time to give a 'real' Pokemon. But Porygon-Z, I have no idea what he's going to do next. It's difficult to get him to behave even with obedience reinforcements. And he demands far more attention when I have no time for it. I can't afford to keep him now, but I know of no one who can afford to buy him and take care of him."

"Well Porygon to Porygon2 is a large change," Michael points out. "They're often tricky to handle the first few days, but then they settle down. This is the same thing; they've gone through a large change and it will take time for the Trainer and Pokemon to get used to it. But it is worth it."

"Not to someone whose time is at a premium. We will not accept distribution of this dubious disc and if we hear of you doing so, we'll sue for copyright infringement." Then he goes back inside.

"But I was just starting to like this rain," his Porygon-Z comments as he follows his Trainer back inside.

Michael is devastated. He drops down onto the wet bench, looking strangely lost. "It's not right to leave them behind for the sake of your convenience."

I don't like seeing him sad now, as it makes me hurt deep inside too. So I hug him. "They don't appreciate you either. But I do. You let me enjoy dancing in the rain."

He picks me up and holds me close. "I'm sorry, Pory. I tried to convince them."

"It's okay."

I put my head on his chest. We're there like that for a long time, just the two of us. Then he sighs and gets up, still holding onto me.

"So his problem is that those with Porygons don't have time to handle a Porygon-Z, huh? Well what if we got some Porygons into the hands of those with time? We'll have to add some programs to the original form, so that they can handle living in the wild. But it must look accidental... along with any distribution of my Psyche Disc until your peers come into popularity. But it'll be worth it in the end."

"I'll help however I can," I tell him. And that is the truth, because my heart belongs to him.

…

Porygon Leaf Green entry: A Pokemon that consists entirely of programming code. It is capable of moving freely in cyberspace.

Porygon2 Fire Red entry: Further research enhanced its abilities. Sometimes, it may exhibit motions that were not programmed.

Porygon-Z Diamond/Pearl entry: Additional software was installed to make it a better Pokémon. It began acting oddly, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't intended on this turning romance-y, but as Pory's personality developed in the writing, it felt natural. My emphasis has always been more on character development than shipping. I do really love these characters and this is one of my top picks.


	69. Scyther, Scizor

Not everyone appreciated fine music, the Scyther considered. The near-metallic ringing of her two blades being slid across each other was very fine music, but the group of Pokemon sitting nearby winced every time those lovely notes broke the hot humid air. A Ralts being carried out of the building by her Trainer started crying when she heard it. The Scyther smiled at that. At least that Pokemon appreciated it, in her own way.

They were sitting on the steps to the GTS station. It was a graceful building, in a way, but it inspired dread in many Pokemon. Being traded was a daunting prospect as it was, but at least with the Wireless Club, one could meet the new Trainer before being transferred. When it came to the GTS, a Pokemon had no idea where it would wind up, who it would be under, or what its future would hold. So the gray concrete facade, the enormous archway entrance, the sparkling fountain out front, it was all destined to become the elements of nightmares.

"Skyra, come here."

The Scyther got up and walked up to steps to her Trainer. "Is it our turn?"

She waved her hand to follow. "Come on. We finally got rid of that slacker. About time, too. I'm not liking all the system failures they're having here."

"It is new to the Jasper area, didn't you say?" Skyra looked around the lobby as they came inside. Some human kids were staring at her. She narrowed her eyes and they pretended that she wasn't there in a hurry.

Chuckling, she followed her Trainer back to the receiving area. Camilla was graceful herself, quick and nimble too. Skyra respected that she was talented like that. Other humans would rely on their Pokemon all the time, but Camilla could kill an enemy as easily as Skyra. That is, if she could do that without getting into trouble with the police. It was one of the things that made the Scyther glad that she was a Pokemon.

Camilla brushed her long black hair back, then smiled warmly to Skyra. "I found a male Scyther in exchange. He seems pretty impressive, based on the forms at least. We should be able to build you two into a strong Doubles team."

"That would be nice." She looked down at her blades. "Too bad I don't have stained blades to show him how tough I am."

"And if you two get into any ritual fighting in here, I'll have to recall both of you. I hope you understand that the staff wouldn't appreciate that. I'll let you two go at it outside of town if you want."

"I know, but it depends on how long he has been around humans."

A polite female voice interrupted their conversation. "Trade #3074, commencing arrival of a Scyther named Miguel."

Camilla crossed her arms over her chest. "Miguel, huh? Could be worse. I ran across one named Skizzles before I caught you."

Skyra shuddered. "How awful."

A boy wearing a wide straw hat came up. "Hey, are you that Camilla woman?"

She turned to him and nodded. "Yes, what is it?"

He looked up at her critically. "You're trying to open a Bug Gym around here? You don't look like any Bug Maniac I've met."

"I'm not a Bug Maniac," she said patiently, as she'd been told that a lot lately. "I'm an entomologist, which means I know far more about bugs than your run-of-the-mill Bug Maniac."

"You can't be serious. Girls don't like bugs, except for the cute ones, and even then..."

Skyra ignored the conversation; she'd heard variations on it before. Instead, she looked into the receiving room. It was a large dome-shaped area with strange glowing panels running around it in a spiral. The panels were beginning to hum; the air inside the room shimmered and turned into a haze. For a moment, it was impossible to see anything in there.

The haze then condensed into two objects. One was a green Pokeball with a netting pattern on the top, which appeared open on the floor. The other was Miguel. He was taller than Skyra by half a foot and his white scythes were as sharp (and clean) as hers. His exoskeleton wasn't quite the same color as her's. Skyra had a bright meadow green armor while he had a more muted desert grass green. She wondered briefly if it was due to where they had been born; Camilla probably knew why.

When she looked at his face, his eyes seemed dazed and disoriented. Skyra quickly looked down, not wanting to insult him by acknowledging a moment of weakness. As she did, she noticed that he was wearing an odd accessory. It was a vest made of connected steel plates. Why had his previous Trainer put him in that? It looked uncomfortable, not to mention hot for this kind of weather.

Then the air around him began to shimmer again. Skyra wondered if the trading machine wasn't finished, but then felt the energy release of an evolution taking place. She grabbed hold of Camilla's sleeve. "Hey, something's happening!"

"What?" She looked into the receiving room to see Miguel evolving, but not in time to interrupt him. "Oh... M'am, I wasn't informed that this Scyther was wearing a Metal Coat."

"We don't give out information on what a tradable Pokemon may be holding," the worker replied.

"But I listed exactly what my trade was: history, accessory, and health records."

"That sort of thing is used for surveys, not for listing the Pokemon."

Miguel's armor was now a sandstone red. His wings lay differently, grown wide instead of slender like hers. But most different were his blades. They were no longer scythes. Rather, they reminded Skyra of scissors, or tree branch loppers. They were about the same size as his head, and even had markings like eyes near the joints. They still appeared sharp, but...

Skyra wasn't sure what to make of this. As far as she knew, she was supposed to judge a peer's power based on the condition and size of his scythes. His earlier form had been impressive, but this now: did she judge based on original or this form?

"Que?" he asked. He brought one of his hands up and noticed the lack of the Coat and scythe. "Qué me ha sucedido? Por qué soy tengo gusto de esto?"

"What happened to you?" Skyra asked, not understanding him.

Startled, he looked at her, then looked down, ashamed. "Sorry, senorita. I didn't know where I was. Or how I came to be like this... it isn't the right time to turn into this."

"Into what? I didn't know we could evolve."

"Scizor." He started out of the room, but stumbled from his change in weight.

"No, I'll keep him," Camilla said, continuing her conversation with the GTS worker. "I'll just see about pushing for better listing information." She went into the receiving room and picked up the Net Ball. "Miguel, I am Camilla, your new Trainer. I have chosen you as a strong hunter for my Gym. I expect nothing less than your best."

He straightened his posture and lowered his arms. "She knows us well."

"She could hunt like us, if it were not against her kind's gentle hands," Skyra pointed out.

"Truly?"

Camilla pointed to the Scyther. "This is Skyra, another of mine. I have other Bugs working for me, but they may not be to your interest. Come; let's go outside."

"Are you gonna help him?" the boy with the straw hat asked. "He doesn't look too steady."

Miguel growled. "Don't be cheeky."

Camilla brought her hand up. "Hush." Then she looked at the boy. "He is strong, so he needs no help. I know my Bugs. This is why I am an entomologist, not a Bug Maniac." She went on past him towards the door.

Skyra followed after her. After taking a few tentative steps to gauge his new balance, Miguel followed as well. By the time they arrived at the fountain, he was breathing heavily in the humidity. "This is not like Amarillo Desert. Where is this?"

"We're in Queens Port of Jasper," Skyra answered. "There's no deserts on this side of the sea."

The entomologist looked up at the temperature display. "Miguel, you need to beat your wings."

"What for? As far as I remember, Scizors don't fly."

"Do it."

He huffed. "Fine. But it's so sticky." He set his wings off with a ringing hum, like a tuning fork left to vibrate.

The Bug Catcher came back out to them. "Hey, so you really know a lot about Bug Pokemon?"

"Of course," Camilla said. She made a quick wave to Miguel. "Scizors are found naturally near harsh regions where the Scyther's territory overlaps with a lot of Rock Pokemon or those that can use Rock-type moves. Such regions must have deposits of mineral-heavy clay or sand around. Where these Bugs take a lot of risks with falling rocks or Rock attacks, they eat bits of clay or sand to strengthen their exoskeletons. After several years of this, they retain enough metal to evolve into Scizor. However, since the advent of electronic trading, it has been discovered that this process can be greatly sped up by trading a Scyther with a piece of metal from another Pokemon. This is most commonly the Metal Coat, which is found on Steelix."

"Really? I had no idea you could find naturally evolved Scizors."

"You'd have a terrible time trying to catch one, though. Also, while they do protect themselves from Rocks by trading their Fly type for a Steel, it leaves them prone to overheating, especially on scorching hot days like this one. Thus their wings have shifted form and function from quick bursts of flight to dispelling of excess heat."

Miguel's wings slowed for a moment before speeding back up. "I would have figured that out, given time."

Skyra chuckled. "She knows us well. Miguel."

"What?"

She flipped her wings out and darted into the air. She then skipped around until he thought she was coming from his front-right, but actually she was just behind him and to his left. Tapping his shoulder with her left blade, she said, "I would like to see your power. But when you are accustomed to being a Scizor, not before."

He smirked back at her. "Do you mean to be flirtatious, senorita?"

"We shall see. I do not know how to appraise one like you. But, you were rather intriguing before."

"If you wish to be impressed by your defeat, then by all means. You will hardly make a scratch on this armor."

"You will not find me to be a pushover," she replied.

...A year later...

Camilla had put her Gym outside, in a large grassy field. It was still odd to Miguel, who was used to harsh rocky deserts with the occasional tough grassy patch. But the other Bugs of the Gym loved it, so he didn't make a fuss. As a Scizor, it was his duty to keep all wild birds out of the Gym grounds. He enjoyed the job initially, but the birds were wising up to his presence.

In fact, he hadn't seen any today. As he was considering going out of the Gym bounds, he heard a ringing almost-metallic sound. Not true metal, but bone so sharp and solid that it might as well be metal. That could only be Skyra sharpening her scythes. He always loved that music, but it made him giddier when he knew that it was her. He went to find her.

It was pointless for him to sneak up on her. When the rings of her scythes weakened, he rushed at her with his claws at ready. By the time he reached where she was, the Scyther was already gone. The grass rustled on all sides. Lesser Pokemon would fear attack from multiple foes, but Miguel knew it was just Skyra zipping around making it seem that way. He braced himself, then spun around and brought his claws up in time to catch her scythes.

"It seems that you have caught me," she said. "What do you mean to do to me?"

"Did you let me catch you?" he asked.

"That depends on what you want with me."

"I wanted to ask if you would come hunting with me."

"Really? We are lone hunters, though we follow the pack."

Miguel pushed her scythes aside and moved closer. "I would only hunt with you, Skyra. You helped me so much in the past year, getting used to this new place and this new form. And the way you move in battle is so devastatingly beautiful. Would you hunt with me?"

She smirked. "I think you have more than hunting on your mind."

He grinned back. "I know you have more than hunting on your mind."

"Skyra, Miguel, come here now," Camilla called.

"Do we have to put some rookie back in place?" Skyra asked.

"Seems so." He rushed to the battle area. She still got there before him and teased him for it by beckoning with her right scythe. He responded in kind by clipping the air with his claws.

Camilla put her hands on her hips as she looked at them. "I wasn't aware that you two were courting. You'll have to put it off for now."

"Only because it's you, Camilla" Skyra said.

"I don't like it, but yes, as you ask." Miguel then winked at Skyra.

The Gym Leader then looked at her challenger with the same stern look she gave her Pokemon. "Look kid, every type has its strengths and weaknesses. So don't dismiss any one of them, or you will be defeated. We shall demonstrate this for you."

"And when the blood of one foe lies on the hands of two, they shall hunt with one heart evermore," Skyra said.

"And we shall take your blood and be forever bound as one," Miguel added.

The Murkrow facing them pretended to gag. "Sheesh, she told you to cut the romance already. I think I'm gonna lose my lunch."

The bird's partner, a Gloom, stared at them with wide eyes. "I think I lost yesterday's lunch."

…

Scyther Leaf Green entry: With ninja-like agility and speed, it can create the illusion that there is more than one of itself.

Emerald entry: A Scizor has a body with the hardness of steel. It is not easily fazed by ordinary sorts of attacks. It flaps its wings to regulate its body temperature.


	70. Hitmonchan, Baltoy

The desert winds whipped around them, throwing up a veil of flying sand. It ran over their skin like sandpaper. If it wasn't for the goggles, they would probably be blinded. Despite the discomfort of being out in the sandstorm, it was their best option. An engine roared nearby. The desert might just be able to hide them.

The human girl dropped down on her knees, thinking it would make her less visible. She wore red-violet runner's shorts and a matching sports tank. Her shoes and socks were in the canvas bag she carried, for she had been out here training just minutes ago. Her orange hair was tied back with a clip that had the logo of the dojo she trained in. She watched the direction the engine sounded from.

Next to her, her partner kept an eye on other directions. He was a Hitmonchan, a four foot tall Fighting Pokemon with brown skin and a killer punch. His fist were covered in red calluses from his constant practice against stones and boulders. He also had light purple armor that had grown over his chest and flared out past his waist, to protect vital organs from serious damage. All adaptations to help him in close-quarters combat.

The engine changed directions. It was an ATV, perfectly capable of driving in this sandstorm. The driver and passenger were something to worry about. They had showed up five minutes ago, with guns in hand, demanding that the girl come with them quietly. While she and her Pokemon were both capable of defending themselves in regular combat, guns were something they did not want to mess with. So they had run into the sandstorm in hopes of losing them.

The Trainer then nudged his shoulder armor, letting him know that they were to move over to the cliff walls surrounding the desert. There might be a shallow cavern to hide in. He nodded and led the way. They trained often here, but generally not in the middle of the sandstorm. It would cover their tracks, but made it difficult to see the way ahead. The flying sand made him completely miss a rapid sinkhole until he fell right into it.

"Jack!" the girl shouted. She tried to grab his hand, but he slipped under the quickly moving sand in a blink. Seconds later, a burst of gas shot a plume of sand into the air. But not the Pokemon.

The ATV headed right for her.

Although Jack feared that he was going to drown in sand, he was soon falling through air. He rolled in time to hit the ground safely. When he got back to his feet, he saw a gas hole shoot out all the sand it had swallowed up. As it finished, a yellow shimmer appeared in the ceiling, keeping the sand from falling inside.

"Casey!" But the sand blocked his voice and that shield blocked him.

Seeing as he wasn't getting out that way, he pushed his goggles onto his forehead and looked at his surroundings. He was in a room carved out of tan stone. There were a few holes in the ceiling like the one he had dropped through, corresponding with holes in the floor. What purpose they served, he had no clue. There were drawings all over the walls. These were simple figures, abstracts of people fishing, farming, and building. Other figures appeared to be Pokemon, some he recognized, some he didn't. The room was empty save for himself and another Pokemon.

This other was shown in the pictures, but Jack wasn't sure what it was. Appearing to be made of clay, it had a head shaped like an onion, a slightly larger body, and no legs. Instead, it pivoted slowly on one point, like a child's top. It had flat arms that curved out, nearly touching the floor. It spun about two inches off the ground, perfectly balanced. Even while it levitated, it was a head shorter than he was.

"Excuse me, but where's the exit to this place?" the Hitmonchan asked.

Two eyes opened up as it stopped spinning. "Hmm?" it asked sleepily.

He bowed his head. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were asleep."

It glided around him, observing. "Fascinating."

"Pardon me for asking, but what are you?"

"Baltoy." The voice had a higher pitch to it, so was this a female? "You?"

"I'm a Hitmonchan. My name is Jack."

"Name? Lucky."

"You're Lucky?"

She shook her head. "No name. You lucky."

"I see. I'll ask again: where's the exit to this place?"

"Exit?"

"I fell through a sinkhole up there. My Trainer was with me when we were threatened by strangers with guns. I have to get out to help her."

"Guns?"

"Very bad weapons. We can't fight them."

"Ooo, bad. Exit. Come." She moved towards the door, turning herself to it as she went along.

Jack followed the odd Baltoy into a hallway. There were more of the same tan stones and more of the same style of drawings. "What is this place?"

"Ancient," she replied. "Temple."

"An ancient temple to who?"

"Rock."

"That would make sense," he said, mostly to himself. A temple to rocks in the middle of a desert... but then why had there been pictures of fishers?

She paused in front of a small shaft and whistled. It seemed to be some kind of signal, as it was long and moved between several notes. Then she moved on down the hall.

"What were you doing there?"

"Calling. Come."

She made a curving turn to go through a doorway into another room, much larger than the one he had fallen into. The outer rim was a raised pathway of stone, but the central area was dusted with sand. Six tall columns stood there, surrounding the middle of the room. But there was nothing there. "Is there supposed to be something here? It seems like there should be."

The Baltoy stopped in the center of the pillars, on top of a large block. She tapped the floor. "Rock. Sleeping."

There was a whistle, followed by another. And a dozen more. Many Baltoys entered the pillar room, looking exactly like his guide. "Guest?" one asked.

She shook her head. "Trouble, above. Help?"

The others looked over him, then nodded. "Help."

Jack bowed to them. "Thank you. My Trainer was being threatened; I don't know why, but I have to help her."

"Human?"

"Of course."

His guide beckoned with her hands. "Exit, come."

Setting off as one, the Baltoys moved to the largest doorway in the room. Jack went with them, glad to find stairs on the other side. The lead Baltoys pressed a few switches on the way up, causing a rock slab to slide backwards. The wind sent flying sand at them, but the Baltoys just closed their eyes and pressed on. Jack put his goggles back over his eyes.

He did not hear the engine. "Casey!"

With their eyes shut, the Baltoys all pointed to the north. "Three," his guide said.

So they had her. Jack rushed that way, ignoring the sand blasting away at his skin. He soon saw a tall rock jutting out of the ground. Casey had her back to the rock, trying to watch the two men at once. Only one had a gun this time. The other was threatening her. "You're going to give us the password, one way or another."

Normally, he wouldn't hurt humans. But this was a definite exception. Jack slammed his right fist into the back of the gunman's leg, then spun around and punched the hip with his left as the human was falling. Before the man hit the ground, Jack grabbed hold of the gun and yanked it out of his hands.

He had no clue how to actually use the gun, so he simply bludgeoned it onto the man's chest. "You don't threaten my Trainer," he snarled.

"Jack?" Casey asked in astonishment. "Thank goodness." Then she delivered a fierce kick to the other man's chest.

He gasped, but then got hold of his gun.

One of the Baltoys tapped Jack's arm, then pointed to the rock. "Up."

Deciding to trust them, he nodded and darted over to Casey's side. He pointed up onto the rock. "Come on!"

Seeing the first man scramble for another gun, she nodded and picked him up. Once he climbed onto her back, she jumped up for a handhold. She was on top of it in the blink of an eye.

Jack looked back down in time to see the sandy air vibrate. The Baltoys all released Psychic energy that, while not bothering each other, put the two man below in immense pain. That energy left trails in the sand, all directed straight at one or the other. Since they were so short, their blasts did not touch Casey and Jack up on the rock.

"What's going on?" the first one said, panicking.

"Let's get out of here," the other replied, rushing for the ATV. Once his partner had stumbled on board, they got out of the desert in a hurry.

Once the sandstorm drowned out the vehicle's roar, Casey slid off the rock, putting Jack down. "That was sure impressive. But, where'd they go?"

For a moment, it seemed like the Baltoys were all gone. Only the straight trails of sand held any hint that they had been there. The sandstorm was already erasing those. But then one glided into their range of vision. "Safe?" Her voice was familiar; it was the one who had guided him.

"For now, I think," he replied. "Thank you."

She bowed. Then she raised one arm up. "Follow?"

"Maybe."

Casey knelt down, like she did when she wanted to talk to Jack. "Thank you, little Pokemon."

The Baltoy brought her other arm up and appeared as if asking to be picked up. "Follow?"

"I'm not entirely sure what you are." She put her hand to her chin. "What do you think, Jack? Want to fight with this one?"

"She's different, but sure, let's give it a try."

She bowed again. "Good."

…

Hitmonchan Fire Red entry: The spirit of a pro boxer has infused this Pokemon. It throws punches that are faster than a bullet train.

Baltoy FR/LG entry: It was discovered in ancient ruins. While moving, it constantly spins. It stands on one foot even when asleep.


	71. Tropius

"Good morning, Tropius!"

The giant sauropod Pokemon strengthened his last few wing beats to land gently beside the bamboo thicket. He then bowed his head to the Bug who had greeted him. "Good morning, Pinsir. How're you doing?"

"Great, just eating some bamboo... oh, but you're more than welcome to join me. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

A Swellow flew nearby, but stopped to hover by them. "Hey, have you guys seen any Mightyenas today? I was driving a couple away last night, so be careful."

"Okay," Tropius replied. The large black wolves were one of the predators of his kind, so he was especially grateful for that. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem." She flew off to patrol some more.

"I could scare them off too," Pinsir said. "If I caught them by surprise, you know."

"I'm sure." He then settled in for a mid-morning snack on the bamboo stalks. Between his great size, his unorthodox flying, and his constant movements, photosynthesis was just not enough for his energy needs. He was hungry almost all the time. Thankfully, this bamboo grew as quickly as his hunger did.

'They're all so nice to me this morning,' he thought. He didn't have to wonder why. Like all Tropius, he grew a cluster of fruits underneath his chin. Their scent was losing the tart tang of greenness and taking on the mellow sweet of ripeness. All the Pokemon he knew loved the rare delicacy of a Tropius fruit. And so, every time a cluster approached ripeness, all of his neighbors became extra kind and generous.

Although he liked the special treatment when it came, it was disheartening to know that they were only nice because they wanted one of his fruits. Once they were gone, he would have to watch out for Pinsir defending 'his' portion of the bamboo. And if any predators came, he would be on his own.

There was also the antagonizing debate over who he should give a fruit to. Some took the fruit and never spoke to him again. Others, if he didn't give them a piece, would be bitter and hate him for some time. But he only had so many pieces of fruit, this time eight. There were far more than eight Pokemon who would be asking to get them.

Still, the special treatment was only available to him twice a year. He might as well enjoy it while it lasted. It was a pity, though. He was the most avid lover of fruit in the jungle, but he could not eat the fruits that his own body grew. It just wasn't right to eat a part of oneself.

There was a rustling in the bamboo. A Zigzagoon came out of the thicket, wagging his tail. "Hey Tropius!"

He swallowed his piece of shoot and bowed his head. "Good morning, Zigzagoon."

"Hey, I smelled really nice and fruity on the other side. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe a new kind of fruit."

A new fruit? It sounded intriguing. "You think? I may know it; I've eaten every kind of fruit that goes in this jungle."

"I don't know what it is. But it sure smells good."

"I should go check it out with you, just in case it is new. Otherwise, I can tell you what it is."

"Okay! It's over on the other side somewhere." He darted into the thicket.

As the bamboo was growing too thick for him to walk through without knocking a bunch of stalks over, he beat his wings rapidly to take to the air. It was a short flight to cross over the thicket. Once in the clear, he hovered until he saw little Zigzagoon in the open. Then he landed.

And he could smell the new fruit too. "Oh wow. That smells amazing."

"Doesn't it?" Zigzagoon asked. "I was gonna check it out, but then I thought, you're a nice guy, so you should come check it out too."

After the new fruit and his own? Tropius was too interested in the new scent to be bothered. "Thanks, you're a good buddy."

"So what is it?"

He walked towards the scent. "It might just be new. It smells a little like Leppa berries, but not. Strong. Maybe fermented some, but it should be safe to eat. And yet there's such depth and complexity to it, tartness and sweetness, with a hint of various spices. If that would grow here regularly, it would be wonderful."

"Wow, I wouldn't have picked up on that much. I just thought it smelled good."

"I'm an expert on fruit. It's my passion. Should be... very near here." He looked down.

There was a wide ceramic bowl on the ground. But there was no fruit inside. Instead, the white interior showed off an amber colored liquid. It was this liquid that was giving off the heavenly scent.

"That looks like some human thing," Zigzagoon said, patting the bowl.

"I wonder where the human is, then." He looked around and sniffed the air, but the fruit juice drowned out all other scents from his nose. There didn't seem to be any other signs of human activity.

"They're awfully forgetful, leaving this kind of thing behind. Maybe they left more stuff." His innate curiosity led him to sniff along the ground, looking for some trinket treasure.

Tropius lowered his neck all the way down so he could take a couple of drinks from the bowl. He wound up drinking most of the liquid in doing so, but left a bit for the other Pokemon to try. It was thick and smooth, tasting exactly as it smelled. Hints of spiced complexity, yet tones of fruity simplicity, it was one of the best snacks he'd ever come across.

He lifted his head back up with a smile. "Like Leppas, but somehow different. This is really amazing. You've gotta..." he yawned. "Oh my. All of a sudden... I feel incredibly tired." He collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.

Zigzagoon looked at him with wide eyes, then rushed off towards the bamboo thicket. "Poison! Murder! Help!"

But despite how quickly his neighbors came, the Tropius was captured by a human Trainer who had been hiding behind the bushes.

Moral of the Story: Don't drink apple cider from an open bowl. Somebody may have spiked it with tranquilizers.

…

Tropius FR/LG entry: It lives in tropical jungles. The bunch of fruit around its neck is delicious. The fruit grows twice a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird random morals for the win!


	72. Totodile, Croconaw

The Endangered Pokemon Adoption Act was an enormous success. The Pokemon on the list had been driven to near extinction due to habitat loss, over-hunting, or even overuse in illegal death matches. Certain approved breeders were authorized to breed the listed Pokemon for distribution to new Trainers as starters. Because these were 'first Pokemon', their Trainers quickly grew attached to them and helped in the efforts to preserve their kind.

One of the approved breeders was the Stanton family. They were allowed to breed their favorite of the list, Totodiles. It was readily apparent that they took their job with pride. Their backyard had been turned into a flowery swamp, which the reptiles loved. The Pokemon were free to roam around most of the house. And everything was kept clean and functioning, for the health of all.

Two of the young Totodiles, ready to be sent off in a couple of weeks, were in the kitchen. Two of the humans, the mother and one of the sons, were preparing for a party this evening. The boy handed down a coconut that had been drained of its milk. "Here, it's her turn."

"Mine!" the female said gleefully, opening her jaws. Dozens of small sharp teeth lined her mouth.

"Remember, watch your fingers," his mother warned.

"I know." He placed the coconut in her jaws, then snatched his hand back before she cracked it with the nut. When she opened her jaws again, he took out the pieces and put them in a bowl of water to rinse.

"Got any more?" the male asked. "This is fun!"

"No, sorry, that's enough coconut for the recipe," the mother said. Then she gave them a wink. "You'll get some to try too, don't worry."

"Aw, but what'll we bite now?"

"Go on out and play," the boy said. "Or rest; there'll be a lot to do at the party."

"A nap would be nice," the female said.

But before they could head out, another Stanton son pushed the door open with his back. He carried a skateboard. At the other end of it was a Croconaw the family was keeping. He had bit down on the skateboard and was allowing himself to be dragged inside. He growled.

"Mom, Steve won't let go of my board. He's put holes in it."

"Didn't I tell you not to go out today?" his mother replied. "We still have a lot left to do."

"But he has my board..."

"Shouldn't you be clearing the driveway and walk?"

He gave up reluctantly. "Okay, Mom."

She nodded, then tapped the Croconaw on the shoulder. "Steve, let it go now."

Letting go, he gave her a grin. "I'm just keeping him in line."

"Now if you're not helping in here, shoo." The mother went back to her cooking.

The two Totodiles followed their brother out the door, along with the older Stanton boy. "Man, I don't care about this party. It's just going to be the same boring talk and the same stupid board games as always."

Steven nudged his head against the boy's side. "Come on, you've got a job to do."

"Okay, okay." He went to the shed, soon followed by the Croconaw.

"Hey, why did we never get names?" the girl Totodile asked.

"That's so our Trainers get to name us," the boy replied. "We'll go on adventures and be awesome together."

"Well that sounds fun... hey!"

"What?"

She went over to the abandoned skateboard and pointed. "Look, big brother lost a tooth."

And indeed, there was large white tooth jammed into the skateboard. "What's he going to do without one of his teeth? Maybe we should return it to him."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Being small, she easily grabbed hold of the tooth and pulled. The skateboard jerked up and hit the end of her snout. "Ow!"

"I can do it." He put his foot on the skateboard, then took hold of the tooth. But no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. Finally, the board slipped out from underneath him, causing him to fall on his back. "I meant to do that!"

She giggled. "Sure you did."

"I did." He got up, trying not to look embarrassed. "Oh, I know! I'll bite onto it and you pull it out."

"But what if you lose a tooth too?"

"I won't. You ready?"

"Um, all right. Be careful."

He bit onto the skateboard before she was finished, so replied, "Aiff wifff."

The girl Totodile grabbed the stuck tooth and pulled. It strained her muscles, but wouldn't budge. She put her foot on the board to get a better hold, then tried again. Still, it wouldn't move.

But the skateboard had taken a lot of strain when Steven and the Stanton boy had been wrestling with it. It gave a crack as she pulled, then broke into jagged halves. His jaw got knocked onto the ground while she tripped back just like her brother had. He let go and got up first. "Did it come out?"

Triumphantly, she held up her right paw, with the lost tooth. "Got it! Do you still have all your teeth?"

"Uh..." He felt his jaw with his hands and tongue, then looked at the remains of the skateboard. "Yeah, I've got all my teeth still."

She got up. "Good."

Steve came back out of the shed. "Hey kids, what're you up to? Hope you're not hurting each other."

The girl held up his tooth. "Big brother, you lost a tooth! We got it out of the skateboard for you!"

"Yeah, but it's kinda busted now," the boy added, looking down at the splinted board.

The Croconaw laughed. "Whoa, hey, no need to worry about that. I'll just grow a new one in a few days, that's all."

"Really?" the Totodiles asked in unison.

He nodded. "Sure enough. Although, I don't think there's much that can be done for the skateboard."

The human boy came out of the shed, dragging a hose behind him and grumbling. When he saw the state of his board, though, he dropped everything. "My... my skateboard! What did you do to it?"

"You think you'd have learned by now to keep your toys away from the Pokemon," his mother said as she came out.

"We're sorry!" the girl Totodile cried, but the boy still gave her a dark look as he went to hook up the hose.

"Don't worry about it," Steve said, patting her snout. "You'll have a Trainer that appreciates you soon enough."

…

Totodile Leaf Green entry: Its well-developed jaws are powerful and capable of crushing anything. Even its Trainer must be careful.

Croconaw Emerald entry: Once its jaws clamp down on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like fishhooks, they become irremovably embedded.


	73. Shaymin

Jubilife Castle was a busy place in the morning. Late merchants were moving in to the day's market while the staff was busy keeping things looking nice. A number of the farmland peasants were waiting for the market to officially open. After all, it was the largest city in western Sinnoh. Not even Port Canalave could compare to the grand stone castle of Jubilife.

As it was so busy, few people noticed a shimmer of green light in the late autumn grasses by the northern road. Those who did must have felt it was a trick of the eyes. Even if they went to investigate, they would only find a small Pokemon there. She wasn't usually seen around here, though. She was small, with green bushy fur and pretty pink flowers growing on her head. Shaymin usually wasn't seen at all, mostly because she faded into the greenery so easily.

But this wasn't where she had been called to. Crossing between dimensions wasn't the easiest thing to do. She sniffed the ground to get her bearings, then scurried off along the north road.

Not too far from the castle, the road led to a twelve foot tall cliff. A tunnel had been dug out from the base to the top, then lined with orange-tan bricks. Shaymin took a chance and peered inside. There was no shrubbery she could hide in should someone enter it with her. Instead, she climbed up a nearby tree and jumped to the top of the cliff. Nobody would see her unless she wanted to be seen. She took some pride in that.

The top of the cliff was not flat land, like around Jubilife. No, it began climbing and falling as the native foothills of Mount Coronet. The tallest hill around was just ahead, a rounded plateau that stood nearly as high as the castle's watch towers. However, it also wasn't green like around Jubilife. The ground lay dead, dry, and dark.

It made Shaymin shudder to see a piece of land like that. She put her nose to the ground and investigated the earth in several spots. There was the sharp tang of poisons, the smoky fume of fire, the tragic odor of blood. It had to be war. This kind of saturation didn't come from a single battle. Rather, more like days of death and destruction.

But this was where she had been called from. Was it dangerous? It hadn't seemed like that. Taking caution by hurrying between large rocks, Shaymin climbed up the hill.

There were three humans at the top, a woman and her two small children. The older child barely came up to her mother's waist; the younger child was still crawling on his hands and knees. But she was there, with three large tubs of water, some washboards, and several long clotheslines with white sheets fluttering off them. A little past the clotheslines, there was a small hut that faced southwest. A couple of Pokemon were with them, acting as guards: a Luxio and a Starly.

It seemed safe. Shaymin slipped over without them noticing, then jumped onto the edge of a washtub. "Good morning."

The woman gasped and dropped the shirt she was scrubbing. "Oh! You... you talk?"

She laughed lightly. "It's okay; I mean you no harm, Flora. I am Shaymin, Lover of Flowers. I heard heartfelt prayers from a long distance. And so, I came."

She brightened at that. "You can bring back my husband from the war?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not, sorry. But you said you were alone. I can keep the watch with you, if you like."

"Oh, I see." She looked sorrowful for a moment, then went back to her laundry work. "I am grateful for some company. I thought others would be here with me, waiting, but no."

"Why are you waiting here? Can't you wait at the port where the ships come in?"

"I could, but the land around Canalave is so low. On the other hand, on top of this hill, I can see farther out to sea than from the port. His ship would come in from that way," Flora pointed to the southwest, where a patch of sea could be seen past the castle, "then come up around to the north to enter the port. So I will know up here when they come back before the port knows. And definitely before the castle knows."

Shaymin put her front paws on a hinge to see better. "Yes, you would. But this hill is such a dead place."

"I know. It used to be a beautiful place. But it's been since I was a little girl like her that this hill has been like that."

"What happened to it?"

"The same problem as now, war with Veilstone. Their army made an encampment in Eterna Forest and dozens of battles were fought right here. Both sides were using Poison Pokemon intensively, so the sludge and vapors settled into the dirt, killing anything that tried to grow. The water that runs through this hill will make you sick and it stinks like a rotting corpse. I have to put gloves on my son's hands because he's still crawling, even though the dirt smells so bad that he doesn't put it in his mouth, thankfully. But it's been so long since the knights sailed off for Veilstone in revenge. I don't want to miss it when Patrick comes home."

Shaymin looked up at Flora. She was deeply sad, but loyally keeping her watch and doing her duties as both mother and castle washwoman. "This is why you pray to Mount Coronet every day?"

"Many times a day," she replied, looking over her shoulder at the grand peak in the distance. "You can see it well from this hill too. The forests block most of it from other places, or even the hills do. But I can see it from here, so I know that it can watch out me."

"We thank you for such respect. I can heal this hill, if you like. Flowers are my sign; any place that I bless will have many flowers for generations to come."

"Can you really? There was fighting on this hill for over ten years. So many died here, and such terrible things remain."

"I'm sure I can. Would you like that?"

She smiled, something her face hadn't seen in a while, it seemed. "Yes please, dear Shaymin."

"I'll gladly do it, then." Shaymin hopped off the washtub and focused her attention on the ground.

The earth here remembered death and poison. She had to make it remember life and greenery. It wasn't a difficult process for one with her powers. However, this hill was a much larger piece of ground than she had revived before and the poisons had submerged deeper for longer. But Shaymin was resolved and she had come to answer at least one prayer by this devout woman.

She closed her eyes, fluffing her green fur as much as it would go. Poison was a destructive power, slow and choking. But she had the capability to transform it into a creative power, bright and thriving. It was a simple process; they were both powers of Nature, no matter how much they worked against each other. There was a lot of destructive power here. She started with what was closest to her, then used that to blossom outwards in transforming the rest. Purifying the air helped too, for that would encourage the earth.

There was soon five feet around her clear, then ten feet. That ten feet moved out to twenty, and so on, outward and downward. But as Shaymin's power began to touch the water table below the ground, she realized that this was pushing herself to the limit. There had been too much death for so many years... no, she couldn't let that destructive energy latch onto her. This place remembered flowers, but it had to be given hope or else the flowers wouldn't come. Someone cared about this place, and as long as one person cared, that was reason enough.

As the last bit of destructive energy was transformed, her own body struck back with exhaustion. She found herself gasping for breath. Her mind felt like it was breaking and she didn't have the concentration to summon flowers immediately.

"Shaymin!" Flora came over to her and picked her up. "What's wrong? Is there something evil here?"

"No... nothing like that. This place... is clean. You will see flowers this spring... I promise that."

Then she passed out.

Shaymin woke up to the sounds of a crackling fire. Worried, she opened her eyes to look around. She was inside a one-room house. There was a small fire contained in a hearth, attended to by a Staravia. The bird also looked after two small human children who were playing with a pile of river rocks. There was just one bed here, covered by a sturdy quilt made from colorful scraps. There was a single chair and table. She was in a shallow basket nestled into a smaller quilt.

Staravia noticed her stirring, so he left the fireside. "Don't push yourself too much, great one. You'll only hurt yourself worse."

She lifted her head up and the floor seemed to spin away beneath her. Her body ached and felt cold even with the fire and the quilt. "Ugh... what's happened?"

He leaned over and nudged a bowl with water closer to her basket. "Here, if you feel up to coming out."

Nodding in thanks, she dragged herself out and stumbled to the floor. She waited a second for the room to stop spinning before taking a drink.

In the meantime, Staravia went on. "The ground seems much healthier, thanks to you, but you exhausted yourself in doing so. While your body was weak, it became ill. You've been out for two months, only stirring when you had fevers."

She paused in drinking to ask, "For that long? Illness takes the best of us by surprise as well."

"Don't worry. Just rest and we'll take care of you."

After she had enough water, she took his advice and went back into the basket to sleep.

Over the last part of winter, Shaymin stayed with Flora and her family, recovering her strength. Flora was busy with the castle laundry and was out cleaning every day, even when bitter cold winds blew down from Mount Coronet. One of her two Pokemon would be out with her, leaving the other with Shaymin and the kids. In the evening, a wagon would come out to retrieve the clean laundry and drop off more dirty. But on those evenings, Flora would come in and tell stories to her children. Among the legends of the land that Shaymin knew so well (and had lived through in a few cases), she would tell stories of how she had met her husband Patrick.

He was a knight of a noble family, and thus shouldn't have married a servant of the castle. But he came to the cathedral every day for prayer, the same as her. One day after prayers, he came across another knight who was attacking Flora for denying his demands for her attention. Patrick interceded; his testimony got the attacker stripped of his title and position. After that, he started walking with her from church, in case she got into trouble again.

They talked on these walks, eventually falling in love. She told him that she would always be devoted to him, even if they could not marry. Patrick replied that he would find a way for it to work. He had once saved the king's life in battle; he used that as a bargaining chip to get Flora a noblewoman's title. With that, they were able to marry with little scandal to his family name.

The first few years were happy for them. Flora no longer had to work hard in living as a knight's wife. Patrick continued to serve the kingdom well, but managed to always be there if she needed him. They named their first child after her mother and their second after his father. It seemed like they would always be happy and prosperous.

But then the Jubilife king decided to strike back at Veilstone. He took his knights by ship to Sinnoh's other shore. This included Patrick. They promised that they would pray each day for the other's safety, and then they had to part. Flora should have been able to attend church and wait for his return, but then the queen intervened.

The Jubilife queen was a jealous woman. She disliked any other women who could be considered pretty. She especially disliked Flora for rising from servant to noblewoman. In order to make herself the most beautiful woman in the castle, she began striking down various others from high positions. She sent Flora back to being a washerwoman and threatened to make sure she stayed that way.

Flora took it patiently, though. She moved out to the hill to watch for the returning ships and wash the clothes in peace. News of the war was scarce. Weeks would go by without any word of the king or his knights. No one was certain who still lived and who had died.

Shaymin listened sympathetically. There was nothing in her power to end a war or bring a knight home. But she hoped that healing the hill would give Flora some happiness.

One evening, a man came into the hut without warning. He had coarse black hair and wore fine clothes. "Well here you are, Flora," he said, with a sly smile. "People have wondered why we haven't seen you in the cathedral for months."

"I've been busy with the castle laundry. The amounts I get should be handled by three people, not one. I've asked for help, but none has come."

"But you need to keep up with your religious duties too."

Flora nodded. "I do. I pray to Mount Coronet every day."

"You need the Father's blessing, or something may happen to you."

Shaymin sensed destructive feelings from him. Worried, she hopped out of her basket and came closer.

Flora gave the man a harsh look. "I have the blessings of the immortals and I thank them for it every day. You're just looking to get me in trouble again."

He brought out a dagger. "You are a servant once again; you shouldn't speak to me like that. Not that you were ever wise enough to keep quiet."

Shaymin growled, ruffling her fur up. She knew that with her small size, she was hardly threatening. But she couldn't stand by and do nothing.

The man looked down at her angrily, but then hesitated. "What is that? I've not seen that Pokemon before."

"That's Shaymin, the Goddess of Spring," Flora answered. "She's been living with me through the winter. I don't know why, but I've treated her kindly."

"Goddess?"

Shaymin kept growling. She generally didn't speak to someone she did not respect. With what he was trying to do, he was one of those few.

"I'm sure you have seen her picture in the cathedral. This place will bloom when the snow is gone, thanks to her. You should leave; you don't want one of them angry with you."

"I don't know about that." He gave Shaymin one last look, then left.

One morning, Flora came in and placed a purple crocus by Shaymin. "Look, the first flowers have shown. I have a feeling that the hill will look amazing in a few weeks."

She sniffed at the flower and was pleased with the vibrant life it still emitted. "It will. I have a lot of things to do, then, since this flower has bloomed. I'll look over the hill to make sure it's all healthy, but then I have to leave."

"I understand." Then she smiled, warm pleasure infusing her aura. "And while I was picking this, I saw the sails of the king's ships. Patrick should be back now."

"That's wonderful. Then you'd best hurry out to meet him." She bowed her head. "I thank you for your generosity, Flora. I hope the days to come are blessed for you."

"Yes, and thank you, Shaymin, for your flowers and company." She then took her children and Pokemon to meet with her husband.

She chuckled, then put her paw on the stem of the crocus. "First flower of this spring that I have seen, let me sing praise of the world with your kin."

The aura of the flower brightened noticeably as the flower itself began to disintegrate. Its power then fused into her, allowing her to change into the form she only used for spring. She stood a few inches taller and her fur was less bushy. Her legs grew longer, letting her walk through the grasses with more grace. And her ears grew out and wide, letting her hear the tiny whispers of buds that wanted to bloom. This was always the busiest three months of her year, but also the happiest.

She stretched out, then wagged her tail. "All right. Better make sure everything is good here."

For the next few hours, she poked around the rejuvenated hill. The grass had returned gratefully. Many types of flowers were going through their life processes, whether they were breaking out of their seed's hull or gazing thoughtfully at the sky in full bloom. The sun sent down her gentle rays of life, while the water underneath was running fresh and pure. This place was already far more beautiful than it had been when she arrived last autumn. Truly, it was difficult to see that it had been dead for many years.

It seemed like that would be the end of it. But then a familiar Staravia landed on the hill, by himself. "Shaymin! Are you still here?'

His emotions felt of dread and worry. She ran over to him. "Yes... is something the matter?"

"Lady Flora is in trouble," he said hurriedly. "They have accused her of terrible things, like betrayal of her husband. But it isn't true, none of it."

"That's awful. I should be able to speak for her, though. Will you lead me to her?"

"Yes. Do you need me to carry you?"

"I have my ways. Let's go."

"Good." His wings lifted him back into the air. Shaymin poised herself, then ran straight up into the air. She raced to follow Staravia to Canalave Port.

They found a crowd of people gathered near the port town's entrance. Flora was being held back by the largest knight there. She was trying to be brave, but her children were crying and her heart ached. Her husband Patrick was there too. He had suffered a bad injury to his right leg, but was confused and uncertain about the accusations made of his wife.

Her accusers appeared to be the queen and the man with coarse black hair. The king was standing nearby, considering his judgment. But his mind was clouded by unfair bias to go along with his queen.

Angered, Shaymin landed on top of the knight that held Flora captive. "Excuse me, but what is going on here? Why do you have an innocent woman on trial?"

Her spring form was better known to the crowd, causing no doubts as to her identity. The knight she had landed on nearly jumped at being startled, but then he decided to stand very still. The king put his hand to his chest. "Oh... Shaymin." He bowed his head, causing the others (save the knight) to do the same. "The fidelity of this woman has come into question."

"There's no need to question it," she replied. "Flora has been patiently waiting for the return of her husband all this time, up on the hill north of the castle. She probably knew you were back before those at the castle did. I know because I've spent the whole winter with her, while I was weak."

"She was the one who spread word of the return," one of the king's advisors said.

"I thought you were watching for us the whole time," the king said to the queen.

"I was," she said, but not very convincingly. "Anyhow, she hasn't been seen in church at all and people have seen strange men around that place."

"But she prayed with her heart and soul, every day, to Mount Coronet," Shaymin pointed out. "That is all while she did all the laundry that you made her do. And as I said, she is innocent. It is that man," she glared at the knight with coarse black hair, "who threatened her safety for his own pleasure. It is a despicable plot for one who was entrusted with the safety of the people."

"That is so," the king agreed. "Let Flora go."

Once the knight did so, Shaymin patted his helmet. "But you, King of Jubilife, you have faltered in your duties as well. It pained my heart when I saw what your actions had done to that hill. You so poisoned the landscape that your own people were suffering. I do not want to see Flora's Hill, or any part of your lands, fall back into that sickly state. If they do, I will be very angry with you."

That flustered the king, something he seemed to be unfamiliar with. "B-but that hill, it..."

"It will bloom this year, and you'd better make sure that it blooms every year after that. And don't put the blame on your neighbors. I will give them the same warning. It is your responsibility to take care of your people. If you take a policy of life, then they will thrive. But if you continue this policy of death, then they will continue to crumble and you will fall."

"Y... yes, Shaymin."

Flora clasped her hands to her chest as her husband put his arm around her. "Shaymin, I.."

She smiled. "It's fine. Keep your faith and your life will be blessed. I'm sorry, but I have many things to do. Goodbye."

Then Shaymin took back to the skies. Before long, the port of Canalave was far out of sight.

…

Shaymin Pearl entry: It can dissolve toxins in the air to instantly transform ruined land into a lush field of flowers.


	74. Glalie, Bellossom

The air was cold and damp. The skies were cloudy and dim. The ground was icy and hard. Although it was below freezing, Duke Glalie was perfectly happy with the circumstances.

Some said that Duke had once been a Geodude, with a heart so frozen that the ice spread out to protect his body. Others said that he was a vengeful ghost, keeping the land as cold as it had been when he had died. And it was even said that he was the son of Winter itself. The stories were all ridiculous, but he enjoyed them secretly.

He lived in a castle that he had built himself, although no one else knew how. It was made of clear ice, warping the light into cold glares and bright spears. It had corkscrew spirals instead of stairs, open slots instead of windows, and frozen sculptures instead of furnishings. In the central and highest room, Duke had made a grand throne from which he liked to gaze over his creation and, indeed, what he thought of as his lands.

Most of the Pokemon living near Duke's Castle were too busy trying to survive the harsh winter to challenge his rule. And the Glalie never demanded anything, unless one strayed into his courtyard. Then he wanted unquestioning respect. So most would leave him and his castle of ice alone.

One day, a stranger came into the castle. He was a small Pokemon, with a bright green body, red flowers for hair, and a thick grass skirt down to the ground. He shuffled into the throne room. "Hey, what's this castle here for?"

"It's my castle, and it'll be where I want it to be," Duke replied. "What are you dong here, you... plant?"

He made a dramatic bow, then twirled around. "I am one of the Bellossom. I come here every year, about this time, to dance and make the sun shine!"

"You can't do that. This is my land and I don't want it to be sunny."

"But I have to make it sunny. Spring is upon us."

"Not anymore. I like winter and so it's going to stay winter."

The Bellossom put his hands to his mouth in shock. "But spring has to come! Or we will all die."

"That's not true. And I won't allow any sun dances to go on."

"But you can't do that."

"I can make you stop!" He took a deep breath, then blasted a stream of ice at the smaller Pokemon. The Bellossom squealed and ran out of the castle. "Stupid plant."

Five minutes later, another Bellossom came into the throne room. She pranced in by twirling in a zig-zag fashion rather than walking in straight and practical. "Hey, what's this castle here for?"

Duke Glalie growled. "Are you here to dance for the sun too?"

She smiled, bowed, and twirled around. "Yes! Every year, I..."

"Not this year!" He nearly hit her with his ice breath as well, but she managed to rush out before he did.

Five minutes later, another Bellossom came in. Duke didn't wait for this one to say anything. Instead, he drove her out immediately. Four more came in, but also got driven out. After a while, the seven Bellossoms gathered near the outer wall of the castle.

"What do we do now?" the youngest one asked. "We have to dance and bring the sun back out. But that mean Glalie has put his castle right on our dancing field."

"Can we dance somewhere else?"

"No," the oldest one said. "It has to be this spot, because it's always this spot."

Another one clapped her hands together. "I know! Can you see that mean Glalie from here?"

"No," the others said.

"Because the wall's there. That means he can't see us either. So, we can dance right outside his wall!"

"Great!" the oldest one said. "So let's begin right away."

In most cases, they would sing as they danced for the sun. Since they had to be careful, this time they danced in silence. It was an ancient dance passed on through generations, two circles around a leader, twirling and swirling in graceful patterns. As it was still cold and icy, the dance was solemn. But once the air grew warm and the land grew green, they would repeat the dance in cheer and celebration.

It took many rounds, over an hour of constant dance before the cloud cover broke, allowing golden rays to filter down to the ground. Once it broke through, the sun quickly dispersed the clouds and shone bright over the white landscape.

Squinting, Duke looked at the now cleared sky. "Bah," he said to himself. "So they got the sun to come out. But that doesn't matter! They cannot end the winter where I rule."

But as the clouds went away, they pulled warm air into the area. The sun reflected off every icy surface, further bringing the temperature up. The ice weakened over the rest of the day, dripping down to the ground and cracking as various Pokemon came out to explore. And Duke's Castle became frail.

He became angry. "They can't do this to me! I'm the ruler here! I'll show them." He began rolling around his castle, using the sheer frigidness of his power to enforce the supporting columns.

But as soon as he'd strengthen one column, three others would begin to crack. The floor creaked and trembled under his weight. The reflected light became spread out and brighter. Finally, as the sun was close to touching the horizon, there was a mighty crack and the whole ice castle crumbled in on itself.

The seven Bellossoms clambered onto the pile of ice shards and approached Duke Glalie. "You should come dance with us!" the youngest said. "Dance for spring!"

He burst out of his broken castle. "What? Never! I'll be back next year, and you won't be able to defeat me then!"

Then he fled for the icy caves of the north.

…

Ruby entry: Glalie has a body made of rock, which it hardens with an armor of ice. This Pokemon has the ability to freeze moisture in the atmosphere into any shape it desires.

Leaf Green entry: Bellossom gather at times and appear to dance. They say that the dance is a ritual to summon the sun.


	75. Squirtle, Buizel

A small flame from a lighter burst to life. A small shelled Pokemon nearby watched it warily as it bowed into the wind. While its only purpose was to light the cigarette in the stranger's hand, the Squirtle shuffled to the other side of his Trainer.

The boy looked down at him. His pale peach skin was unscarred, but that was due to skilled surgeons. "Todd, you... I never knew a Water type that was afraid of fire," he grumbled.

"Water can't put out a grease fire," the Squirtle replied shyly. He might be able to put out that lighter. But still, it was too soon.

He touched the collar he was wearing. A small silver bell hung off it, chiming gently when moved. It was a soothing thing to have, even if he wasn't sure why. A quiet call from the spirit world, perhaps, telling him that everything would be okay, that he wasn't a bad Pokemon. Sometimes, though, it was hard for him to believe that.

The collar had been given to him by a kind man who had visited Todd and his Trainer while they were recovering from massive burns. It had been an accident and he had tried to stop it. Unfortunately, he made the fire worse. His relationship with his boy had been strained ever since. Todd sometimes wondered why he was kept around after what happened.

In fact, he suspected that this trip was to turn him over to a Ranch. But he didn't say anything. Things might be better that way.

The boy Trainer sighed and leaned over the edge of the ship. He brought out an old pocket watch. Its golden gleam was brilliant in the sun. Like fire? Todd trembled. The boy's eyes softened. "Grandpa. I wish you were still around. I wonder if you would have taught me how to use this for hypnosis." He swung it gently back and forth.

Todd watched it for a moment. Could something that simple really work? He tapped the bell on his collar and watched.

Another watched as well, a Wingull. But it was not drawn into falling asleep. It was drawn by the gleam. The bird Pokemon swooped down and snatched it out of the boy's hands.

"Hey!" the boy shouted. "Give that back!"

Todd leaned out from the rail and shot a Water Gun at the bird. His aim was perfect. The Wingull squawked, dropping the watch right into the ocean.

'Oh drat, now you've gone and made things worse again,' he thought, angry at himself. He jumped into the sea without a second thought.

"Todd!" he heard his Trainer call, but he swam hurriedly into the vibrant blue sea. It was warm and salty, not like the lake he had known before. It gave a different resistance, but he paddled with his four paws and darted for where the watch had fallen.

For a second, he spotted the golden gleam. But then a reddish-brown body darted in and grabbed it. It continued swimming on.

Todd turned right quickly and raced after. It was harder to see in these waters, but he could still feel the ripples from the thief. Then he saw the reddish-brown fur again. This time, he could see the Pokmon better. She had a yellow skin that hung limply around her shoulders, like a neck brace.

"Okay, thief, give back the watch," Todd demanded.

"What watch?" she asked, playing clueless.

"The gold watch you stole! It dropped into the water and I saw you grab it."

"But I don't..." She put a paw to her chin. "Oh, I think you mean my brother. He takes stuff from time to time and I saw him just now zooming along."

"I need to get that watch back; it belongs to my Trainer."

"I'll help. Follow me. I know where he hangs out."

The strange Pokemon twisted up her two tails, then dashed ahead using them as propellers. Todd had to hustle to catch up, but then she was swimming normally. Apparently their tails were good for getting a burst of speed, but not for long.

After a minute, they came upon her brother, floating on the surface. She surfaced, then inflated the yellow skin for use like an inner tube. When Todd came up and started treading, he saw that the guy had the watch. He was examining it by shaking it while floating on his back. "Hmm. I'm not sure this is food."

The sister bonked him on the head with her fist. "You bad Buizel! That's not food! It's a human thing, a watch."

"Well how was I supposed to know that?"

"You do now. You need to return it to this Squirtle and apologize."

"Why should I? It just fell into the water and I got to it first, so it's mine."

"It belongs to my Trainer," Todd insisted, causing his bell to jingle as he nodded. "It's very important to him, so give it back, thief."

He huffed. "I'm not a thief! I didn't take it from nobody."

She bonked him on the head again. "I say it's not yours. Give it back."

"Cut it out, sis. Okay fine, here." He turned upright in the water and handed the watch over. "And sorry."

She frowned at him. "You didn't mean it."

"I didn't steal it, so I don't have to mean it."

"Yes you do. Now I'm gonna punish you."

He blanched. "Ack! I'm sorry! Okay?" He dashed off with a blur of tails.

She pursued him. "You'd better stop taking stuff that's not yours!"

Todd watched them rush off across the sea's surface. "Huh. Now I'm glad that I don't know any of my siblings." Then he swam back for the ferry, carrying the watch in his mouth.

Partway there, the space around him turned hazy. It reverted to his Pokeball space, a small sandy beach by a pretty lake. He was released onto the deck of the ferry almost immediately, still holding onto the watch. His Trainer knelt down by him. "Todd, what was that... huh? You got Grandpa's watch back?"

He took it in his forepaws and held up out. "It's still ticking."

He took the watch back and opened up the cover. "It looks like it's working. These old things do work the best."

"I'm sorry," Todd said, hanging his head. "I keep messing up."

"Oh Todd." He picked his Squirtle up and hugged him. "Thanks for getting it back. And I'm sorry about blaming you for the fire. You're a good Pokemon."

Todd hugged him back. His bell jingled as it was knocked around. Things had been bad, but they would get better.

…

Emerald entry: Its shell is not just for protection. Its rounded shape and the grooves on its surface minimize resistance in water, enabling Squirtle to swim at high speeds.

Buizel Pearl entry: It swims by rotating its two tails like a screw. When it dives, its flotation sac collapses.


	76. Electrike, Manectric, Gastrodon

A herd of Stantlers were grazing peacefully in the meadow. It was a lazy afternoon, with hot dry air, cloudless skies, and not a hint of a breeze. A pack of Poochenyas lay in the shade of a lone tree, but made no signs that they were on the hunt. The Pokemon sought to move as little as possible, to avoid getting overheated. At least, most avoided motion.

There was a violent ripple in the tall grasses, a straight line shot that was easier to see the result than the cause. The Poochenyas lifted their heads, to see what had caused the shifting. And then a sound hit them, a strong sound that they could feel in their bones.

ZOOM!

The Stantlers panicked and ran away. The Poochenya herd growled, bracing for battle. But the zooming Pokemon was already long gone.

At the start of the grass ripples, an Electrike started his slowdown stride. He dropped to subsonic speed, then dug into the ground to slow himself further. Bursts of sparks started to appear; his fur was already filled out with static energy. There didn't seem to be enough room for his slow down, though, and he ended up crashing into a pond.

The water hissed as his electric charge leaked out into it. Electrike shook himself, sending off another shower of sparks. Then climbed up onto the shore. "That was a great run!" He turned to get a long drink of water.

While he was at it, a Magikarp popped up and splashed him. "I keep telling you, stop doing that! It hurts when you shock the water! And you knocked out three of my cousins because they were too close to you."

He stopped drinking and stuck his tongue out at the fish. "Well bad luck for you if your pond is at the end of my cool down stretch."

"Can't you stop before you crash into the pond?"

"Maaaybe," he replied, toying with Magikarp. "But it's so nice to have a cool dunk in the pond after a run."

"But we live here!"

"So do I."

Magikarp shook a fin in the air. "Well I'm sick of this daily routine. Gastrodon, get him!"

The pond's surfaces gurgled. Then a large slimy Pokemon burst out into the open. He had pink skin with a two-horned helmet. The back of his neck and body were covered in a brown skin that seemed like it should have been armor. Gastrodon snarled, then said, "Rude one, you are to be punished for your indiscretions."

His deep earthy voice was intimidating at first, but Electrike recovered quickly. "Hah! What're you gonna do? Slime me? You can't catch me!" He darted into the tall grass, which grew well above his head. "You won't even be able to find me," he added in a singsong tone.

Gastrodon glowed for a moment, then shot a stream of slick mud into the grass. Electrike easily dodged it. However, that kind of mud would ruin his built up static. So he raced back across the field to the hole where he lived.

For the next week, this afternoon repeated itself. Electrike would race across the field and crash into the pond. Gastrodon would rise up and fight him. The battles never lasted long. Because Electrike was short to the ground, green as the grass, and fast like the lightning, the muddy Pokemon could never hit him.

As much fun as it was, Electrike was tiring of being lectured every day. "He says respect your neighbors," he grumbled one evening. "He says to control my powers. Well who does he think he is to ruin my fun? I shouldn't fight him like this... but if I was bigger, I'd show him who's boss. Yeah."

He went to sleep thinking these thoughts. When he woke up, he was in fact bigger. And blue. And with a large yellow mane that lay across his neck and down his sides.

He saw this all in a small stream next to his hole. Smiling to himself, the new Manectric puffed himself up with pride. "Now that's a handsome face! Let's see that slimy fiend take me on now."

A crackling above his head responded. Looking up, he saw a small gray cloud hovering over him. It was little more than a puff now, vibrating the air so that what little moisture was there appeared. It just amused him.

Later that day, he went on his daily run. He was certain that he was going faster now. And yet, his fur didn't fill up like before. It was building up even more static. His mane hairs began to stand straight up, like a steeple. He changed directions to gather up more static, startling even more Pokemon with this change in routine. In the end, though, he crashed back into the lake to stop.

When he came out to shake himself, all the water drifted up into the little thundercloud. It had grown more solid and darker. Little sparks flashed across it occasionally. Manectric laughed. "Well, I suppose you're a new friend."

The pond surface gurgled as Gastrodon came back out. "I know it's still you, Rude One. You must stop disturbing the fish of this pond."

He lifted his head haughtily, sending a couple of sparks to the ground. "Whatever, slimeball. I'm sure it would only make their day even more boring if I didn't stir things up like I do."

"You injure your innocent neighbors. This is unacceptable." Gastrodon glowed, preparing his mud attack.

Manectric threw a jolt of electricity at him, then darted into the grass as usual. This time, however, his rival nailed him. The mud coated his fur, negating the static charge and making him sticky all over. He howled. "What was that for? How did you do that?"

Gastrodon made a jabbing motion with his helmet horns. "I can see you now from that cloud above your head. In the end, you cannot escape justice."

"Whatever, freak," he grumbled, then went to run away.

However, the stickiness of the mud made it harder to move. It clumped his fur, preventing any static buildup for now. As it hardened, its weight was a burden. But that wasn't the worst of it. No, the worst was how the other Pokemon saw his state and laughed at him. None offered to help him. In fact, they seemed jolly that someone had gotten the better of him.

By the time Manectric made it back home, he felt miserable.

For a few days, Manectric didn't run across the field to gather static. He ran around his home area instead. He missed having a nice dunk in the pool after his runs. It had always been so refreshing. But he didn't want to mess with Gastrodon.

Then, as he was drinking out of his stream, he heard a familiar gurgle. He looked up to see Gastrodon wading along the stream. Manectric sniffed, but poised himself to run. "You... what do you want?"

Oddly enough, Gastrodon bowed his head politely. "I want your help. We may need your help."

"Why're you asking me? You kept badgering me about not coming into the pond."

"That is because I owed the Magikarp school for letting me stay in there. But the problem that drove me to seek their help now drives me to seek yours." He looked up at the sky.

"Like what kind of problem?"

"This weather. The sun shines brightly on cloudless days, over and over again. The air is dry; the ground is dry. This drought is bad for me. It is becoming bad for other Pokemon as well. Bad for you, even."

He shook his mane, sending a shower of sparks over his body. "How so? It's good for static."

"But you need water to survive, as does most life. The water is drying up."

"This stream is slower and smaller than normal."

"It may stop in days to come. We need more water to come."

"How can I solve that?"

Gastrodon then made a strange gurgling-warbling sound and shifted his body back and forth. The air shimmered and then raindrops began to fall lightly. But he shook his head. "I can make it rain. But these days, my power is weak and it hardly fills the ground's needs. You now have that cloud that hangs over your head."

"Really," he grumbled, recalling how it had betrayed his position.

"And I know that when electricity is strong, the storm will be strong. I thought, perhaps, if we worked together, we could call a rain shower to end the drought and satisfy everyone."

"You want to work with me?"

"I believe that you have learned your lesson. And I am not one to hold grudges, especially in a time of need."

Manectric felt impressed, and further humbled, by Gastrodon's words. Would it be better to be more like him? It used to be just about having fun, but the drought was an important issue. He nodded slowly. "All right, I'll see what I can manage. But you're right, this rain you've called isn't strong."

"I can make it stronger by continuing to call it, but that wears me out. That is why I want you to affect the electricity, to encourage it."

The Electric Pokemon closed his eyes so he could focus on the electric charge of the objects around him. He hadn't paid much attention to this lately, so he was surprised when he could read this energy all the way into the sky. There, he sensed a dead pool of air. It was keeping the weather of the area stagnant. But just beyond this pool, there was a massive dense flow of water and air.

Gastrodon began his gurgle-warble again. The local rain tried to strengthen itself. Manetric felt that if he could break up the dead pool above, it would help. He focused his energy on that area, gathering a charge around himself and in that air. Electricity didn't like to build too much, so the energies sought out paths to opposite charges to release. He felt a touch from the dead pool above and...

KRA-KOW!

The surge of power left him frazzled, but mostly unharmed. The dead pool weakened greatly. With this slid towards atmospheric instability, the water dense air rushed in to fill the gap. Manectric's actions had shifted other charges as well, setting off a chain reaction of lightning bolts disturbing the quick moving black clouds. Wind whipped up sharply, trying to stabilize everything, but it was too late. The storm had been born, and it doused the thirsty plains in rain.

Gastrodon made a pleased gurgle, shaking himself in enjoyment. "Thank goodness it worked. You did well."

"You too..." he paused as he saw a thick curtain of rain approaching them. "Wait, now my home is going to flood!" He rushed back to his hole and began anxiously checking the strength of the dirt walls.

Before long, Gastrodon was at the entrance. "Don't fear, my friend. I can drain any water that would try to invade."

Manectric paused, then came up and sniffed him. "Friend, huh?"

He bowed his head. "If you wish."

Touched, he bowed back. "That would be great, thank you."

…

Sapphire entry: Electrike runs faster than the human eye can follow. The friction from running is converted into electricity, which is then stored in this Pokemon's fur.

Sapphire entry: Manectric discharges strong electricity from its mane. The mane is used for collecting electricity in the atmosphere. This Pokemon creates thunderclouds above its head.

Gastrodon Platinum entry: Long ago, its entire back was shielded with a sturdy shell. There are traces of it left in its cells.


	77. Milotic, Dusknoir

Ghosts are everywhere; you just can't see them most of the time. There are ghosts like myself, Pokemon who have earned the blessing of the Guardian of the Dead and come back into the world in a new form. Most of the others are spirits of the newly dead, lost and confused without the presence of their body. These ghosts generally figure things out on their own and find the final path that leads to an unknown world. At least, unknown to you.

But there are plenty of spirits that can't or won't start on that path. The lost souls of children cannot grasp their death and latch onto people like those they left behind. The bitter souls of murder victims can harbor intense hatred and seek revenge, even when they cannot identify their murderer. Mind you, this is only a sampling. There are many more reasons why a spirit will not leave this world.

Some can be coerced into leaving this world by a sympathetic listener, but most people are too afraid. Or the ghost may be particularly stubborn. This is where I'm called in, me and my kin. I am one of the Dusknoir, chosen to be a Reaper. Nothing to be frightened of, I assure you. We deal with the lost souls of the dead, not the living. It's a very important job, but one that you shouldn't ever notice. A good Dusknoir will find the lost souls before they can become a problem.

Still, even the best of us can miss a troublesome soul. Then people who would normally avoid mausoleums and spirit towers will come in search of us. They're afraid, but I understand why and tolerate any cross-making or warding signs they make. I don't mind if they avert their eyes; I hold no illusions that I am anything like attractive. I simply get the information I need, then seek the spirit out.

Most cases I get from humans. But one that stands out in my mind actually came from a fellow Pokemon. It was in the last weeks of a terribly hot summer. Even the nights were scorching, with stored heat rising from the ground, only to be replaced by a merciless sunny day. I was spending the afternoon in a fairly new graveyard. All of the stone markers were clean, bearing few signs of weathering or cracking. The memorial gardens were pristine. It wasn't my preferred place of rest, but it was where the dawn had caught me.

Having slept my fill, I was passing time in a shaded pavilion, waiting for the sun to sink low enough for me to venture out comfortably. I noticed her enter the graveyard and was quickly aware that she was unfamiliar with the place. She slithered along the path at a hesitant pace, watching around as if not certain what may have been there. Not only that, but in all my life, I had never expected to see a Milotic, especially one out of water.

I'm sure you've heard of them, or see one of the many artworks featuring them. So I don't need to tell you that she was one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen. The front half of her body was pearl-toned peach, while her tail end was covered in scales of the rainbow. Still, even I could tell something was wrong with her. Her eyes were dull and her long antennae, which should have stood tall, were hanging low behind her head with her red hair.

I wondered what would bring a Water Pokemon this far from their normal habitat; there was a reflection pond out front, but nothing lived there yet. I made a motion to catch her attention, then waved her to the pavilion. The fact that she came right over gave me a good idea of what she wanted. "Have you come looking for my help?"

"Yes," she replied. Her voice was weary, but still sounded as lovely as she looked. "I've come a long ways, but there isn't anyone where I live that could help."

"Come rest in the shade." It seemed like she needed a moment to arrange her thoughts, so I added, "My name is Dusty."

She came in and circled around so she could face me in her most stable land stance. She held her wide tail fin up and waved it slowly to alleviate the heat. "I am called Luna. I live in a lake west of here, in a valley the humans don't live in. It's usually quiet, but..." she looked anxious.

"Take as long as you need," I told her. You don't get to be in a position like mine if you don't have patience.

"Thank you." She was quiet for a minute, then told me her problem. "I can deal with most spirits. They come when they hear me sing and I know how to bring them peace and acceptance. But there is one that has persisted, staying for months. I thought it simply needed time to come to terms with death. It reached out to me and I thought nothing of it. However, I've become fatigued and weakened somehow. It got to the point where I had to leave my lake and come here, to seek healing.

"When the doctor looked over me, he said that something has been draining my energy. It's only little bits at a time, apparently, but it could come to the point where it might kill me. I'm afraid that this lost soul is the cause of this. But if it stays because of me, I need someone else to get it to move on."

Luna stopped then, looking tired out from talking at length. I nodded. "Very well, I will come with you. You should rest for the last hours of the day. I believe the reflection pond out front is shaded by some trees."

"Yes, I saw that."

I followed her out to the pool. She was asleep as soon as she settled herself into the manmade pond, just large enough for her to fit in. During that time, I noticed that she wasn't sleeping well. Her mind was restless and tried to wake her up, but her body was worn out. That is a sign I notice on those who are haunted by lost souls. It can persist for a nearly a month after the ghost is taken away, depending on the strength of the haunting.

As the sky was turning orange, she came awake and wouldn't go back to sleep. Luna and I set out to her lake. There were still many questions I had to ask her to know what I was getting into. "Do you have a mate who lives with you?"

She lowered her head and shook it. "No... I am a widow."

"My apologies, but I must ask: could it be your mate's soul hanging on?"

Her reaction was stronger. "No, it couldn't be. He would never harm me. And he died nearly a year ago."

I didn't quite believe that. Ghosts can do harm without realizing it. That is, in fact, the most dangerous thing about them. They can see a living person suffer, but not understand that it is their presence causing that suffering. They can try to help the victim, but only make things worse. But I said nothing more about this. In my duty to the dead, it can be just as important to deal with the living.

We traveled for two nights. The distance we crossed, I could pass that in a half-night on my own. But Luna was in a weakened state and needed to rest often. That, and traveling across land was difficult for her. I was of no mind to push beyond her limit.

Around two in the morning of that second night, we arrived at her lake. It was a charming little place, allowed to grow free and natural. A stone shrine was on the east end of the lake. I knew the place as a sacred lake to the humans, which was why they only visited there. Over the years, I've rarely found spirits there. It's likely because Luna has her own ways of calming such ghosts. So it wasn't part of my normal travels.

She slipped under the water, grateful to be back home. I followed after her; water affects me no more than air does. The lake was deep and clear, lit brightly by the full moon overhead. As we went deeper, my senses alerted me to several lost souls underneath the surface. Most of them seemed puzzled, as if expecting her to be there.

There was one that was different. This one had been badly confused by his death. He had a deep-seated loneliness and a yearning for something he missed. I was certain that this was the one causing her problems. He was trying to grasp life as tightly as he could when it had left him. I kept alert to feelings from him as he circled the bottom of the lake.

At the bottom, we came upon a human structure. It was curious to find something like that on the lake bed. It had a square floor made of white stone and twelve tall columns made of the same. A few of these had fallen over while others had damage, but some were still whole and standing. Extra rubble scattered around seemed to indicate that it had a roof at one point, but no longer.

She settled herself on the stone floor. "This is where I live and sleep."

"Why is such a structure underwater?"

"I'm not certain. It's always been here as long as I've known this lake. The humans say it used to sit on the surface, but they did something wrong and the lake swallowed it whole."

"I see. Now, when do the ghosts usually show up around here?"

"They would come whenever Edwin and I were singing at night. We were fine with that, bringing peace to restless souls. But they've never caused problems like this before."

"Would you mind singing now, to bring it out?"

"No, I understand. Give me a moment." She took a little while to catch her breath and prepare herself. Then she started singing.

I think it was simply practicing her scales, but it was still lovely. The ghosts were attracted to that beauty and began to gather. Most seemed content just to hear the music. But that one still paced around, his heartache only deepening to the sound.

That confirmed my suspicions. "Would you sing something you used to with your mate?"

She got anxious. "Oh, well... there's some songs I haven't sung since his death. It'll be hard, but I'll try."

Then she began singing a song I'd never heard before. I'm not certain, but I think these are the words:

I saw her caress your shining scales,  
But it was just the silver moon.  
I saw her tease at your gentle hair,  
But it was just the silver moon.

The silver moon,  
Witness to our love.  
The silver moon,  
Keeper of secrets.  
The silver moon,  
Our friend in the sky.

That may not be right. I've never been much for music or songs. But that's what I remember it being like.

That caught his attention. As she started in on the chorus, he came to the columns with the rest of the souls. As she started a second verse, he began singing with her.

She recognized him. I gave her a hurried sign to keep going before her faltering turned into a full stop. Her voice was shaky and weak for a few lines, but as the chorus came back, she stopped worrying and put her heart into singing with her mate Edwin once more.

The pain in his voice turned the song bittersweet. He circled around her, trying to find some sense of normalcy and failing. His form became clearer to me as the song went on. He was a Milotic, just like her. Beauty was his strength as well, although his hair and antenna fell shorter. Noticing her weakness, he became fretful and worried. He drew closer to Luna, trying to reach out and comfort her.

But he couldn't, not without hurting her. "Stop it, Edwin," I told him.

She stopped singing mid-line, shocked at having his identity confirmed. By then, he had grown visible enough for untrained eyes to see as well. He was furious with me. "How dare you interrupt us like that! Who do you think you are?"

"Dusty's one of the Dusknoir," Luna explained, uncertain of what she should do now. "I brought him here."

I drifted over to him, stopping when his posture got too defensive. "You have passed the divide of life and death. You cannot cross back this way. When you try to touch her, you wind up hurting her little by little."

He shook his head violently. "No, I'd never harm her! I couldn't ever do that..."

"I realize that you wouldn't. But like this, you can hurt her without knowing it."

"Edwin," Luna cried softly.

The ghost Milotic turned to her. "Don't believe what he says. I'd never hurt you. But it's been so long since I've seen you. Sometimes I hear your voice, but I've been lost in dark tunnels. I... I don't know what's happened, but I'll never leave your side again."

In response, she lowered her head. A warm pink glow formed around her body. I wasn't sure what that indicated, but then she started in on another song.

I wouldn't dare write down this song. It's probably not one that should be written by someone like myself. It's a holy song, I know that much. I had heard of this kind of power before, a different form of what I use to calm ghosts. But that was the first time I had felt it in person.

And I did feel it. I am still a ghost, even if I have a heart that beats once again. The holy song added to the aura she was emitting gave us a sense of peace and expectation. It is something like being at the end of a long journey and seeing your home in the distance. You are not there yet, but seeing it begins to ease your heart and your soul feels eager to feel welcomed home at long last. It might be something like seeing the Gates of Heaven. I wouldn't know; I haven't been that far down the final path.

For a little while, I had completely forgotten why I had come to the lake. The other ghosts around us were able to take that song and find the final path on their own. However, it didn't affect Edwin in the same way. Perhaps it was because he had done this himself many times in his lifetime, but he became horrified. "No! That's not it! It can't be..."

His panic grounded me. Luna was faltering again. She wanted to comfort him, but realized that she shouldn't touch him. Being unaffected by such powers, I went over in her stead and put my hand on his head. "It is so. You died a year ago."

He began wailing. It was obvious that her song wouldn't be enough. So I used my own touch to strengthen it. I've always used touch to calm lost souls. I'm one of the few who can do so. It is often a thing they miss.

After five minutes, Luna couldn't keep up her aura anymore. Edwin had subsided into trembling while looking between us uncertainly. His heartache had taken on a new turn, as he was realizing that he could not stay with her. "You seem ill," he said.

She brought her tail up to her nose, shyly. "I'll get better. But you never did."

He started forward, but hesitated. "I don't want to leave you."

She brought her tail down and smiled sadly. "I... it'll be okay. Our hearts are connected. I'll find you again."

"We will find each other. Then... I must go."

"I can bring you to the path you must take," I told him. "The rest is up to you."

"I see." He hesitated a bit longer, then added, "I don't want to say goodbye, so... I will swim with you again someday, Luna."

She nodded. "Yes, we will swim with each other then, Edwin."

He then released his hold on this world and I was able to bring him out of it. I can enter that world from anywhere, but can only return to this one at certain points. So, I never saw Luna after that. I am not sure what came of her.

Even if I do see her again, I wouldn't ask for anything in return. I usually want some kind of payment, most often in the form of food. But in that case, I don't mind. The holy song she sang still echoes in my soul. I know, should I ever find myself unable to return to this world, that I have nothing to fear. That song promises me peace.

…

Sapphire entry: Milotic live at the bottom of large lakes. When this Pokemon's body glows a vivid pink, it releases a pulsing wave of energy that brings soothing calm to restless spirits.

Dusknoir Platinum entry: It is said to take lost spirits into its pliant body and guide them home.


	78. Meowth, Voltorb

The factory guide was quite enthusiastic about his job. "And this is where we are manufacturing Pokeballs! Yes, no longer do you have to spend days carving an apricorn just so, or building one ball at a time over a period of weeks. Now we can put together Pokeballs in the matter of a day."

"But they don't work that well, do they?" one of the schoolkids asked.

"I hear you have to use like half a dozen trying to catch strong Pokemon," another added.

"Even the older models could fail," the guide pointed out. "The good thing about these factory balls is that they're cheaper and will soon be readily available wherever you live."

Amber yawned. As a Meowth, she wasn't that interested in the tour. She was simply along because her Trainer was. She glanced at her reflection on a shiny piece of equipment and noticed that the coin in the middle of her forehead was a bit smudged. Not wanting to put up with that, she paused to rub the spot until it shone clean again.

When she was done, the group had moved on. But that didn't worry her. She went exploring.

There was a buzz from the intercom. "Hey, you want to go over to the sub shop for lunch?" one of the factory workers asked.

"What about those power cords over there? Those sparks seem ominous."

"Nah, it's in an insulated spot. It happens from time to time."

"Really? Isn't that a waste of energy?"

"That's management's concern, not ours. Still, they haven't done anything about it yet. Forget about it and let's go."

"All right then, if you say so."

Amber squinted, looking under the conveyor belt. "Aw, come on," she said, then reached under the metalwork and swiped. A sparkling orange-brown penny came out. "Jackpot!" She picked it up with her teeth and walked out to the door.

As she approached, they made an ominous clack. When the Meowth tried to push against the door, it wouldn't budge. She got up on her hind legs and tried beating on it. Nothing happened. She dropped the penny and called as loudly as she could.

"Come on, dummies! Open the door! I'm still in here."

Nothing happened.

Amber flicked her tail. "Well. Inconsiderate humans. Forget about them. I wonder if there's anything around to play with."

She looked around, but the factory floor was full of large metal equipment. None of the big stuff was on, just fans and lights. There was a dangerous looking group of wires off by themselves; bright sparks occasionally snapped between them. Although enormous, the room was pretty much spotless. Over by the wall, there was a bin labeled 'Invalid'.

Twitching her whiskers, she went to the Invalid box and jumped on the edge of it. Inside, there were about twenty Pokeballs. About the size of an orange, they were white on one half, red on the other. There was a thin crack at the divide; a circular latch kept the ball securely shut. It wasn't quite like her apricorn ball. Then again, she couldn't play with her Pokeball.

Leaning in, she snagged a ball on her claws and flipped it out of the bin. It landed on the concrete floor with a hollow metallic sound, bouncing once before rolling away. So it wasn't much for a bouncing ball, but it could roll well. Amber jumped down and batted at it. It rolled a couple of feet before she went chasing after it.

She captured it from escaping her, but then smacked it the other way. Then she had to go chase it down again. And smack it again. It might have seemed pointless to others, but there was no one around to play with her. She had to keep the game moving all on her own.

Thrilled by the chase, she hit the Pokeball as hard as she could, sending it flying towards the sparking wires. Right as it reached there, a large pulse of electricity jumped between the wires, catching the ball between them. It caused a huge "Crack!" and flash of light, so she scrambled for cover under a desk.

She heard the ball rolling back, so she cautiously peered over there. The Pokeball rolled in an odd curving pattern. Only mechanical balls rolled like that, and they weren't that interesting as toys. But it was interesting when the ball opened its eyes and spoke. "Uuuhh... what happened?"

She came out and sniffed. It smelled like electricity. "I didn't know you were alive."

It turned to her. "Me either. What're you?"

She sat up proudly. "I'm a Meowth. My name is Amber."

"Oh, hi Amber. Um, what am I?"

Twitching her tail, she considered. "Hmm... I don't really know either. You were a Pokeball. I tossed you into those sparking wires."

It turned and looked. "Then... you made me?"

"It seems so."

It spun back around and tilted itself forward in a bow. "Oh, thank you! I suppose this is better than not existing. Now, where are we?"

"A Pokeball factory. The workers locked me in here on accident."

The ball growled. "What? How inconsiderate!" Then it blew up.

Amber ducked back behind the desk, managing to avoid most of the explosion. When things got quiet, she peeked back out. The ball Pokemon was unconscious, but the scent of electricity was a hopeful sign that it was alive.

Also in sniffing the air, she noted the distinct tartness of a Revive crystal. It came from the desk. There was a hinged door instead of a sliding drawer, so she grabbed it with her paw and pulled. It took a couple of tries, but she got in. There were three Revives in a small bin, so she plucked one out and placed it in front of the ball.

"Hmm..." She sniffed it. "I think my girl has always snapped these to get them to work." When she bit down on it, the smell intensified. Amber then placed it under its face. Presumably it had some kind of nose hidden there.

It came back awake groggily. "Ooo, my mind is spinning."

"You blew yourself up," she pointed out. "You'd better be careful about that. There aren't many more Revives in there. Or maybe..."

It looked at her, expectantly. "Maybe what?"

"That explosion was pretty strong. I wonder if it could open the door. I dunno if one of you is enough, though."

"Are there any more like me?"

She shook her head. "Not now, but in that bin," she pointed to the 'Invalid' one, "there's lots more Pokeballs. I guess if tossing you into that bunch of wires worked once, it could work again."

"Great, let's do that!"

"Okay." she hopped onto the bin's edge again.

Amber fished out another one with her claws, then tossed it out onto the floor. The ball Pokemon then rolled up to it and pushed it into the jumping sparks. It wasn't as quick about it as she had been, but once there were there of them, they managed to keep up.

Before long, it was her and twenty of the strange Pokeball Pokemon. "All right, how are you all doing?"

"Great!" one of them replied. They all looked pretty much the same, so she wasn't sure if it was the first one or another. "We are a new life thanks to you. We're gonna remember you forever."

She smiled; that was a great idea. "Good. Now the problem is, we're still stuck in here. But I'm sure those doors over there can't stand up to your powers. Then we'll all be free."

"Right, we're doing this for freedom!" one of them yelled, causing the others to cheer. They rolled up to the door. Amber stayed behind a short ways, not wanting to get caught in another explosion.

After discussing things, three of the balls volunteered to take out the door. They parked themselves right next to it. "Okay, one... two... three!"

KA-BOOM!

There were some screams from the hall on the other side. The rest of the ball Pokemon rushed out the door, rolling past a group of startled humans. "Ha-ha, you can't keep us caught!" they jeered as they searched for a way out of the factory.

Amber walked into the hall with her tail held high, as if their antics had absolutely nothing to do with her. Her girl came up and grabbed her. "Oh, Amber, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you behind."

She licked the Trainer's cheek. "No worries."

She looked up to one of the factory workers. "Hey mister, what were those things that went by just now?"

"I... have no idea," he replied, flabbergasted.

Amber flicked her tail, pleased. "Just some new buddies of mine, no biggie."

…

Meowth Leaf Green entry: Adores round objects. It wanders the streets on a nightly basis to look for dropped loose change.

Sapphire entry: Voltorb is extremely sensitive - it explodes at the slightest of shocks. It is rumored that it was first created when a Pokeball was exposed to a powerful pulse of energy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amber has the name and personality of one of my old cats. I always name Meowths after her.


	79. Pupitar, Grotle

Rain softly pattered on her dirt shell. Light was scattered by the clouds, but still, the Grotle came out by the lakeside. It was a gentle enough shower that most Pokemon went about their business as usual. For her, that meant sunbathing, or rainbathing, by the lake and reflecting on her past.

The day passed as expected. The humans were less, and those that came wore rain gear and carried umbrellas. Other Pokemon went about daily routines she knew by heart. After years and years of sitting here, watching, thinking, it was always the same. Sometimes people made an attempt to capture her, but she didn't let them. Eventually, they gave up and sought a more cooperative team member.

Every day, practically the same.

There was a fizzle right before a dark streak zoomed across the lake's surface and crashed into a pickup truck. A clamoring wail filled the air as the truck's alarms went haywire. Before long, the dark fizzle returned, this time landing close to her. It fumbled and rolled until the Pokemon came upright with considerable skill. It was a blue cocoon creature, with a mask of hefty spikes warning predators away. Grotle had seen something like that once, long ago.

The Pupitar hopped around and looked at the scene. "Phew. Guess I should watch where I'm going."

"Are you all right?" she asked.

It hopped around and faced her. "Well of course! A little crash like that ain't gonna hurt me."

She looked over at the parking lot, where the truck had been knocked several feet to the side. Its door had a punctured dent in it. "Little?"

"I've been in worse."

"What're you thinking? To be flying around that recklessly, it's irresponsible."

"Not flying. Rocketing."

"Still..."

"And I'm having some issues with controlling my trajectory," he grumbled, looking at the ground.

"Then why?"

"To see the world, of course! And to find a great Trainer. It might be a little hard, though, considering that I've already evolved. But I'm sure that if one comes up, they'll realize how great I can be!"

She nodded slowly. "I see. At least you have enthusiasm."

The spiky cocoon Pokemon looked to her again. "So, what do you do?"

"Why are you interested?"

"Why not?"

"I suppose that's as good a reason as any. I've been sitting here, thinking... trying to find myself."

He leaned over a bit, apparently puzzled. "Trying to find yourself?"

"Isn't that what you're doing, in a different way? Looking within to find out truths about yourself?"

"Huh. Well..." He considered it. "I know that I'm gassy! That's a truth."

Despite herself, she chuckled. "That's not quite what I meant. I mean, why you are at the stage of life that you are."

"I just evolved a few weeks ago. Although, it will be a stinker when I evolve again. I'm pretty sure that as a Tyranitar, I won't be able to rocket around so much. But I'll be good and strong! Isn't that the same way with you?"

"No. I evolved fifty years ago."

Pupitar's eyes widened. "Seriously? You don't look that old."

She lowered her head. "Thanks, I guess. Nothing's changed for me since then, though. I spend my days wondering why. I consider all sorts of things about the world: how the sun changes its path across the sky over the year, how the surface of this lake changes in the same ways, how the plants bud, grow, bloom, fruit, then die, only to come back and do it all over again. There seems to be nothing new."

He hopped up with a short fizzle. "Then you should travel, like me! Then you'll see all sorts of new things."

"Are they truly new? Or are they variations of the same old things I see here?"

"You never know. So then, why here?"

"Why here?" She gazed across the lake, a tired old melancholy stirring. "My Trainer drowned in this lake, all that time ago."

"Really? Sorry to hear that. That's gotta be tough. But, why're you still here after fifty years?"

"I don't know. Surely I should have moved on now, with someone else, or just on my own. But while time carries on, I feel like I've been in a standstill. Like my life has been frozen to this spot, at this stage in my life."

He watched her for a bit before saying, "Weird. Why are you frozen?"

"I don't know. I keep thinking about it and I can't figure it out. I should be able to just move on, and yet..." Grotle shook her head.

"Hmm." He hopped around for a bit.

"You don't have to stay. You can move on like everyone else."

"I could, but I might regret not being able to do anything."

"You did break up the daily monotony, if that's any consolation." She turned her head back to the parking lot, where the truck's owner was cussing to someone over his cell phone. "Not much happens here."

He hopped up onto her shell. She didn't mind; she often let small Pokemon take the berries that grew there. Before long, he prodded at something. "Hey, what's this?"

She craned her neck around. "What's what? I can't see there."

"Something's stuck in your shell. It doesn't look like anything else up here." He jumped up and chipped away the dirt. "Oh, sorry. Does that hurt?"

"No, it's pretty thick."

"I see." He hopped a few more times, eventually knocking out an oval-shaped rock. It was dark-gray with flecks of pink in it. Pupitar hopped to the ground beside it and looked it over. "There's something odd about it."

Grotle's memory flickered, recalling the painful last day she had spent with her Trainer. "That's... he gave it to me while we were traveling near this lake. He said there was something odd about it, that it could be valuable. But we had picked up quite a few things from the forest and he didn't have room in his bag, so he gave it to me to hang on to." She touched the rock with her nose. "It was really there, after all this time?"

"It looked like your shell had grown up around it. It probably has been there for fifty years."

"That's very strange. I wonder... I've heard that some rocks emit strange energy that affects us. If I didn't know it was there, could this rock have kept me pinned here?"

"That's some pretty strong rock. But it's gone now! You can move on."

"Maybe. Thank you."

Pupitar hopped around, considering the area. "Then, are there strong Trainers around here?"

"Sometimes. There were ruins we were exploring back then. The humans couldn't enter without strong Pokemon."

"Excellent! If I go there, I might be able to find one for me finally. Where are these ruins?"

"Off to the south." Grotle looked over the lake. It had really been too long that she had been here, just thinking. "I could show you the way; I think I remember it."

"Awesome. Let's go!"

…

Ruby/Sapphire entry: Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. The body is very durable - it avoids damage even if it hits solid steel.

Grotle Diamond entry: It lives along water in forests. In the daytime, it leaves the forest to sunbathe its treed shell.


	80. Taillow, Swellow

Two birds slowed their flight through the afternoon air. The larger one looked stunning, bright glossy blue feathers playing against shimmering red feathers. Her movements were full of grace, while her natural style defied any rules imposed by mankind. The smaller one looked like she could grow up to be like the other, but was still unpolished. Her feathers were ruffled and duller in intensity and glow.

Perching in a large airy tree, the Swellow and Taillow looked around. After a moment, the Swellow raised a wing up. "Yoohoo! Did you just move in?"

Another Swellow waved back. "My, hello!" She hopped along branches to land beside them. "Yes, I was just calling out to see if there were any kind neighbors. I'm called Gale."

"I'm called Breeze, and this would be my daughter, Featha. It's so nice to meet you, Gale. How's the tree looking?"

"Just lovely; it has a nice view over the plains, but should be great cover for when we're not hunting. Do any others live in this tree, if you know?"

"Well I've seen several kinds of Pokemon gather under this tree, and sometimes I take shelter in storms if I can't get back to my own. I don't think there's anybody here this year."

Featha the Taillow shook her head. Her mother always talked too much, as did any other Swellow she met. When she evolved, Featha was determined to not get gossipy. "Mom, I'm bored."

"Now be polite, dear," Breeze chided.

"Oh, I understand how it is with Taillows," Gale said. "Can't sit still a moment to chat and listen. Deary, I've got a son around here you can play with if you like. He's only a few days old, so be gentle."

"She's not that old either."

"I guessed so much." She held her right wing out. "Oh, but we've had such a long trip. Have I dulled much?"

"You could use some tidying up. Would you like my help?"

"That would be so kind, thank you."

Featha made an exaggerated sigh, then flew off the branch to find the boy. "Geez, Swellows. It's all just talk, talk, talk, and got to be perfectly clean too. Sooo boring."

Breeze chuckled. "Oh, fledglings. They're so reckless."

"They'll get the picture when they evolve; it always happens that way. And my, how do you keep yourself so sleek looking? Nobody in my family could compare to your gloss."

She smiled smugly. "Oh, I've got a secret or two about that." The two of them giggled.

"Good grief," a boy Taillow muttered from the grasses. "Did Mom find someone to gossip with that fast? Ugh?"

Featha landed beside him. "I know! My mom's the same way. I'm Featha."

"I'm Acorn."

She tilted her head. "Acorn?"

Lifting his shoulder blades up, he shrugged. "I like acorns. Wanna make something of it?"

"Not really." Seeing the disappointed look on his face, she puffed up her chest. "I'll fight you, though!"

Acorn stood up tall. "Now that's what I'm talking about! I'm a mighty Taillow Warrior! I've fought stupid drooling Rattattas before."

"Well I've fought sharp-eyed Sandshrews with sharper claws."

"Well I've fought a blood-sucking Golbat!"

"And I've scared off a great big Skarmory!"

"No you haven't."

Technically, he was right. Featha had assistance in having a Machop kick the Skarmory in the chest. But still, he wouldn't have done it if she hadn't been there. "Did too!"

"Did not!"

She took a deep breath, then released a sharp chirping Growl. "I did too!"

Acorn narrowed his eyes and countered with a Growl of his own. "You did not!"

Featha Growled again. "How can you tell? I did!"

And he Growled right back. "You're a liar!"

To prove her power, she rapidly beat her wings and took off into the air, to Growl again. "Well you're a rotten-acorn-obsessed idiot!"

He dashed into the air after her. "Insult me if you wish, but do not insult the acorns!"

"You eat rotten acorns!"

"Stop it!" Acorn rushed at her and struck her side with his beak.

She laughed. "Ha-hah, your dumb Peck attack did nothing!"

"I'll get you!" Beating his wings furiously, he rushed at her again.

Fluttering out of the way, Featha Pecked him on the head. "That's how you do that attack!"

"Funny, I didn't feel a thing," he retorted. "You must be weak."

"What? Take that back!"

"Only if you agree that acorns are the best food ever."

"No way, Jose, that's Leppas!"

From inside the cover of the silver maple, Gale looked out at the two Taillows bickering. "Oh dear. They've managed to Growl each other into doing no damage."

Breezy looked up from where she had been using her beak to straighten out her new friend's flight feathers. "They'll be at this for hours, I'm sure."

"As silly as it may sound, sometimes I miss those days."

Featha and Acorn chased each other around the tree dozens of times, Growling and attempting to Peck while in flight. A couple of hours later, they both landed back on the ground, panting heavily. Both of their wings felt heavy and exhausted. After catching her breath, Featha turned to Acorn. "Well I didn't lose."

He tensed. "Well I didn't lose either."

"Wanna fight again tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll beat you up them."

"No you won't."

Acorn shook his head. "Bah. Anyhow, I feel like some food right now."

At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled too. "Yeah. Mom, I'm hungry!"

As if determined to out-wail her as well, he cried out louder. "I'm hungry too, Mom!"

"Well I'm hungrier!"

"No you're not!"

"Go out and find something to eat, then," Gale called down. "You should learn the area you live in now."

"Yes," Breezy agreed. "Go show him where that nice oak tree is, dear."

"Okay," Featha called back. "It's a good tree with lots of acorns."

Acorn tilted his head. "I thought you didn't like acorns."

"I never said that! I just don't like the rotten ones."

"I'll agree with you there."

Taking off low over the ground, the Taillows flew off to find the oak tree.

…

Ruby entry: Taillow courageously stands its ground against foes, however strong they may be. This gutsy Pokemon will remain defiant even after a loss. On the other hand, it cries loudly if it becomes hungry.

Sapphire entry: Swellow is very conscientious about the upkeep of its glossy wings. Once two Swellow are gathered, they diligently take care of cleaning each other's wings.


	81. Manaphy, Phione

The ocean has many faces, this one at its coldest. The arctic ice sheet clogged the water, causing it to turn slow and sluggish. A muted glow barely lit the depths as sunlight got tossed between trillions of ice crystals. There were still animals and Pokemon living in these extreme conditions, adapted to endure the bitter cold through fatty layers or becoming ice themselves.

Deep in these waters, there was a curious egg. It had a distinctive blue hue and was encased in the polar ice. It was well protected in this way, and another. If any hunter dared to break this egg out for a meal, it would find a brilliant aura that warned against predation. It would be a grave disrespect.

Beyond the ice sheet, a ghostly figure paced. To most eyes, it only came through as a shimmer, faint hints of blues and whites different than the arctic waters. It was a grand ghost, almost the size of a Waillord, but of a different body shape. It waited, watching the egg.

Then a brilliant blue light emerged from the shell. The ice burst into a shower of bubbles. As the froth cleared, a Pokemon appeared. About two feet tall, it was solid blue save for some yellow wave markings on its forehead. It had a large head for its small body and triangular shaped flippers instead of arms. Coming off the top of its head was a long ribbon-like antenna with a gold bulb at the end. But it was not a new Pokemon by any means.

It swam forward a short ways before addressing the ghostly figure. "Kyogre! Good to see you."

The spirit of the ocean legend smiled back. "You too, Manaphy. What should I address you as this time?"

It considered for a moment, flipping its antenna around. "I think I'm male this time. We'll go with male."

"All right then. I was inspecting things when I noticed your egg a week ago." She shook her head. "I can't understand how you can stand being reborn every century."

He swam out alongside her. "I'm not the only one who does that. And I don't see how you can stand having your body sealed away ninety percent of the time."

"That wasn't exactly my choice. Anyhow, I've been worried about you. That's why I've been hanging around."

Manaphy made his bulb glow, pleased at that. "Thanks. But what are you worried for? I've never had trouble with my rebirths."

"I know, but the humans have invented powerful ships that can break through even this ice. You may chose solid packs of ice so that you don't go drifting off with a glacier, but what happens when one of these ships breaks through your birthplace? You could end up anywhere."

"I think I would be fine, even if that happened."

Kyogre's spirit sighed. "If you say so. You haven't had much contact with humans, so you have no idea how they can be."

"It could be time to change that." He paused, distracted in thought. "It could be time to change many things."

She eyed him. "What kinds of things?"

He looked back to her. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, what was that?"

"What're you thinking about?"

"Actually, it's something I've been thinking about for a few years now. I haven't told anybody, though." Manaphy fell silent.

"Is something wrong?" Kyogre asked, worry touching her voice again. "Manaphy, you have been acting odd as of late. Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I just think... I've got somebody I want to talk to again. Goodbye." He swam off, surprisingly fast for a creature of his size.

She watched him go, conflicted about what to do. She trusted him, and yet... "Somehow, I feel as though you're about to do something foolish. Be careful."

Much further south on the globe, there was another spot where the waters of the ocean moved slow. These were the infamous Dead Tides, where sailing ships could get stranded for weeks with no wind. There was life in these still waters, tough creatures that could bide their time and withstand the heat.

Manaphy had stopped his search in this Dead Tide, to consider his options. His body adapted perfectly to the heated waters, allowing him to maintain a quick pace. But it had been several weeks since he had hatched and there was still no sign of the one he wanted to see. He brought his bulb in front of his face and gazed into its faint glow. "I just don't have the skills to pinpoint her location. Maybe I should find someone easier to locate first."

Then a popping sound came from nearby. He turned to see a pink flash, and then a smaller Pokemon appeared. She had a seemingly underdeveloped body, but her eyes betrayed that she was one of the oldest beings in the world. "Hey there, Manaphy!"

He smiled. "Hi Mew. Good to see you well."

She drifted through the water to get closer. "Yeah, but I'm not so sure about you. Kyogre said you seemed distracted when you hatched. Did something happen?"

"Was that all she said?"

"Not exactly. But you shouldn't be making me worry about you. You've been acting oddly for a while. What's the deal?"

Manaphy would usually tell others not to worry about him, but he knew there was no point here. Mew was known to every Pokemon as The Mother because she had that kind of love for everyone she ran across. "Actually, I was looking for you to talk about it. But you're hard to find when I want to see you."

She blushed. "Oh, sorry, I don't mean for that kind of thing to happen."

"It's fine, I understand."

"So what is it that's been on your mind?"

"Well, it's... you know how we sometimes take in other Pokemon as our own? You know, the abandoned hatchlings and the like?"

Mew smiled. "Yeah. You're so good at that; all the ones you've raised love you for it."

"I know, but... I've been wondering what it would be like to have my own child."

She studied him quietly, seeming to gauge how serious he was.

"As much as I like the adopting and bonding with others, I feel jealous when I see the mothers that care for their own children. There was this one time, as I was watching a Floatzel teach his three Buizel children to hunt, that I felt like something was missing for me. I know the children I call my own love me, but I still wonder what it's like to have an actual child. I don't know if I can explain it any better. I just don't feel like I'm living a complete life as I am."

"That's very unorthodox," Mew finally said. "Pokemon like us aren't supposed to have children. That's never happened before."

"But why can't we? I know we weren't created like the others, but we have hidden powers that the others don't. Why couldn't one of us have a child if we wanted to? Then I thought, you would really have the best potential for that, or to make something happen for me. I mean, since you were encoded with all of the secrets of life."

"I don't even understand those secrets. But I do see what you mean. The others have several ways to have children, and then we have none?"

"The rebirth thing just isn't the same, since it's me every single time."

"Still, are you sure you want that to happen? You'd be risking a lot. You might even have to give up your powers and rebirth cycle. Even if you don't, I find it highly unlikely that your child would be capable of them. It would live just one life and you'll have no idea how short or long that will be."

"I know that, but once it got into my heart, I just can't let it go. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking that I should have a child and something is wrong because I don't have one. I thought going through death would help me give up on the idea, but it seems to have gotten stronger. If I come to find out that the answer is an absolute no, I don't know what I'll do." He brought his flippers up to cover his eyes.

Mew came closer and patted his head. "Keep yourself together, Manaphy. This may have never been done before, but if your instincts are pulling that strongly, then something is up. As for how it could be done, I'm not sure."

He pulled his flippers down and together. "Will you help me?"

"I'll see what can be done." She made a graceful arc backwards into the waters, then turned back to him. "But you know, I'm not sure this is the place for your dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to have a child, you'd want a good place to raise it, right? Go find one. I believe, if your heart speaks true, you will find it by the time I can give you the answer."

"Oh, right, of course. I'll go looking, then. Thank you so much, Mew."

She shook her head. "Don't thank me until I've got something done. I'll find you again." With another pop, she vanished.

Agreeing that the Dead Tides were not where he'd want to raise his child, he set out to find the perfect spot.

Manaphy considered his own birthplace in the arctic cap, but soon discounted it. He was all right up there because he remembered everything, especially how to avoid the tough predators in that area. But most Pokemon in that area thrived on instinct, spending only days, sometimes only hours, with their mother. That was not the place.

There were various spots throughout the world's oceans that he loved, but which one? Some had dangerous predators. Others had dangerous storms. Some had whirlpools while others had waterfalls. And yet others were gorgeous, only with humans living uncomfortably close.

But, following his heart as Mew hinted at, he found himself in a warm tropic area. Corsolas and corals grew profusely here, but it was distant enough from shore that the humans rarely came. Many Pokemon and regular animals lived here, but those numbers would deflect interest in his child as potential prey. There would be storms to worry about, but it was mostly calm. And some distance from the main coral and Corsola colonies, there was a wide sand bed where kelp grew.

Feeling it was the place he wanted, Manaphy stopped to rest. He found it difficult to sleep, though. Whatever part of his mind wanted to have a child was now bewildered at what to do next. It wasn't supposed to happen, but something had triggered this incomplete parental instinct in his mind. It would not let go, even when it was fruitless for him to follow it.

Why was that? He had considered it many times over the past few years and had not come up with a good answer. He had adopted other Pokemon over his life to pacify this desire, but something had pushed it over the edge this time. One would think that if any of them would end up with this problem, it would be Mew with her maternal love for everyone. Then why was he the one going crazy?

Eventually, he must have fallen asleep as the next thing he thought clearly was hearing Mew call his name. He opened his eyes, but soon realized that he felt exhausted. She was spinning around trying to get his attention while Kyogre's spirit drifted nearby. "Hey, come on!"

"Mew, Kyogre?" he murmured. "What is it?"

"You don't look that good," the large whale said in concern.

"Well I came to check up on you," Mew said. "I've been asking around, seeing if there were any favors I could pull to do something. I couldn't find anything, but when I arrived, there was a huge blue swell around you. I got Kyogre, but she didn't know anything about it."

"A swell?" he asked. "Like a storm swell?"

"Not quite," Kyogre said, after a moment's hesitation. "It was more like... a reality shift."

"Yes, and then you two appeared," Mew finished up.

"Two?" He looked at them and realized they were looking just behind him. He turned around and found what he'd been looking for all along.

It was an odd egg, distinctly blue like his eggs. However, those never appeared until his spirit left his last body and returned to his birthplace. It didn't emit the same potent force, but there was a breath of life there. It lay half-buried in the sand.

Manaphy touched it. Instantly, his stalled out instincts jumped over the missing information and continued on their merry way. "It is my child," he said in soft wonder.

"I don't get it," Kyogre said. "He's even identified himself as male this lifetime, so how'd he make this egg on his own?"

Mew drifted for a moment with her eyes closed. "Long ago, when the very idea of life was new, there was a great desire and need for it. It could not be, it could not come from what had been, it absolutely could not be... but then at one moment, everything clicked and life began. This may be an echo of that, a rare moment when the desire and need for a new life is so great that it comes, heedless of any reason."

"Your love is that strong," Manaphy said, looking back at her. "But mine... I didn't think it could."

"But it has, so your love must be that strong."

"But there can't be two of him around," Kyogre protested. "That isn't how things work."

"It is his child, but I doubt it's exactly like him." Mew came down and reached out to the egg. Manaphy felt a sharp stab of protectiveness, but forced it to relent. He could trust her. She observed the aura of the new life. Then she backed off with a gasp. "Oh dear..."

"What, is something wrong?" he asked, panicky.

"No, no, it's something normal, just," she made a visible effort to calm herself, then turned to him. "I hope you are ready for this. She won't be as powerful as you. And she... well, she's normal for the average Water Pokemon. Maybe a bit better, and yet... I really hope whatever power allowed this to happen knows what it's doing."

"But what's the problem?" Manaphy insisted, trembling so hard that his bulb flung itself around erratically. "You aren't telling me something."

Mew's large blue eyes seemed particularly sad at that moment. "I'm sure you know, what the problem is. I'll will be there for you if you or your child ever needs me. I really hope you're ready."

She wouldn't elaborate any more and left soon after that.

After a few days of puzzling over the egg's appearance, Manaphy decided to take the blessing for what it was. He found himself having to constantly put himself in check. Normally, he liked to make friends with any Pokemon who came along. He could understand any of them: the bullies and the bullied, the predators and the prey, the jaded and the innocent, the deluded and the perfectly normal. He could manipulate his own mind to see things from their point of view, and thus they always came to appreciate him.

But as he kept watch over his egg, he found himself less inclined to be friendly and more inclined to lash out at any who came too close. He could feel that the Mantine before him liked to swim through this area when he felt lonely. However, the path he wanted to swim came right over where the egg lay. "Yes, I can see that this place is a good ground for solace," he said, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold back his fiercer instincts. "But I can't let you be here."

"Is something wrong with you, Manaphy?" the Mantine asked. "I mean, I've only met you just now, and yet, this isn't what I've heard you to be like."

"That's true, I'm not myself right now." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I really can't let you swim near here."

"Oh, I see. I'll be careful." The Mantine swam away, keeping a wary eye on Manaphy.

Feeling guilty, the older Pokemon drifted down to the egg. It was a biting conflict in his heart, between his powers berating him for not letting a saddened Pokemon find its peace and his newly voiced instincts that advised that the Mantine was still closer than it should be. He stroked the eggshell and sighed.

"I wish I could be normal, like you," he whispered. "I know that I have a greater purpose in the scheme of things, but... why did everything have to get strange so that you could be here?"

The egg thumped.

His heart thumped in response. A frantic pulse in his mind wanted to know that everything was safe. Manaphy darted around, not wanting to go far, but driven to make sure that there was no potential danger to his child. After the hurried search, he came back as a faint web of cracks appeared.

The next fifteen minutes were agonizing. He knew he had an easier time of it when he got reborn. This just proved it. But then all his fears and worries vanished for a moment when he found himself face to face with his daughter.

She looked almost exactly like him. She had his body, his bulb at the end of a ribbon-like antenna, his triangular flippers. She was a bit lighter of a blue, though, and she lacked the yellow forehead markings. Simplified, that's what she was.

He smiled warmly at her, feeling a joyous pride come into his heart. "Hello. I am your father, Manaphy. I will name you Phione."

Phione flicked her antenna some, causing the bulb to flicker. She seemed to feel safe and comfortable with him nearby. "Hello, father." Then she smiled.

It was the happiest moment of his life, as long as that had been.

Phione couldn't swim as strongly as Manaphy. But she was able to cling onto the Mantine's tail as he raced about the kelp forest. "Wheee! You can't shake me!"

The Mantine laughed. "Oh you don't think so?" He shook himself briskly, making her squeal again.

Manaphy smiled at this, having tempered his protectiveness down to a reasonable level. The local Pokemon had been greatly surprised to find out that he had a child, but many had accepted her with open hearts. It helped that she was as kind and friendly as he was, smiling easily with laughter that was like music. She had made many friends over her first six months.

When the two friends paused in their play, he swam over to them. "Phione, come with me."

"Okay!" she said. She turned and waved at the Mantine. "See you later!"

"Yeah, later." He smiled and swam off.

Phione giggled as she paddled up to her father. "He's so nice."

He felt a momentary worry that she might be too young for... but that could wait until she was old enough. "He is. I have some more things to teach you now."

"Really? Like what?" Her eyes sparkled with interest.

Manaphy spread his flippers out. "It's about water, and the world that lies above it."

"Above the water? Isn't there just the sky?"

"No, there's much more than that. There is land, like the ocean's floor below us, only above water. Many Pokemon live there."

"How do they do that? Doesn't everybody need water?"

"There's a lot more to life than what you see around you. Water can evaporate and climb into the air, creating the clouds we see in the sky sometimes. Those clouds go over the land, where the water inside drops down as rain. The rain then gathers in ponds and streams, which flow into lakes and rivers, which eventually comes back into the ocean."

"Water can do that?" She looked thoughtful.

"Yes, it's a powerful force."

"What's a pond like? Or a river, or those other things you mentioned? Can I go see them by joining the clouds?"

He laughed at her curiosity. "There are many of those places, each unique and different. You could go there if you wish." He brought his flippers up to his face. "You are almost ready to go out on your own."

Phione's face glimmered with excitement at that possibility, but soon sobered. "But what about you, father? Will we be all right, on our own?"

"I've lived alone for centuries. I've told you before, that you are my dearest blessing. I love you, child, but I also have faith in you. You will go out and see the world with your own eyes in due time."

When Phione was two years old, Manaphy found her in a freshwater lake. "This is so different from the ocean," she told him. "But it's all wonderful just the same. The Magikarp told me that there's tunnels in a pond north of here that, if you go down them far enough, you'll reach this massive underground lake where you can't even see the sky! I'm going down there myself soon."

"That's great, but what happened to you?" He touched her left flipper with his; there was a healing wound there.

"Oh, that. I ran into this Carvanha, but he didn't want to be friends. He thought I was something to eat and tried to kill me."

Manaphy felt relief and worry at once. That was one of the things he feared for her. "Thank goodness you got away. I told you, you have to be careful around predators. They won't recognize you as they do me."

"I know," she said. "I fought him off on my own."

She was leaving out the fact that she had enjoyed the close call, Manaphy realized. He kept silent this time, but inwardly hoped that she wouldn't continue to be that reckless.

Manaphy came back to the wide kelp field. It had been five years ago now, he thought, that he had come here hoping for some miracle. And she had come. He closed his eyes, content to recall the wonder of every encounter with her. It was different from his adopted children. He felt such a deep connection to Phione. That love was unquestionable. He didn't care what she did, really, as the joy she brought into his life made anything forgivable.

He liked meeting up with her and listening to stories of her life. It was all ordinary stuff. He had heard such stories time and again, yet it was still interesting to hear her variation and her thoughts. And it would be about time to go looking for her again, right? It had been several months.

He felt the presence of someone nearby. When he looked, he realized that Phione was there too, brushing her flippers across the sand. Smiling, he swam over to her. "Phione! You came back here?"

She seemed startled, but then smiled back. "Oh, father. Yes, I came back. It's good to see you well."

Manaphy frowned. Something wasn't right. She seemed tired and spoke mechanically. "Is something wrong? You don't seem well."

She sank down into the sand. "I feel very tired. I did make a big effort to get back here. I didn't remember the currents being so strong."

He came down to sit by her. "You didn't have to push yourself."

"But I came."

"Why? Were you looking for me?"

"I hoped you would be here, but that's not it."

"Then what is?"

"I..." she stalled and looked saddened. "I became friends with a Mothim, but then he told me that he only lives for one year. I asked him if he was sad or scared, and he said no. He said that he enjoys every day he has, knowing that life will carry on. Life always carries on..."

He patted her back. "Life ends, yes, but it does always carry on. It finds ways. Anyhow, if you're tired, you should rest."

Phione's eyelids lowered; it was apparent that she wanted to, but felt that she had to say something more. "Thank you, Manaphy, for bringing me to life. I've enjoyed it."

"There's no need to speak like that," he said.

But then the light in her eyes faded out.

"Phione!"

She was dead.

Mew appeared in the kelp field of the ocean. She came down to Manaphy, who sat dispirited in the sand. "You knew that it had to happen," she said softly.

"You didn't tell me it would happen so soon," he replied, without the energy to be angry.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

She twitched her tail, noting that his eyes had not moved from the sand. "Except maybe in not coming for a couple of days."

He sighed. "No... if you had come sooner, I would have been more hostile. As it is… I've been thinking."

Mew waited a bit, then asked, "About what?"

"What Phione was trying to tell me. About how life always carries on." He pointed to the sand. "She left three eggs here. But, that's why she died. She couldn't live after that."

"I see. She managed to create a family for you."

"Yes. I still want to know why all this happened." Manaphy sniffed and rubbed his face. "I still can't figure it out. In the meantime, I'm watching these eggs for her."

The sound of splashing had caught Manaphy's attention. He observed a human Trainer with her Water Pokemon playing on the beach. It would have been an ordinary scene, save for one thing. One of the Phione was with the group.

He swam in closer, then waited for the Phione to be the only one underwater. He sent out an inviting whistle, waving his fin when his descendant noticed. The male turned to his Trainer and asked for permission to go deeper on his own, coming out as soon as he got it.

The Phione seemed awed to see him. "Are you really Manaphy?"

He nodded. "Yes. How are you doing with your Trainer?"

He flipped his antenna around, causing the bulb to flicker happily. "Great! I single-handedly beat a Gym last week. Well, with her guidance, but I was the only one she used."

Manaphy smiled. "Good. I'm glad to hear of it."

He titled his head curiously. "So is it true, what I've heard? That you are our direct ancestor?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Wow. But I thought the Pokemon of legend couldn't bear children. Why were you made an exception?"

He brought his antenna close and made his bulb glow with a comforting light. "Feel this? From the first moment I opened my eyes to the oceans, I have always been able to understand others. I adapt my vision to see from your point of view, then offer comfort or encouragement as needed."

The Phione was entranced. "I can feel that. That's amazing."

Manaphy set his bulb to back behind his head. "But as it turns out, I can only know so much by doing this. Some things I had to learn first hand, the best and worst of life. Since I have, I can use my powers more effectively and encourage those who wouldn't have listened before."

He nodded. "I like to encourage my teammates, but it is easier when it's something that I've been through."

"Exactly." He patted his descendant on the back. "And thus, you and your kin carry my legacy."

…

Manaphy Platinum entry: It is born with a wondrous power that lets it bond with any kind of Pokemon.

Phione Platinum entry: It drifts in warm seas. It always returns to where it was born, no matter how far it may have drifted.


	82. Magby, Smoochum, Elekid

Tucked away in the suburbs, there was a shop called Little Companions. It was an old mom and pop store that had been on Maguire Street since the area was a small village dwarfed by its big city neighbor. The city had swallowed the village whole, but the Pokemart franchise had yet to put Little Companions out of business.

The main reason for this was because the family owning the store were well known as excellent breeders. At all times, they kept a few young Pokemon up for sale. It was never a lot at a time, but the species they raised were rare. They even traded with distant Trainers in order to get even more unique types in.

One of the three currently for sale in Little Companions was Magby. He was a slender red chick with a lumpy cap-growth on his head. Tiny embers continually drooled from his bill; if he held them in, his throat would get really dry, maybe even hurt. However, the girl looking at him made a face. "That's gross. Can you teach him not to drool like that?"

"He'll get control of his fire powers when he evolves," the shopkeeper said. "It's perfectly normal, so don't place him near something dry or flammable."

"I dunno." She looked around for a bit longer, but left without buying anything.

Magby hung his head low. "Aw man... am I bad?"

The shopkeeper patted his head. He was a kind human. "Don't worry, little guy. I'm not sure you would have done well under her anyhow. But once we get a real fan of Fire Pokemon in, they'll be certain to make you great."

"Maaaaagbyyyyy!"

He looked down to see a small pink Pokemon with blond hair running across the shop floor. He thought Smoochum seemed like another almost-bird, but she insisted that she would grow up to be almost human. "What is it?"

Looking up at him, she failed to notice the edge of the floor tile and tripped onto her face. "Oof."

Magby hopped off the store counter and waddled over to her. "You okay?"

She got up and rubbed her wide lips. "Yeah, I guess. Did something get on my face?" She glanced around and soon spotted a metal bumper. It protected the merchandise on the shelves from falling off if ran into. Because it was curved, it reflected them as much wider and squatter than they were.

"No, you're clean."

"Oh good." She frowned at the bumper. "I don't like that thing. It makes me look ugly."

Not wanting to get her lost on that subject, Magby asked, "So what were you calling me for?"

"Oh, right! Elekid found something cool. Come on." She turned and hurried back down the aisle.

"Hang on; I can't run as fast." He followed after her.

At the other end of the shop, they found Elekid standing inside a cardboard box. He was a bright orange feline with black stripes; the box was taller than his plug-in horns. It was standing on its side, the open end facing them. A few small items were left inside. He waved one of his clawed hands at them. "Hey there, Magby. Look what I discovered."

"That's a nice sturdy box," he replied. "What're you using it for?"

"It's my own personal television. I'm going to be a celebrity."

He perked his head up. "Really? That's awesome. So, what kind of show are you on?"

Elekid waved his arms out. "What else? A cop show. Wanna watch?"

"Sure." He and Smoochum sat in front of the box to watch.

Their peer brought his hands out, as if imaging the scene. "So the cop's sitting at his favorite coffee shop..."

"Eating a donut?" Smoochum asked.

"No! Everybody makes TV cops eat donuts, so my show won't."

"What's he eating then?" Magby added.

Pausing in his story-telling, Elekid thought. "Mmm... a danish. Again... the cop's sitting at his favorite coffee shop, eating a danish, when all of a sudden, PA-ZOWIE!"

Right as he said PA-ZOWIE, he touched a metal nail that was in the box with him. Bright sparks of electricity flared up, sending a bright flash around the cardboard box. The two other young Pokemon stared for a moment, then clapped at the special effect.

He continued with a grin. "A big bad, uh, bad guy appears!"

"Is he an alien?" Magby called out.

"Um, possibly. Okay, so the big bad possibly alien bad guy appears with a super electro-gun! But the cop is not afraid! He gets up and starts chasing down the bad guy." At this, he began swinging his two arms around. "And they go run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run."

"Oh my!" Smoochum squealed, grabbing Magby's clawed hand. "This is so exciting!"

Elekid began spinning his arms faster. "And then the bad guy steals a car! But not to worry. The cop brings out his radio and calls out his car! And then comes the great big car chase! Everybody is rushing around the city, going zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom." He started spinning in place to emphasize this.

"And they crash into a fruit stand!" Magby called out, jumping up and accidentally knocking Smoochum over.

"Yeah! And fruit goes flying everywhere, getting all smashed up and making everyone in the vicinity sticky. But even that doesn't stop the bad guy or the cop! They keep on with the chase. Chase, chase, chase, chase, chase." He started running laps around the box, swinging his arms around.

Getting onto her feet, Smoochum put her hands together. "Um, how long does the car chase scene go on?"

"Well I can't fire the super electro-gun until I've got a big enough charge, so... whoops!" He had stumbled over the nail he'd hit before.

"Oh no!" Magby cried out. "The cop got in a nasty wreck!"

Elekid got up. "But he did so intentionally, so he can stop the big bad alien bad guy." He swung his arms around again. "But then the bad guy bursts out of the rubble! He begins charging his super electro-gun, this time to way-too-awesome power!"

Excitedly, the Fire type hopped into the cardboard TV. "Not so quick, for now comes in the alien bounty hunter cowboy!"

"Alien bounty hunter cowboy?" his co-star asked.

"He's a cowboy that hunts down alien criminals."

"Oh. Well awesome! But he's still charging." Elekid spun his arms as fast as he could, to increase his charge.

Magby pointed his index finger out. "Well the cowboy has anti-alien guns! POW!"

"Erk!" He flopped over, letting his tongue hang out. "And the big bad alien bad guy is down for the count!"

Smoochum squealed. "Eek! The car wreck has gone up in flames!"

Looking down, they saw that the embers dripping from Magby's beak were beginning to smolder on the cardboard. He put his hands over his face. "Oops. Sorry!" He got out of the box.

"But the cop's still in trouble," the Ice-type said, clambering into the cardboard TV. "And then his magical girlfriend shows up to save the day once and for all!"

"I have a magical girlfriend?" Elekid asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Yes!" She took in a deep breath, then blew snowy crystals over the embers. They went out in an instant. "And the cop is saved."

"Geez, thanks magical girlfriend." He got back onto his feet.

She giggled. "Now you've got to kiss me in gratitude."

Elekid's eyes went wide. "What? No! It's in my contract that I don't do any kissing scenes."

"Are you sure? See, there's a clause at the end of it, that you don't have to do any kissing scenes unless a cute starlet comes onto the show. Well I'm a cute starlet, so you've got to kiss me." She puckered her lips.

He scratched his head. "But I, um... oh drat. Stupid fine print clauses."

Magby gave him a salute. "My friend, you fought bravely. We shall remember your courage to our dying days."

"Thanks man."

She stomped her foot. "Aw come on!"

"Well, um, all right. I suppose every great actor has to do this once." He hopped over and gave her a reluctant kiss on the lips.

There was a jolt of electricity as the charge Elekid had built up jumped over to Smoochum. She fell back with a shriek. The two young males came over in concern. "Smoochum?"

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." Elekid bit his tongue. "I didn't think about that."

Despite having her hair suddenly frizzed out, she laughed. "Wow, cops are really great kissers."

The shopkeeper came by and knelt down. "Everything okay over here? You kids need to be careful."

"It was a shocking first kiss," Smoochum said.

"I think I'd better check on you." He picked her up and carried her out to the check-up room.

"That was an odd twist ending," Elekid said.

Magby clapped his hands. "But the cop who doesn't eat donuts show was great! We ought to make another episode."

"Yeah! Except, maybe without the magical girlfriend."

Moral of the story: Don't kiss an Electric Pokemon unless you're well grounded.

…

Magby Leaf Green entry: Each and every time it inhales and exhales, hot embers dribble out of its mouth and nostrils.

R/S entry: Smoochum actively runs about, but also falls quite often. Whenever the chance arrives, it will look for its reflection to make sure its face hasn't become dirty.

Emerald entry: If it touches metal and discharges the electricity it has stored in its body, an Elekid begins swinging its arms in circles to recharge itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Partly inspired by the Muppet Babies show (love that one!). I like how little kids tell stories, although translating them to a written work usually entails tempering Mary-Sues, like the alien bounty hunter cowboy here.


	83. Lairon, Aggron

Black smoke trailed across the sky. Warm ashes drifted with the breeze along the open field. Overhead, the mountain lay bleeding, a trickle of lava tumbling down the eastern face. It was never a violent outburst from this volcano. No, always just a quiet lumbering lava flow that scorched the landscape.

Various Pokemon were scurrying about to change their homes. Those sensitive to the ash, fire, or gas rushed to find a new location away from the flow, while those who thrived in such conditions moved in. One of the former was a large iron-clad beast who watched the fire's progress from afar. "And it had just recovered from the last big lava flow," the Lairon said to himself. "That's a shame." He turned and moved on.

Every now and then, he paused to check on the surroundings. The caution paid off, as he felt the vibrations of a rival walking his way. It was a treacherous idea to come this way for a new territory. But he had no choice. Lairon's former land was now being swallowed by the lava flow. And it didn't matter which way he traveled; there was sure to be another of his kind around who wouldn't take the intrusion lightly.

They met across a dip in the landscape. It was another male, one he had fought with over this boundary for years. The black spots dotted across his steel gray armor gave him an identity, if one cared to learn the patterns. "What are you doing in my land?" the rival sneered.

"I"m taking this area for my own again," he replied. Certain other Pokemon might try pleading for pity about the lava flow. But it wouldn't work here. It never did among the Lairon kind.

He snorted and stamped his hoof. "I won't allow it. This is my land!"

"I am not backing down."

"Then I'll prove it to you." He lowered his head.

The wandering Lairon did the same. Good, he was being quick about this. If he kept trying to talk and bluff him out, the debate would stalemate until they did prove themselves. He readied himself, then charged across the dip at his rival, who was doing the same.

The tremendous clash caused by the head-on collision echoed through the mountains and valleys for miles around. Young Pokemon bolted in fright, thinking that the volcano had finally exploded. Older ones, having heard this kind of thing before, just shook their heads.

Although the wandering Lairon gave it his best effort, when he collided with his rival, he got thrown back five feet. As their armors rang in resonance, the rival smirked. "Then that's it. Get out of here.'

"I'll be back," he threatened. But it was an empty threat. Without his own land, he didn't feel as strong as usual. He had to claim something.

But where could he go? He had encountered others of his kind all along his territory. That is, all but up the mountain. It was said that even stronger Pokemon lived on the volcano. But he'd never had any territory battles with other species. Could that work out?

Deciding to try, the wanderer turned towards the volcano. Black smoke continued to loom overhead.

Slopes had always been a hassle to navigate. His whole body lay low to the ground to support the weight of his steel armor fully. If the grade was gentle, the wandering Lairon could handle it. But with it varied, and getting steeper, it was difficult to keep himself from sliding on loose rocks.

But the land here was magnificent. Despite the rough conditions, the grass grew tall and lush. Young trees stood bravely, growing as fast as they could to make up for a shortened life expectancy. Flowers were abundant, of all sorts of colors. One would think, with stronger Pokemon, that there would be more battle scars.

Pausing, he felt a tremble in the ground. Some Pokemon was coming, a large one. As it didn't seem familiar, he readied himself for a possible battle.

When it appeared, he felt stunned. It was a large beast eerily similar to himself, with a bulky body and steel armor plates. But she was bipedal, with a bulky tail to balance herself. She had clawed hands and three large horns sticking out from her snout. The wandering Lairon had heard about her kind, but didn't know there was one living so near him.

He shrank back respectfully. "Master Aggron, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was crossing into your land."

She chuckled and continued to approach until ten feet from him. "It's not a problem, Lairon. Your land was over there?" She pointed towards the fire down below.

"Yes. The lava flow has taken all of it."

"And I would say that it was you and some other that I heard clashing a while back."

"Right again. I could have beaten him before, but without my land, I'm not as strong as before."

"That's not exactly true, but I understand." She tapped a claw against her armor, thinking. "I wouldn't mind you staying until the lava cools, but this isn't good land for you. If you don't mind a short trek, I seem to think that there's an unclaimed meadow on the north side of the mountain."

"Maybe. But, why do you help me?" He had a reason to be suspicious. He knew that his kin (and hers) were not sociable, nor helpful. The only exceptions he could think of were times of dire need and a certain season, but it clearly wasn't either of those.

"You ever meet an Aggron before?"

"No."

"Evolution changes you, often in unexpected ways. This is true for all Pokemon. Thus, I'm not restrained by the behaviors that dictate your life."

Lairon considered that, but it seemed foreign to him. "I see. But what do you do, if you don't fight for your land?"

"I fight for it too, but in different ways." She nodded and spread her claws out. "You see this area? A few months ago, it was burnt to nothing by one of the lava fountains. Once that fire died, I came back to this place, revitalized it. And thus, it now is beautiful."

He looked over at a red-violet flower growing near him. Everything he saw was surprisingly healthy. "This is all your work?"

"Not all; plants have a strong will to survive any adversity. But I assisted them by breaking up the soil and bringing in more seeds and saplings. I am not fighting any other Pokemon. I am fighting the destructive forces of the world."

"But you can't fight a force. You can't strike against it in battle."

"Not fighting in that sense. I am not sure you would understand right now, even if I explained more."

"Right. I think I'll look for that meadow." He was going to head off, but something at the back of his mind nagged at him. He looked up at the Aggron. "If you don't mind... since you seem so wise, would you answer something for me?"

"I'll try."

"Okay. My land is my identity. When it is strong, I am strong. I defend it against any other Lairon who would take it. That's what I know. What I don't know, though, is why this volcano keeps sending lava down to destroy my land. Am I doing something wrong?"

She clucked her tongue sympathetically and shook her head. "No, Lairon, you are doing nothing wrong. You are doing what you can to protect your home. However, this volcano is a force beyond ordinary Pokemon. None of us decides how and when it bursts."

"But why does it?"

"That's the same as asking why you do what you do. You have your instincts that you follow, I have mine, and the volcano has its own. But don't let it get to you. When that lava cools, it will have fresh rocks and iron for you. If it did not regularly flow, our food would run out. It's as simple as that."

"That's simple?" When she didn't respond, he added, "I suppose having fresher rocks to eat will be a blessing. I will just have to be patient."

"That's right." She smiled at some inward thought, then waved to him. "Good luck, Lairon. Work on your body and mind, and you might understand what I have said today in your own time."

"If you say so." The wandering Lairon turned to leave. When he glanced back, the master had already gone.

…

Emerald entry: When two Lairon meet in the wild, they fight for territory by bashing into each other with their steel bodies. The sound of their collision carries for miles.

Sapphire entry: Aggron is surprisingly protective of its environment. If its mountain is ravaged by a landslide or a fire, this Pokemon will haul topsoil to the area, plant trees, and beautifully restore its own territory.


	84. Treecko

Entry 36

Today wasn't a good day for me. I wasn't too eager about the whole process, unlike some of the other Pokemon at the lab. But like I wrote last time, I was hoping for some interesting person for a Trainer. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be: whether a tough battler, or a swell contestant, or maybe even something different. Just so long as it was an interesting person to be with, I didn't care what we did.

Things didn't work out that way, though. There were some nice kids there, a couple who even seemed interested in me. But they always picked another Pokemon, until it came down to the last one. Yup, that was me. Out of twelve available, I had to be the last one there. While I was consoling myself that it wasn't that big of a loss and there'd always be another chance, the last new Trainer crashed into the door and smashed his nose.

From there, it was pretty obvious what happened. The klutz king apologized profusely for his accident and lateness. Apparently, he has no respect for alarm clocks. He acted excited to be getting a Pokemon, accepted me without a single thought, then put me back into my Pokeball to rush out.

It seems he ran into something else on the way, because when I was called back out, he had a long scratch on his cheek. He looked over me for the first time and rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, I had to be last and get a Grass starter. You're going to be just plain awful against all the city Pokemon around."

I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest. True, there are a lot of Pokemon I'm weak to that are almost native to city environments. But I'm going to grow up to be fast, and that can often overcome simple weaknesses.

"Well I've already got an awesome team coming around," the klutz king said. "I was hoping for a strong fire type from the Professor. You'll drag us down. So I'm letting you go." He activated the ball's release program and freed me.

I felt odd for a moment. It was like my body vibrated, but then settled down. I guess it was whatever links the ball to us. Anyhow, I wasn't about to let that loser change his mind, so I ran off.

Not much went right after that. Canine Pokemon chased after me, some Pidgies thought it would be funny to tease me, and I found it hard to find any clean place to soak in the sunshine for a moment. And New York City is so immense. I never realized it, but these concrete streets are so long and the metal skyscrapers even longer in another direction. I don't know who decided to nickname these places 'concrete jungles', but they didn't quite get it. There's too much concrete, that's for sure, but it's far from being a jungle. More like a concrete madhouse.

One thing did go right, thankfully. Right at the end of the day, I located a small park. It has about two dozen trees. Not an ideal environment for a Treecko by any means, but good enough for now. I'll explore my new home tomorrow.

Entry 37

This park is all right, but it looks like no one's paid much attention to it lately. The grass is sparse because the soil is of poor quality. There's bitter and poisonous weeds sprouting up instead. While there are clearly labeled trash bins, not many people seem to use them. There aren't many flowers besides dandelions. Not that I mind them; they are a nice bright yellow that cheers up even this dull place and they're tasty. But there should be variety.

The trees are tough old sentinels. Maybe someone took care of them in their youth, for they seem mostly healthy. But lack of attention is getting to them too, and they aren't leafing out as much as they should be. They need some love.

There's not much I can do right now, but I'm going to do what I can.

I started off with the littering problem. Keeping out of notice, I picked up trash that I found and put them into their bins. Once, I noticed a smoker tossing his cigarette butt onto the ground. I managed to snatch up that butt, then stick it in the rear pocket of his pants. It was still warm, so he noticed a short time later. Serves him right.

Entry 40

I had some trouble today. A trio of teenaged humans came by to drink beer and talk noisily. They were annoying even the other humans with all the racket they were making. And then one of them had the nerve to stamp on an empty beer can and toss it behind him.

I did the proper thing. I picked up the crushed can and threw it at his head. Then I dove under a pine tree, so he didn't notice. His buddies just laughed. One of them threw the can back. I returned the deed. After a few more rounds of this, they left, convinced that the park was haunted.

Such idiots. But then they called the police. An hour later, a police Trainer with three Poochenyas came to investigate. The canines tracked me down quickly. "Say buddy," one asked me, "You know of a trouble-making spirit around here?"

"No, but I just moved in a few days ago."

"You're kind of weird for this area," another told me.

"So what of it?"

"We got sent to find a ghost or something that threw beer cans at some people."

"That was me."

"You?"

I hissed. "They were littering in my territory! Complete disrespect. I had to show them that I mean business."

One of the Poochenyas looked surprised. "This is your place? It's kinda trashy as it is."

"I know, but I'm going to make it better. I'll clean it up and make it look good."

"That's gonna be a tough job."

Another then wagged his tail. "Well if you're looking to clean this place up, I suppose you were just protecting it. We'll leave you be for now, but don't let anybody get seriously hurt."

"I won't." And I mean it.

It looks like this park is my responsibility now, even if the humans don't realize it. I've made a nest in the largest oak tree. It's not that great, but neither is this park. But I feel all fired up to do this. Taking care of nature is in my blood. I swear by the great sun above that I will make this a beautiful place.

Entry 49

I'm writing today from a Pokecenter. The nurse seemed quite surprised when I brought out my diary, but she's let me be. I guess she doesn't see a lot of Pokemon writers. However, it's something I learned from my mother. She was one smart cookie. She had won so many intelligence Contests that if she wore as many of her ribbons as she could, there would still be boxes left over. Because she likes it so much, she taught all of her children to write in a diary. I was one of the few who figured it out.

Not that the nurse or any other human would be able to read this. They might be able to decipher some of the pictographs, but not all.

Yesterday, the police got serious and sent a Metang after me. This strange beast of a Steel-Psychic had the same problem as the Poochenyas. It didn't like that I was dealing an eye-for-an-eye with the littering people. I gave him the same explanation that I gave the canines.

It didn't work. "We are not to harm humans in any fashion," the Metang said sternly. "This is not your habitat and you have no right to do as you please. This city has laws, even for Pokemon."

"Well excuse me if no one's bothered to teach me better," I said sarcastically. "I suppose you don't mind the steel monoliths taking over the green earth and choking out all natural life that there is."

"If you believe I am unnatural, then you are mistaken." It fired a blast of Psychic energy at me.

I just barely managed to roll out of that initial blast. I retaliated as best I could. However, while my mother taught me how to keep a diary, she never taught me much on how to battle. All I could do was pound the Metang on the head and Leer a little. I couldn't even make a dent on its skin. But this small park had gotten into my system. It was my land and I was going to protect it from anyone who dared hurt it or try to take me away from it.

It clicked at me. "Your struggle is worthless. Come quietly." The air around it shimmered like it did off the pavement on hot afternoons.

For a moment, I felt hopeless. Then I realized that it was just trying to psyche me out. Angered further, I darted forward and used Pound on one of its eyes. "I swore by the sun that I would make this place beautiful and I will!"

The Metang flinched noticeably, so I struck its eye again. But then it hit me point blank with Psychic. My body felt like it was being ripped apart at the smallest level. I tried to bite its eye as a last resort move, but the damage was too much and I blacked out.

I know I was facing something that I stood no chance against. And yet, I feel awful in that loss. I was taken from my park. I must return, no matter what.

Entry 50

The nurse isn't happy with me. I tried to escape five times today, but every time I was caught by the resident Chansey group. She threatened to capture me in a Pokeball just so that I would stay put. It seems that they fear that the Metang gave me a concussion. I feel all right, except that my trees are calling.

But a reporter came today to visit. She had a cheery Spoink with her. "We want to talk to you about the park," the Spoink told me. "So she'll ask the questions and I'll translate the answers."

"Okay. When will I get back to the park?"

"You won't be returning," the reporter told me. "The Pokecenter is going to turn you over to Pokemon Adoption Services. They won't release a non-native like you back into the city."

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. "How could they do that? It's my home."

She made a note, then asked, "What were you doing in that little park?"

"Apparently I wasn't good enough for the kid who picked me out as his starter. Not that I mind; he was a horrible klutz and I didn't like him one bit. It was the first green place I came to, although not by much. So I determined that I would improve it and make it my own."

"Does that have something to do with why you were attacking people?"

"They were throwing trash into my park. I really hate the smokers, as their cigarettes stink and are poisonous."

They asked other questions, but I stood my ground. I hope they're able to convince the nurse or the PAS to let me back into my park. On the other hand, I also hope they don't portray me as some crazy dangerous Pokemon.

Entry 51

I got two interesting visitors today. The first was the klutz king. That's right, the kid I nearly got stuck with. He came in with the nurse. "So I heard you've been trying to defend some dinky little park. You could have gone to Central Park if you wanted someplace green to live."

"Well sorry if I don't know my way around this endless city," I retorted with a glare.

"And you took on a police Metang to do it. That's pretty gutsy for a Pokemon like you to do."

"You're not taking her back, if that's what you're thinking," the nurse said sternly. "What were you thinking, releasing a non-native Pokemon like her into the big city? She's lucky she just fought a Metang. She could have been run over by a car and killed."

"They're tough creatures," he tried to brush off.

"They're God's creatures as much as you and I. Someone as careless as you shouldn't be a Trainer."

"But I didn't really pick her."

"You were given responsibility for her care and failed at that completely. Every Pokemon deserves respect. If you won't show it to them, then they won't show it to you. And others will know of your neglect."

"Aw come on."

Somehow I feel as though he isn't going to get much support from other Pokecenters now. That's got to be a major blow to anyone's career as a Trainer.

My second visitor was much better. He wore tan pants and a green shirt. "Hey girl," he said with a smile. "I work for city government, handling park affairs. That little park you were found at wasn't officially listed, since it was under private ownership. But when the news reported about your methods of dealing with littering, we've decided to look into buying the property."

"So long as somebody's taking care of it, I guess that's good."

"I might get put in charge of the restoration if it all works out. But I thought that you should be involved as well. It's the way of your kind, isn't it, to protect the forests you've claimed?"

I looked him in the eyes and felt like he was being honest. So I nodded. If things work out, he'll adopt me and let me be in my park as it gets restored. It's still all uncertain, as the old owner has to sell it to the city and the adoption papers have to be certified. But I feel it's hope for a better life than one I could have gotten in the Professor's lab.

…

Treecko Emerald entry: It makes its nest in a giant tree in the forest. It ferociously guards against anything nearing its territory. It is said to be the protector of the forest's trees.


	85. Politoed

Now city guides and all are nice, but they don't tell you about every place to be seen. Such pamphlets will happily tell you about the big name places and all the civic sites to be seen. But if you get in the know with the locals, there's always a few great places that never make the lists. These little secrets often can be better than the big name hotshots.

One such place around here is the Jazz Counter over up on Maple Street a ways. They make a mass of homestyle foods, like chicken fried steak with gravy and real mashed potatoes. Generally, they've got a guy at the piano during the early day, but if you go around afternoon or evening time, they open up their stage to anybody who brings their own instruments. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it ain't, but the players have heart, so you gotta give them that. Especially if it's one of the kids from the school thereabouts.

I can tell you an interesting story about the place, if you like.

You've got your people who play at Jazz Counter once and then aren't seen again. But then you get the regulars, good folks who come on a more or less regular basis. Like Mike and his Politoed Paul. They're getting on to being old folks, but they're out at the place every Thursday evening. Mike plays the saxophone, and he does so well. He teaches at the school, you know.

And Paul, well that Pokemon has got one smooth voice. He comes and hangs by Mike's chair and does this lovely deep melody that I've never heard a human match. They've never played the same thing twice, at least to my recollection. They always played off each other and blended together perfectly. Good folks, they're willing to jam with others who ask to play.

Poliwags are all over the place out here, and so you see lots of Poliwraths about. But not much for Politoed. I hear they've got to be traded or something with a King's Rock. I believe it. Paul's got a little curly hair above his green head that sticks up there like a little floating crown. Makes him all regal, I guess. But he sure ain't stuck up or anything.

There was this one Thursday a while back where we got a bit of a surprise out at the Jazz Counter. Somebody with two Politoeds dropped by while Mike and Paul were playing. One of them I guess was a female while the other was wearing a jaunty purple hat. Paul, of course, was interested in his two kin, so Mike let him take a break while he did a sax solo.

Now I happened to be near the three Pokemon, but I ain't never figured out their language completely. Still, I watched to see what would happen. Paul seemed happy at first, and croaked cheerily with his new companions. The one with the hat spoke the most, while the girl with him seemed to agree on most anything he said. The one time she didn't agree, she smacked the hatted one upside the head. Seems she knows how to keep her guy in line.

After a bit, though, Paul was looking nervous. The other two were talking at him while he tried to impress them with something, but it wasn't working. It was something like one car guy telling about his project Chevy that's half-gutted in the garage when the other car guy tells that he's got two nice shiny hot rods in front of the house and a third in progress. He can try all he like, but the one mid-project guy isn't going to come up to par with the two car guy. Seems whatever the Pokemon were talking about, Paul only had his project while the two others had lots.

Then the dispirited Politoed looked to Mike and got an idea. He talked with the two others about something that they seemed pleased with. With that, the three left the table and went over to the stage. Paul tapped his Trainer on the leg and made a sign that he wanted the two others to sing with them.

Mike nodded, of course. I don't think I've ever seen him turn down anybody that wanted to play along, and he's tolerant of whatever skill level they're at. After thinking a bit, he started a common and simple melody on his sax. It's the kind of thing Clefairies like to sing, so I hear. Paul knew it well and was singing along low as usual.

Now the two others glanced at each other, like they weren't sure about this. But then the male with the jaunty hat shrugged, then belted out this massive note. I swear, you probably could've heard that Politoed from miles away. It was the right note, I suppose, but so loud that everybody in the restaurant was startled. One of the waitresses dropped a plate. Paul stopped singing, although Mike didn't let it bother him. He kept playing.

Then the girl Politoed started singing too, and she was as loud as her friend. Paul wasn't sure what to do; I've heard him croak out pretty loud before, but nothing like this. And he always matched his volume perfectly with the instruments so nobody got drowned out. So he looked down at the floor, apparently embarrassed.

With that, the Trainer of the other two got up. "Will you stop that racket already? That's not how music is to be sung."

The hatted one and the girl Politoed stopped right then, looking embarrassed as well. Paul looked back up, but started leaning against the chair. And then Mike stopped playing.

I know you don't know Mike, so let me tell you something about him. He don't talk much, at least around here. He says a couple of words every now and then, and he usually won't stop his music for much of anything beyond a glass of water. So when he stopped then, everybody paused, wondering what was on his mind.

Calmly, he replied to the man, "There ain't a wrong way to be playing your music, aside from not knowing your instrument or your voice. And that's their natural way of singing, cause they used to have to call out to each other from across great swamps and lakes. So it ain't wrong, just different, like how me and Paul play different." Then he turned to the three Pokemon. "It's all good, long as you've got your heart in the beat."

With that, he went back to playing his music. Paul soon joined him, a good deal happier than he had been a moment ago. The other two, though, they went back to their Trainer and we never saw those three again.

But I'm sure if you come around to the Jazz Counter this Thursday evening, you'll find Mike and Paul there, still playing.

…

Politoed Fire Red entry: Whenever three or more of these get together, they sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing.


	86. Muk, Cherrim

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

The mud was in a gooey state, partly dried after the evening rain. The old street lights hummed and flickered, attracting some nocturnal Bugs. Just beyond the rings of light, unseen Pokemon prowled around, reluctant to leave the darkness. Wild ones hunting or captive ones guarding? It was hard to tell.

In the lights, a small Pokemon hopped along the dirty sidewalk. He looked like a flower with closed purple petals. He had two sets of feet: one on the green stem topping his current form like a small cap, and the other at the tips of his petals. Using the latter, he hurried and used the light for safety.

The flower stopped hopping for a bit to creep along on his tiny petal feet. There was a horrid stench around here, like rotting vegetation and death. Cautiously, he peeled few of his petals apart to look around. Due to the night, it only revealed his yellow eyes in shadow. He could only see a fence of chicken wire and black silhouettes of buildings and trees. Inside the chicken wire fence, there seemed to be a heap of kitchen garbage.

"Is that what stinks?" he whispered to himself. "What're they doing with the garbage out in the open?" He hopped closer to check things out.

"I'd be careful if I were you," a quiet female voice said.

He peeked out of his petals again to see something he'd missed the first time: violet ooze on the ground. As he watched, the ooze lifted itself off the ground and grew, becoming taller and wider than he was. Some of the ooze shifted, revealing large yellow eyes oddly like his own.

Hopping back, he bowed. "Oh! Um, sorry. I didn't mean to disturb anybody."

The ooze formed a mouth, like a smile. "Not a disturbance, dear, I'm just worried about accidentally poisoning a little plant like you."

"You're worried about that?"

"Yes, it wouldn't be very neighborly of me if I poisoned everything and everyone around me. Problem is, it's far too easy for me to do that, so I'm careful. Call me Muk; I don't bother with nicknames or anything silly like that."

"Right. I'm a Cherrim. My Trainer is visiting her grandparents, so I'm just here for a few weeks."

She nodded, as much as a pile of ooze could nod. "I see. They're nice people and leave the garbage out for me."

"Why would that be nice? It's smelly over here. I came over to find out why."

"Oh, pardon me. That's partly me as well. It's nice that they leave it out because that's what I eat. Just not the metal things, but they know that."

Cherrim shied away. "So, erm, you eat all the old vegetables and table scraps?"

Muk chuckled. "You have nothing to fear from me, dear, so long as you don't touch me. You're much too fresh for my tastes."

"Oh, right. But why would you eat garbage? That stuff's smelly and is probably rotten."

"It makes no difference to me. But think, what would happen if I didn't eat this garbage? It would all pile up and turn even worse as it decays. As it is, I come by here and other houses in the area to eat their garbage, then leave them some things to help with their gardens. So it all works out well for everyone."

The flower bud titled himself, puzzled. "What, you leave them garden tools or something? How do you manage that?"

She grinned. "It's not quite what you're thinking. That's my secret anyhow. I just can't get caught by the humans. Most of them get disgusted when they see me and try to drive me out. Not these people, though. They know what I do for them."

"I never thought about what happens to garbage after it gets thrown away, so I guess they must not either."

"So then, Cherrim, what are you doing out here this late? I thought most plants didn't like to be out at night."

"Like I said, I was just exploring. It was all rainy and gray today anyhow, so I haven't done much. My girl's inside talking with her grandparents and really not doing much interesting."

"Ah, a curious one. Well, you'd best go on back inside. There's some wild Pokemon around at this time that wouldn't hesitate to snack on you."

He shivered. "Ah, okay. Thanks Muk! Have a good night."

"You too, little dear," she replied as he hopped back towards the house.

The next day was bright and sunny. It was Cherrim's favorite kind of weather. As soon as his Trainer let him go, he flipped himself inside-out to blossom into a cheery pink flower. Since his petal feet were now spread out too far, he tilted his stem back in order to use those feet for support. He ran through the lush grass, cheering as loud and leaping as high as he could go.

When he came to a rocky area, he caught a whiff of an awful smell, like garbage. But this wasn't anywhere near the fenced in garbage pile he'd seen last night. He hopped onto a rock and looked around. "Hey, Muk! You here?"

Part of the ground seemed to shift, and the oozy Pokemon appeared. "Good morning. Who are you?"

He laughed. "It's me, from last night! Cherrim!"

She smiled. "Ah, yes, so you would be. Good to see you again."

Cherrim twirled around. "I heard, from Grandpa, that you do help out with their garbage and garden. And I was thinking, you know exactly what you're here for, which is great. Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I look pretty on sunny days and smell nice, but you help keep things clean despite looking kinda dirty." He stopped spinning. "Does that make you better than me?"

"It's makes us different, but not necessarily better. You seem like you would be good at cheering people up. I saw you a little while ago jumping around the field and it was a thing to make most people smile."

He hopped in place. "I do cheer people up! Especially on nice sunny days like today, where I feel so happy that it all seems infectious and everybody feels great."

"That's what you're here for. Still, why would a flower like you come out to say hi to someone like me?"

"Just because."

"You don't mind the way I smell?"

Cherrim laughed again. "Not really! Gloom smells worse than you, actually, and I have to battle with him a lot! So I got used to not minding the smell a long time ago. I can be your friend for three weeks, if you like."

"That would be nice."

And so they met daily for three weeks, just to talk and laugh.

…

Muk Fire Red entry: It is usually undetectable because it blends in with the ground. Touching it can cause terrible poisoning.

Cherrim Pearl entry: It is docile as a bud, but turns cheerful when it blooms. It folds back into a bud if sunlight wanes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love doing unexpected things with these little stories. Muk makes such an obvious antagonist that I wanted to make it a good guy.


	87. Hitmonlee

Dewford was a rock-filled island, stranded on its own just south of the Hoenn mainland. There were a great many gemstone caves and excellent fishing grounds all around. However, there was no farmable land and the village was built on a sand plain that was constantly under risk of flooding and tsunamis. The residents stuck it out, though, trading with Rustboro in order to survive.

The island itself was almost a living thing, changing and evolving over time. Due to Pokemon and unstable geography, the dark tunnels were constantly shifting, growing, and shrinking. A peak above ground might not be in the same location six months later. Paths appeared and disappeared overnight. Therefore, most people stuck to the sandy town, where things stayed the same.

Most people. A gray-haired boy was climbing along a steep path to one of the higher entrances of the caves. Being only seven and still light-weight, he scrambled across loose rocks that would have made an adult stumble. He got past the path and paused in front of the dark opening. The salty sea breeze teased his hair, but the air inside seemed dank and still. By the entrance, there was an angel carved from stone.

"Then this would be the place," he murmured. He stepped inside slowly to get his eyes accustomed to the darkness.

It didn't get any easier to see, though. Cracks in the walls and ceiling let in small rays of sun, but that seemed to make the darkness darker. Along the path, he found signs that someone lived here: a box of hand tools, another of fishing gear, a stool. But the only sound he could hear was the whistle of the wind trying to penetrate into the caves.

He came upon a larger room. There was no source of light for this cavern. "Hello?" he called out.

From directly in front of him, he heard a sound like someone moving. He stepped forward, but something crashed into his leg. He tripped to the hard floor, barely catching himself from smashing his face. Thankfully, it seemed someone had smoothed the cave floor.

Click.

The boy was terrified for a moment that he had found robbers or some evil men. But the room was now lit and he saw no one close to him. Near a cheap-looking brown table lamp, there was a Pokemon. His head merged with his body to become one large slab of muscle covered in short brown fur. He had short arms with large fists. Most telling, he had strange gray legs, almost like coils of a tightly wound spring. His feet were larger that his fists, and clawed besides.

The Hitmonlee left the lamp and came to a brightly patterned rug in the middle of the room. He sat down there and watched the boy. Nearby, a small generator began to hum.

Getting back to his feet, the boy watched him back. "Hi, I'm Brawly. I heard some people saying that there was a martial arts master living up here. Is he home? I want to learn from him." He noticed an open passage on the left side of the room and started in that direction.

In a blink, Hitmonlee kicked his right leg out at Brawly. Although he was a good six feet from the Pokemon, the boy felt the foot pass right over his head. The Pokemon then held his hand out to the left passage and shook his head. It was simply a warning: no one was allowed back there.

He backed away. "Oh, okay. Wait... are you the master?"

Hitmonlee looked at him critically, then shrugged.

As odd as it seemed, it must be this Pokemon. Brawly remembered the adults saying that the master was modest, but powerful. He bowed. "May I learn from you? I really want to be stronger. I don't know if you usually take a human for an apprentice, but I'll work hard."

There was a minute of stillness. Wondering if this was some kind of test, the boy waited for an answer. Then Hitmonlee shook his head.

"What? Why not?" He caught his temper right then, realizing that the Pokemon wouldn't be able to explain. "Can't you at least give me a test or something to see if I'm worthy? I'll do whatever you want; just show me how to be stronger."

The Pokemon closed his eyes. Biting his lip, Brawly waited again. This time, the Pokemon got up. He waved the boy back out to the entrance of the cave, but made as if to follow him.

"All right." He walked back outside.

Once in the sun, Hitmonlee went to a sturdy boulder, from which much of Dewford Island and a vast stretch of ocean could be seen. After looking around, he pointed out a large rock jutting out of the ocean some distance from the shore. He waved his hand towards Brawly, then back out to the rock.

"You want me to swim out to that rock?"

He nodded.

Brawly looked down at the area. "That's quite a ways out. But I'll try. You just watch." He began back down the mountain trail.

* * *

 

Hitmonlee came out of the cave and sat on his outlook boulder. Everything seemed okay. And... there. That boy was at it again. Standing alone on the beach after the fishing ships had left, Brawly was contemplating that rock out in the ocean.

It had been two weeks now since that boy had first climbed up to Hitmonlee's cave. The Pokemon had done his best to discourage him from sticking around or coming back. After a flat out refusal had failed, he had sent Brawly on a difficult task. The local teenagers liked to play Chicken with that rock, daring each other to swim out to it and back. But it really was too far out for most people to manage.

Originally, his idea was that the boy would get caught, scolded, and persuaded to give up. That's what happened to most of the kids who dared to reach that rock. But not Brawly. He would wait until all the adults were busy, then go out alone to the closest point to the rock and try to swim for it. Once he was in the water, something seemed to change. He was timid with this, going out partway only to change his mind and return. The furthest he'd gone was a quarter of the way.

But then the next day, he'd be back to try again.

Hitmonlee wondered what was so important to this kid that he'd keep trying the test, even if he was stopping himself far before he got into trouble. He said he wanted to be stronger, but for what? By his observations from up here, the seven-year-old had nothing much against him. He had friends and family, had no special problem with bullies, and seemed quite ordinary. If it was simply a child's dream, it was stronger than most.

After spending longer than usual watching the water, Brawly went in and began swimming. Hitmonlee watched. Prudently, the child kept to a steady pace. He could swim much faster (Hitmonlee had seen him do so), but held back to conserve his energy. He didn't hesitate today. He got a quarter of the way to the rock and kept going.

Interested, Hitmonlee went into the cave for a minute to retrieve a pair of binoculars. His vision was good, but not good enough to watch him all the way out to the rock. He continued watching as time went slowly by. Brawly faltered a bit halfway there, but then decided that he had to finish. The boy continued swimming and, after forty minutes in the water, he made it.

He'd done it. Hitmonlee growled though, angry at himself. He had sent the boy out there to get rid of him, but now Brawly was in trouble. There wasn't a good spot to rest near that rock and the boy showed signs of exhaustion. He wouldn't be able to make it back. Since he was to blame for that, the Pokemon put down the binoculars and ran down the mountain.

With his long stretchy stride, he was there soon. He didn't pause, but went straight into the water and swam out towards the rock. He was able to swim much faster than the boy, having both better strength and stamina. When he got within twenty yards of the rock, he found Brawly. The boy was panicking, being pursued by a Sharpedo.

Hitmonlee put forth an extra burst of speed, then spun around and kicked the large gray fish with both legs. His limbs moved slower in the water, but they still connected with enough force to knock the Sharpedo back several feet. The aquatic Pokemon growled, but swam off.

He then swam over and caught the boy by his waist. Bringing him above water, he looked into Brawly's eyes. They looked dazed.

"Huh? Hitmonlee? Thanks, but I can make it back on my own." He looked around, a flash of dizziness and fear clearly indicated that he'd become disoriented. "I... I can."

Ignoring that, Hitmonlee held onto him securely and brought him back to shore.

* * *

Brawly found his legs almost too weak to walk on, but Hitmonlee continued to hold onto him as they approached his house. His stomach squirmed, not just from the sea water he had accidentally swallowed, but also from what he knew was coming. He tried to open the front door quietly, but it always creaked.

"Brawly, are you back?" His mother came into the living room and saw how wet and tired he was. "What happened to you? Were you out swimming again?"

"Mom, I..."

She came over and hugged him. "What were you thinking? That's the third time you've nearly drowned this month! I thought that you'd have learned to be more careful by now. What if a Tentacruel had gotten to you again?"

That was, unfortunately, true. The first time, he had been on his father's fishing boat and had fallen off. That was a complete accident, as he'd hit his head on the boat's side before getting submerged. The second time was also on the fishing boat. His father had asked him to jump out and retrieve a troublesome trap. Unnoticed by either of them, a Tentacruel had been caught in it. Lashing out because of its injury, it had paralyzed him. And when his father had come in after him, the Tentacruel struck him too. He had still managed to drag both of them back onto the boat, though.

If he'd been stronger, he would have been able to avoid getting hurt both times. Like his father, he would have been able to swim despite the Tentacruel's poison. But it wasn't so. Even if he had made it out to the rock, he still had to be rescued yet again.

With his mother still fussing over him, he looked aside to... but he was gone. "Hitmonlee?"

"What is it?"

He looked at his mother. "What happened... to that Pokemon?"

She glanced around, but there was only a footprint of damp sand on the floor. "He's gone, I think. Thank Kyogre that he helped you. But what were you doing to get in trouble this time?"

She wouldn't like the truth. "I'm really tired," he said, trembling. He was trying not to cry.

* * *

The crunch of loose rocks broke through Hitmonlee's meditation. Looking down the path, he saw Brawly coming back up to him. He waited patiently.

The boy bowed to him again, then stood with his hands rubbing together nervously. "Hitmonlee... thank you for coming after me the other day. I'm sorry I couldn't make it all by myself. But can't you reconsider?"

Not having to stall this time, he picked up a pebble and threw it into the cave entrance. It hit a metal pan, making a 'chink!' sound.

"What is it?" a man's voice called out. He emerged from the cave, brushing his unruly red hair out of his eyes. He was muscular, but not overmuch, as his fighting style relied on being quick on his feet. Looking down at the boy, he smiled. "A visitor, huh? What brings you up here?

Brawly looked surprised. "Oh, are you his Trainer? So then, you're the fighting master?"

"Hmm." He rubbed his nose. "I suppose people are calling me that. Yes, Logan here is one of mine. They call me Tide."

"I'm Brawly; I live down there. I want to learn how to fight, so I came up here looking for you. But then I thought everyone meant Hitmonlee... Logan here, so I tried to convince him to teach me. He told me to go swim out to that rock out there," he pointed to it, "but when I finally made it out there, I couldn't get back. He rescued me from a Sharpedo, so I came back to thank him."

"Is that so?"

Logan bowed his head low, regretfully.

"I see." Tide patted Brawly on the head. "He's sorry he made you do that. But I left a month ago on an important trip. I had Logan stay behind to guard an important item, so he was likely trying to discourage you from hanging around here."

"That was why?" The boy's ears turned pink. "I guess it's all right then. He did come help me."

"Then why are you looking to learn about fighting?"

"I want to be stronger, so people don't have to worry about me. Dad isn't letting me back on his boat right now, because I fell off one time and hit my head. And then another time, both of us nearly died when I got attacked by a Tentacruel. So I need to be stronger."

Tide looked over him for a moment, then knelt down to look at the boy eye to eye. "You aren't going to be strong enough to defeat the sea, no matter what you do. The sea is all powerful, in beauty and ferocity. However, it is impressive that a kid like you can swim out that far."

"I'm not doing that again."

"No, not until you are stronger." He looked up at Logan. "What do you think?"

The Hitmonlee nodded. If he was determined enough to get past his fear of the water, then he deserved a chance.

"All right then. We'll start training you to be stronger. On land, of course."

Brawly smiled. "Thanks!"

…

Hitmonlee Fire Red entry: The legs freely contract and stretch. The stretchy legs allow it to hit a distant foe with a rising kick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's something of an extra challenge to use a Fighting Pokemon without having the story focused on a battle. Try it some time.


	88. Nidoqueen, Bonsley

- _There is an intriguing phenomenon among Pokemon Trainers: most start out very strong around nine or ten years old, then weaken considerably around sixteen and don't recover until their mid-twenties. Some people don't understand why or how this happens. But if you think about it, the answer lies within the nature of the Pokemon themselves._ (J.G., Wilderness Observations)

Shafts of moonlight filtered through the canopy of leaves. A spring breeze carried the scents of late-blooming flowers and tree pollen. Throughout the woods, a multitude of sounds came from Pokemon, plants, and a small stream. The gurgle of the stream was punctuated by splashes of startled fish. Long howls communicated between various watchers of the night. And the crinkle of thick undergrowth indicated that something was walking a wild path.

The crinkles and soft rustles disguised the true size of that creature. She was six feet tall, with a broad body covered in pale blue scales. The Nidoqueen was making her nightly rounds to check on the condition of her territory. On her shoulder, there was a smaller brown Pokemon with little tufts of green growing on his head. The Bonsley felt quite secure there, and watched around eagerly at all the details of the forest.

"It is quieter than usual in this area," Nidoqueen said softly.

"I see a red thing!" Bonsley replied, blinking his eyes at a branch.

She looked closely at the tiny thing. It was a piece of thread, about three inches long. After sniffing it, she was fairly certain of its origins. "A human thing. Odd. Most Pokemon would not mind encountering a human. So why is everyone away tonight?"

"Is it a mean human?"

"Possibly."

"What are humans like?"

Nidoqueen continued walking, at a slower, more cautious pace. "They're clever creatures, child. Their power is that of making things. You know a human thing because it is unnatural. They also have the power to make us very strong. Many Pokemon seek out the humans in order to become stronger."

"Can I go with one?"

"You're still fresh from the egg; you should stay with me a while longer." She glanced over at her charge and noted the shine below his eyes. "Are you crying again?"

"Too wet tonight," he replied, blinking the tears out of his eyes. "I don't like the wet."

"Hmm. You are an odd creature, not like any I've cared for before. One would think, upon looking at you, that you would like water."

"Too much water makes me feel icky." Bonsley thought for a moment, then asked, "Momma, why are you my momma? I'm not like you."

"That doesn't matter," she said with a smile. "Although the moon has seen it fit to bless me with great power, I cannot have children of my own. It is a cruel twist of my life, in a way, since I feel at my best when I have a child to take care of. So I take in lost and abandoned eggs, like yours was. It matters not to me if my children are like me or not, just so long as I have someone to love and care for."

"I am thankful that you are my momma. I was just wondering."

"It's all right, child." She stopped as the snaps of a fire and the scent of smoke tinged the air. "I think we have found the humans. Quiet now."

"?" Words came through the trees, but could not be understood. They came from a male voice.

"..." The reply came from a deeper voice, one that seemed amused.

"What's that?" Bonsley whispered.

"We can't understand them as we are," Nidoqueen answered softly. "But those with them can understand, or so I've heard. Humans make very clever things." She approached the campsite.

There were three adult humans, the two males and one female. They sat around the fire eating their supper. Nearby, there was a green pick-up truck. In the back of the truck, there was a human child, a girl who was tied up. She seemed very upset and scared.

The woman got up and took the mouth gag off the girl. "..." She didn't speak kindly.

"!" The girl cried, getting a harsh response from the woman and laughter from the men.

"They don't seem nice," Bonsley said.

"Some aren't." She snarled. "They have no right to treat one of their young that way. I'd do something, but that great metal thing, I've seen those before. They move extremely fast. One of my sisters got killed by one."

"I think I can jump into that metal thing."

"Are you sure? It's dangerous and those humans certainly are as well."

"I'll do it. We're meant to help others; that's what you taught me."

"Good. You go up there quietly and try to get that rope off her. I'll take care of the adults." She picked Bonsley off her shoulder and placed him on the ground.

"Gotcha." He hopped off into the undergrowth.

The end of the truck was open, so the young Pokemon managed to jump into it when the adult humans weren't looking. Once he started gnawing on the rope, Nidoqueen leapt out of hiding and roared. "You shall be punished, no matter how clever you are," she growled at them.

Two of the adults stumbled back in a fright. The third grabbed a Pokeball from his belt, but she shoved him onto the ground. Although it was against the unspoken laws to severely injure a human, self-defense and defense of a child were acceptable exceptions. She snagged his belt with her claws and ripped it off, preventing him from calling his own Pokemon.

In the meantime, Bonsley had gotten rid of the rope. He hopped on the edge of the truck. "Come on!" He jumped off to the ground.

"..." she replied, anxious.

"!" The other man noticed their captive was getting away. He pulled out a knife and began running for her.

Nidoqueen left the downed man and rammed her shoulder into the other; he crashed into the truck. In the meantime, the woman had gotten into the cab. The engine roared to life. The two Pokemon moved to protect the girl while getting away from the truck. Wary of taking Nidoqueen on themselves, the two men brought out their own Pokemon: a Vulpix and a Hypno.

"I hope you don't mean to harm this little one as well," Nidoqueen snarled at them.

"It's the master's orders," Hypno replied. "We must obey, for he knows what's best."

There was a flash of light. Two forest Rangers and a Kirlia appeared in the firelight. "!" one of the Rangers declared.

"We're protecting this girl from the mean ones!" Bonsley called out.

"Very well," Kirlia responded.

"!" the girl cried.

Nidoqueen turned to her. "It's okay, child."

Since that didn't seem to calm her much, Bonsley hopped up to Nidoqueen and nuzzled her leg. "It's okay; she's my momma and wouldn't hurt you."

The Rangers had stronger teams than the kidnappers did, so the men got into the back of the truck. With tires squealing, the truck took off into the darkness. The girl ran over to the Rangers and hugged one, apparently trusting them.

"..." a Ranger told Nidoqueen with respect.

"We thank you for your help," Kirlia translated. "She was reported missing from another campsite a mile away. We'll get her back to her parents now."

Nidoqueen picked up Bonsley and put him back on her shoulder. "Good. I'm sure we'll see each other again." She then went back to her nightly patrol.

"Are those humans nice?" Bonsley asked.

"The Rangers? Yes. I help them out on occasion. They take care of the forest as much as we do."

"Maybe I'll go with one of them when I'm old enough. When will that be, momma?"

She chuckled. "In time, my child, in time."

- _Since some Pokemon species have always been scarce in number, and others difficult to breed, their instincts guide them to defend any immature creature in order to secure the survival of all. This includes humans, and this is why the strong Pokemon of children are more difficult to defeat in battle._ (J.G., Wilderness Observations)

…

Nidoqueen Emerald entry: It is adept at sending foes flying with harsh tackles using its tough, scaly body. This Pokemon is at its strongest when it is defending its young.

Bonsley Pearl entry: It prefers arid environments. It leaks water from its eyes to adjust its body's fluid levels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The J.G bits (from Jane Goodall!) are some of my headcanon on why ten-year-old Trainers are better than adults in the games.


	89. Munchlax, Combee

Swaying green and tan grass framed a clear blue sky. A coneflower waved in and out of his vision. A short distance away, a river babbled along on its way to the sea. He yawned. Being around noon, it was warm with a soft breeze. Was it worth waking up completely?

He was hungry.

That decided everything. He sat up and looked around. Only a couple months old, his pointed ears were all that showed over the tall grass. He had dull blue fur that blended into the area well. It would turn red when he was older and better able to handle other Pokemon. For now, he was just a Munchlax.

Sniffing around, he searched for some food that was nearby. If he had to, he'd travel for food. But he'd rather not. He'd rather get the closest food available so that he wasn't hungry for long. There were a variety of scents around. The clearest was the sweet call of honey.

Honey... that was the most perfect food he could think of. Sweet and thick, golden and sticky, there was nothing that came close. Licking his lips, Munchlax got up and toddled through the grass towards the alluring scent.

Annoyingly, it moved about the field. It would go, pause for a little while, go, pause for a little while... and not in a pattern that Munchlax could decipher. He turned to follow it, but the scent would take off again. He'd go in that direction and it would be headed another way. Feeling dizzy, he plopped into a sitting position and followed the scent visually.

In time, the scent came straight for him. A yellow Pokemon came buzzing through the grass. It stopped by a sunflower and spent some time gathering pollen. Munchlax looked at it. The honey scent was definitely with this one. "Excuse me."

"I'm busy," the Pokemon said. "Can't stop, must finish by day's end."

"What're you doing... um, Bug?"

"I'm a Combee. I'm harvesting pollen in order to make honey. I have to make enough honey, so I must keep working."

"Oh... you make honey? That's very impressive."

Combee seemed pleased at that, as he made a quick buzz. "Yes, that's what I do. We do, precisely, but I'm the awake one. I gather the pollen and place it in one of my triplet brothers. He transforms it into honey." He moved back from the sunflower and pointed up. "The right one has completed making honey, but the left one needs more pollen, then more time."

"Ah. What do you do with the honey?"

"I give it to Vespiquen. She needs a lot to feed the entire hive."

"Oh, so you make enough to feed the hive?"

"Well if I made just enough for my contribution, that would disappoint her. I do not want to disappoint Vespiquen. So I make as much as I can. When I go back to deposit what my right triplet has made, I will go to sleep and he will be the awake one doing the gathering. If we keep working like this, we'll make lots of honey and greatly please Vespiquen."

Munchlax's stomach grumbled. He patted it, trying to get it to quiet down. "Is it that important to please her?"

"Of course! She is the most powerful of our hive. She is our mother and protector. She needs a lot of honey for everyone, from the grubs to us workers, to her guards, and even herself."

"But you said you make more than you need to."

"Yes, just in case."

"Would you mind sharing some?"

Although he said that his other two selves were asleep, all three pairs of eyes glared at him. "No! Can't share! I must work hard to finish the day's work. If I share, it will take hours to catch back up."

Munchlax was disappointed. Perhaps... "What about tomorrow?"

"That is a new day. I will have to gather more pollen and make more honey."

"And the day after?"

"Make more honey."

"And then after that?"

"Make more honey."

"Do you ever take a break?" He scratched his head. "When do you relax and enjoy the world?"

"No breaks are allowed, under Vespiquen's rule," Combee insisted. "We follow her orders, for she knows what is best for everyone. I enjoy my work. I enjoy the flowers and the process of making honey. It gives sweet dreams and satisfaction. When do you work?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You look like you don't do any work unless you have to."

"I work," he said, thinking over the concept. "I go from place to place to find food. I sleep if there's nothing to be done. And I hit anybody that tries to hit me."

"That's not work. Work keeps you busy every day. Work gets things done and makes you satisfied with it."

"Food makes me satisfied. Honey would really make me satisfied."

Combee shook himself. "Why are you looking for food anyhow? You smell like berries."

"I do?"

"And other things." The Bug flew up to him and plucked out a Bluk berry. "You have this."

Munchlax took it; it was a little warm from sitting under his long fur. "Oh this? It must be one I picked yesterday." He ate it.

"So why didn't you eat it before?"

He thought carefully for a minute. "I... forgot."

"You forgot that you had a Bluk berry? Can't you smell it?"

"Um, not really."

Combee fluttered to his other side and nodded at something. "And what's that brown junk?"

He lifted his arm to see. "Oh... that's peanut butter. I think. I had it a couple of days ago."

"And then there's," he flew down towards Munchlax's belly, then flinched. "Now that's just gross. You need a bath, badly. Do you forget all the food you hide on you?"

"Mostly. It's a nice surprise when I find it."

"And you ate that berry?" Combee gagged. "Sorry, I'll stick with the honey my hive gathers."

"May I have some?"

"No!" The Bug flew off.

"How unneighborly." Munchlax stuck his claws in the peanut butter, sniffed it, then licked it. "Maybe a bath would be a good idea. Maybe there will be something to eat near the river." He lumbered off towards the sound of water.

…

Munchlax Pearl entry: It hides food under its long body hair. However, it forgets it has hidden the food.

Combee Platinum entry: The trio is together from birth. It constantly gathers honey from flowers to please Vespiquen.


	90. Electrivire, Electrode, Pikachu

The skies were darkening with storm clouds. "This can't be good," Surge murmured to himself. "Boys, get up here!"

"Riii!" Three small Pikachus bounded up to the wooden platform. Each of them had a ceramic tag in their ears, marking them as Army Pokemon. After a moment, a larger Electrode came rolling up the ramp. Since it was a sphere, it had to be branded with the same mark.

"The troop that's supposed to move to this island hasn't arrived yet," he told them. "We're still on our own defending this radio tower. I've got a hunch that the invaders will try to take advantage of that. Because of that, I want each of you to be extra cautious. Especially you," he looked to the Electrode. "I don't want you blowing up unless absolutely necessary. No exploding just because a Geodude teased you. We've got a limited supply of revives now."

"Kzzzk," Electrode replied, annoyed with the order, but obedient enough to follow.

"We need to hold out until the troop arrives. Stay sharp."

The three Pikachus all saluted and scurried back to their duties. After a bit, the Electrode rolled back down to its own post. They were all well-trained Pokemon. Surge respected them.

"Still, whoever had the bright idea to leave just Electrics in this area ought to go back to school," he said under his breath.

* * *

It began a year ago. The Western Republic invaded Kanto and Johto in order to force the two regions to join them. While the Republic had a massive spread of land under their control, the leaders were not satisfied with leaving the independent regions be. They seemed unstoppable; some people advocated just giving up in order to avoid war. But most people resisted the idea of joining. There were stories that the main region of the Republic drained all others for its own benefit.

Despite their disadvantage in numbers, the Kanto and Johto regions knew how to use their landscapes to their advantage and were proving to be a harder adversary than expected. The Republic Army investigated and found a potential weakness. The radio network was relatively new and one of the most vital links was on a small forested island south of Vermillion Port. It connected this major port with Fuchsia and many of the interior cities. If the island tower was taken down, the communications blackout would allow for a swift invasion along the southeast coast.

But the combined navel force was another threat. Therefore, the Republic decided to send in a strike force composed of one man and one Pokemon. That was just fine. The pair had taken down much more difficult targets before. They knew they could handle it.

Once the human had covered his boat with a camouflage tarp, he turned to his partner. He was a beast of a Pokemon, looking like a human bodybuilder, but much stronger. "All right, Electivire, we got a radio tower to fry." He tapped his helmet and smirked. "There should be one man and four Pokemon here, but they're all Electrics. Piece of cake, right?"

Electivire grinned. He thrived around strong electrical areas and this tower had its own generator. Nothing would come between him and the raw power waiting there.

"Let's go."

* * *

Dan the Pikachu scurried along the underbrush, sniffing and checking for any changes. His wild peers would be checking for food, rivals, and predators. However, Dan was in the Army. He was checking for far more than that. The Trainers at the Army Camp had taught him to sniff out chemicals that would indicate bombs, poisonous traps, and other human-made weapons. While others might have been excited at the prospect of finding a Thunder Stone to evolve, he knew that he could do his job better this way. He could hide better when small.

Near the shore, he caught the scent of a human. Friend or foe? He couldn't tell. He checked for direction, then followed the human. Taking special care to move silently, Dan realized that the person was heading towards the tower. A messenger?

When he caught up, he snuck up a tree for a better look. The man had dark green armor, good for passing through forests unnoticed. The only identifying mark was painted on the side of his helmet, the flag of the Western Republic. An invader.

Dan leapt out of the tree and made to get to the tower before the human. But then a massive feline Pokemon pounced on him, latching his two wire tails around Dan. He might have gotten away, if the deafening roar and massive pulse of electrical energy hadn't stunned him. The Electivire then reversed his power flow and drained Dan's own power from him.

His training had covered situations like this, though. Dan bit the nearest thing he could reach, Electivire's right forepaw. It caused him to roar and flinch, allowing the Pikachu to struggle and rush away. However, he was exhausted from the power drain.

"After it," the Republic solider ordered. "Kill it this time."

Fear gave him the energy to keep running.

* * *

Surge climbed out of the tower. Electrode looked up at him. "Hzzzzz."

"Right, that didn't sound like a native. Call back."

The sphere Pokemon tilted in a nod, then emitted a low pitched howl. It would carry and inform the scouting Pikachus to return. While the one female Lisa arrived first, Dan soon rushed into the clearing. He tripped up and collapsed, worn thin. Right as he did, an Electivire crashed through a bush.

In the blink of an eye, he proved himself to be a military Pokemon as well. Electivire noted Surge's presence and made him a priority target as the leader of this Pokemon squad. Using the power stolen from Dan, he leapt at Surge, his twin tails sparking and ready to blast anything that connected them.

But the Pikachus were just as quick. Jack arrived in the clearing, then put all his power into rushing at the Electivire. While he was far smaller than the enemy and thus unable to fully stop him, he was able to intercept the tails. There was a massive flash and Surge was thrown back to the ground.

As his sight was clearing up, Surge was surprised to feel less pain than he anticipated. There was a boom that he recognized as Electrode's Explosion. Once he was able to see, he got up in a defensive kneel to look around. Lisa was linking tails with Dan to transmit a bit of power to him, so that he'd get back to his feet quicker. Electrode and Jack were both unconscious; strangely enough, Jack was now a Raichu. Also unconscious was the Electivire, who had been blasted into the air to land in a twisted pose.

A Republic soldier entered the clearing.

"Lisa!" Surge called. "Go!"

Before the invader could react, she dashed over and shocked him. Not enough to kill him, but enough to temporarily paralyze him.

"Let's put up the defense shield. There might be others."

* * *

"Someone made a solo attack on Vermillion Port," the troop's commander explained. "That's why we got delayed three days."

"You got here," Surge replied. "We've handled things fine."

"What about your prisoner?"

"He seems to be a special agent of the Republic and came over with only his Electivire. There was one small boat on the island's shore."

"I see." He bowed his head. "That is quite a feat, if I've heard right. Most people wouldn't dare fight one of them with another Electric Pokemon."

The young man smiled proudly. "I've got a good squad with me. It went to electrocute me and Jack there managed to redirect its energy to evolve himself."

"Rai!" Jack called, proudly waving his long tail.

"Then Electrode tripped it up by rolling under its feet. He even managed to direct his Explosion away from me."

"Kzzzzkt," Electrode quietly added.

Surge looked to the four Pokemon and nodded. "I don't think I'd ask for any others now. We've trained up the best."

…

Electrivire D/P entry: It pushes the tips of its two tails against the foe, then lets loose with over 20,000 volts of power.

Electrode Fire Red entry: It explodes in response to even minor stimuli. It is feared, with the nickname of "The Bomb Ball."

Pikachu Platinum entry: It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Pikachu is one of the most commonly recognized Pokemon, I knew I had to find something different for it. And Electrivire was surprisingly hard to write about for this series. None of its entries made for a good story starter.


	91. Feebas, Tentacool

It was all brown. Brown grass, brown dirt, brown trees, brown rocks, and even brown water filled the area. A freak drought had stuck around for three summers, and this month was particularly unbearable. Many of the lake Pokemon had scattered to safety in other bodies of water. But not the Feebas.

They were brown too, a muddy tan that blended in remarkably well in the dirty water. They continued swimming around the steadily lowering lake, even when they had to slither through some sections. Glad to eat and survive on anything, the school had survived thus far.

On one baking hot afternoon, a young Feebas was sliding along a muddy surface to another part of the pond when he encountered a stranger. The stranger was pale, like a glob of gelatin with red and black fruits mixed in. She looked at him suspiciously and weakly raised a tentacle. "Watch yourself. I can make you sicker than you've ever felt in your life."

Feebas blinked. "Watch myself? How? Every time I turn to look at myself, I lose sight of me."

She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I do!" He turned around to look at his tail, but it spun with him and kept just out of sight. When he faced the stranger again, he said, "I can't get me to sit still."

"Oh... never mind." She dropped her tentacle. "Wouldn't do me any good to make threats even if you did understand them. I'm drying up fast."

"But there's water all around us." He hopped up and splashed, making the mud squelch. "See? Plenty of it!"

She cringed. "I'm a Tentacool. I can't handle this horrid dirty mudhole. If I took this in, it would kill me."

"It's not that bad. A little harder to get around in, so I hear."

"So when is it bad? When the lake is completely dry and you're on land instead of in a lake?"

"That won't happen. It won't be a lake if it were dry."

"Of course it won't be," she grumbled. "Then what? Is fresh water just going to magically appear? It hasn't rained for months."

"It'll happen sometime. Just you wait."

"It won't. Someone must have angered Mother Nature." Tentacool shuddered. "I'll dry up into an ugly scrap before I ever manage to return to the sea. What a terrible fate."

"What's terrible about being ugly?"

"Are you kidding me? What's terrible about being ugly? Everything's terrible about being ugly."

Feebas shrugged his fins. "But that's just how you look, and that doesn't matter. I'm happy, so I don't care about how I look."

"How can you be happy? Your lake is a giant pit of mud now."

"It makes funny noises!" He splashed again, making squelches and smooshes. "And if you get going as fast as you can, you can slide really far on the high parts!"

"You're such an idiot." She closed her eyes.

"Well, I'm happy, so it don't matter." He waited, but got no response. "Tentacool?"

She was silent.

* * *

The sunlight was bright. The sunlight was strong.

The young Feebas slid back and forth between the diminishing pools of water. All the while, he kept an eye on Tentacool. She no longer looked like gelatin, being more like a dead leaf. He had nosed a rock onto her back to make sure that she didn't get blown away. Like his peers, he still wasn't concerned about the drying lake. It didn't occur to him that it could stop being a lake and start being land.

And then one day, the sky was pierced by a shrieking whistle. The sunlight faded to be replaced with dense clouds. The rain was thick. The rain was strong.

At the lake, the resident Feebas group was stricken by a sudden change from thick muddy water to a gushing wall of water. They struggled to keep from being washed away. The young male bit onto the Tentacool's main body and dragged her down into a hole. The incoming flood rushed past him. It grabbed weakened trees, boulders, other Feebas, mud, and a few metal signs to take along its journey.

He fought against the deluge. He pushed his body and fins against the flow as hard as he could in an attempt to stay within the hole. But it only took a momentary lapse into weakness for the water to take him and Tantacool on its journey as well.

With the influx of water, Tentacool took in enough water to revive herself. Bewildered by the drastic change of scenery from mudpit to mudflow, she wrapped her tentacles around Feebas and held on. They traveled many miles in this manner.

When the water settled down, she let go. "Sorry, I panicked. Did you get poisoned?"

"Mmm," he closed one eye and thought. "I don't think so."

"Good."

"That was a rush! That water just came and washed everything away. It was a lot of fun. Too bad it doesn't happen that often."

"Fun? I was scared."

"But it's like I told you: the water came right back when it wanted to. Now the lake's probably full, even though we're not there to see it."

Tentacool rubbed her tentacles over her main body, checking herself for injuries. "I'm surprised that I didn't get eaten when I was dry."

"I looked out for you. There was this Skarmory that wanted to eat you, but I splashed around and made a lot of noise. It got annoyed and tried to eat me, but then slipped in the mud. That was funny. He didn't even try to get you again when he was all muddy."

"Pardon me for asking but, why? If I remember right, I was really cranky then and I probably insulted you."

"Did you? I don't think you did. It gave me something to do other than sliding across the mud. Now that you're all better, you can find your way to the sea."

She looked around at the wide expanse of water before them. "I think we got dragged all the way to the sea. Since you protected me... thank you."

"No problem. I'm gonna go back to my lake." Feebas turned to the river, but it was still going strong. "Whenever I can, of course."

Tentacool rubbed two tentacles together, thinking. "I could show you around the seabed, if you like."

He smiled. "Sure, sounds fun!"

…

Ruby entry: Tentacool's body is largely composed of water. If it is removed from the sea, it dries up like parchment. If this Pokemon happens to become dehydrated, put it back into the sea.

Feebas Platinum entry: It is a shabby and ugly Pokemon. However, it is very hardy and can survive on little water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Feebas entry notes that it's dull, in terms of being dumb. It and Magikarp have insulting entries, but amusing ones at the same time. There's a hidden war behind this story if you care to look...


	92. Fearow

The excellent Sport Fishing Area on the east coast of Kanto was a string of wooden piers that meandered for several miles south of Lavender Town. A hundred yards from the docks, an ocean ridge kept the Fishing Area's waters calm. It was ideal for swimming or fishing.

A boy with spiky brown hair stretched his arms out as he paused at the crossing for the route to Vermillion. "It's another glorious day in the travels of the famed Gary Oak." He grinned out to the sea. "Someday they'll say that I walked this path and they will come down here, seeking to follow in my footsteps. Some day soon."

He brought his arms down and put his hands in his pockets. Whistling as he walked along the piers, he watched the skies. He wasn't that interested in fishing today. But people said that mythical Pokemon sometimes flew along this coast. That would be a major image boost for him, to have a legend under his control. He couldn't wait.

After several minutes of a quiet walk, a dark movement in the skies caught his attention. Gary looked right to it. One of the legends? No... just a gold Fearow... wait, what? He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but it was true. This Fearow had different colored plumage. Was it a new variation? Or perhaps... even the rare shiny?

Gary grinned. So it wasn't a legend, but having a shiny would be just as good. He pulled off one of his Pokeballs and released one of the oldest on his team. "Pidgeotto, go bring that Fearow down here. It's gonna be mine."

Always eager for another fight, Pidgeotto launched himself into the air and was soon on the same draft of air as Fearow. He put on a quick burst of speed to tackle the wild bird in midair, but intentionally missed her. In response, Fearow nipped at his talons, scoring a hit. But the tactic worked; she dropped lower in the air.

"It'll at least save me the bother of training that loser Spearow," Gray commented to his imaginary audience. "Might be a bit much to have three fliers on my team, though."

Pidgeotto continued launching Quick Attacks over Fearow's flight path, continually forcing her down. She seemed leery of landing and violently stabbed at Pidgeotto with her beak when they were twelve feet off the ground. However, that was close enough for Gary. He grabbed an empty Pokeball and pressed the seal button. Then he threw it at the two birds.

From his grandfather's lessons, he knew that Pokeballs converted Pokemon into a digital form. This new ball would recognize Pidgeotto as already tamed. It burst into a shower of light that enveloped the unmarked Pokemon, Fearow. Pidgeotto pushed himself upward to avoid crashing into a bush.

The Pokeball dropped onto the dock and wobbled violently for a second. Then there was a loud crack and another burst of light. Fearow rushed back into the air, having escaped.

"Oh you're not getting away from me," Gary declared. He snatched another empty Pokeball and threw that one. As the light enveloped Fearow, he waved to Pidgeotto. "Try that new move I taught you if she breaks out again."

The brown bird narrowed his eyes as the Pokeball continued to shake. It also broke, releasing Fearow back into the air. Trying to gain an advantage, she began to climb upwards. But then Pidgeotto cooed a soothing lullaby. Sing wasn't a normal move for either of these birds, but wanting to show off his technical prowess, Gary spent an entire weekend getting him to learn it.

At first, Fearow darted down to peck at Pidgeotto while he was busy singing. As she started to climb back up, her eyelids lowered, then closed. She caught a significant updraft, though, and her broad wings were steady enough to keep her in the air.

Impressed by this, Gary felt a strong pride in knowing that she would soon be his. He grabbed another empty Pokeball and threw it as hard as he could so it would reach the rising flier. The Pokeball's light connected and swallowed Fearow within... but before it even hit the ground, the ball broke apart and the golden bird was back in the air.

"Oh come on!" Gary shouted, grabbing another Pokeball and throwing it at her. It also connected, but he'd thrown it too wild and it dropped right into the ocean. There was a minor eruption of water as that ball broke too, letting the Fearow back into the air.

Snarling, he went to grab another empty Pokeball, only to discover that he was completely out. What the... he always kept ten on him, at least. He should have... no. He had used a bunch in Pokemon Tower trying to catch both a Gastly and a Haunter. He had succeeded there, but the Haunter caused him to use a lot of empties and he had been exhausted by the time he had them.

"Great," he grumbled. "The one time I don't go shopping, I get a shiny that doesn't want to stay put. Just great."

Fearow opened her eyes, looked at Gary and Pidgeotto, then got furious. "Raaaaaa!" She dove straight at Gary, pecking him in the head.

Pidgeotto cried out sharply, then went to beat Fearow with his claws. In response, she gave him a sharp peck and knocked him out cold. Then she thwapped Gary with her wings. He brought his arms up and tried to halt her attack. While grabbing at her wings, he got hold of a loose feather "Hey, can it! What'd I ever do to you?"

For a moment, she flew back. Gary then ran for it, back north to where he could reach Lavender. Screaming, the Fearow pursued him all the way.

As he approached the entrance of Lavender Town, Gary finally spotted someone else on the piers, a fisherman. "Watch out!" he called. "There's a mad Fearow behind me!"

The fisherman looked up at him. "Whoa, slow down kid! You're bleeding."

"There's a crazy Fearow, and I didn't see her land once, but she," he looked back. There was no sign of the shiny Fearow. "But, but there was one."

"Oh, them." The fisherman shrugged. "They're nesting in the forests nearby. Didn't anybody warn you not to bother them? They get nasty if they think you're a threat to their eggs."

"Well that's nice to know," Gary grumbled. He looked at the golden feather that was still in his hand. So he had proof that he'd seen a shiny Pokemon. And he might get the scars to prove that it beat him up. Great, people would think that he was a loser now.

…

Fearow Fire Red entry: Its huge and magnificent wings can keep it aloft in the sky. It can remain flying a whole day without landing.


	93. Mareep, Kadabra

"NOOOOOOO!"

The herd of Mareep all looked up, startled. Unfortunately, the air was dry, causing their fleece to build static. When that happened, it fluffed up tremendously, making them look like large balls of yellow wool. Normally shearing helped, but some of them hadn't been sheared for two weeks. The excessively fluffed fleece killed their peripheral vision.

Then a couple of them were able to spot the problem. The other Pokemon that worked with the human shepherd was looking around frantically. "No alarm, it's just Kadabra," one of them said.

"No alarm?" Kadabra put his head in his hands. "No alarm? This is terrible."

"Predators?" The Mareep all twitched their tails; the small bulbs at the tips of those tails were all brightly aglow with static build.

"Not yet. But I've lost my spoon."

"That shiny thing you always have?"

He dropped his hands. "Yes. It's very important that I have it. I can't focus without it, so I can't do my job. But since I can't focus, I can't find out where it is or remember where I may have left it. This is agonizing. I might never be the same..."

The nearest Mareep held up a foot. "Well there's a bunch of us here. Let's look for the spoon!"

"Okay!" The herd began snuffling on the ground, searching for the Kadabra's silver spoon.

Kadabra nodded. "Thanks guys. I'll look too... it's just got me all anxious to be without it."

"Where'd you last have it?" a Mareep asked, deciding to look by his peer.

"I had it before I took my nap," he replied after thinking for a moment. "I was looking into it in mediation. I slept deeper than I meant to, maybe because it was gone. So it should be right here near me." He got up and looked around. "But it's not."

"There's a spoon over here," one of the Mareep called. "It's in the shepherd's lunch."

"What?"

It pointed with a foot. "Right there."

There was a small gathering of the human shepherd's items: a backpack, binoculars, a knife, a first aid kit. There were also the remains of his lunch, a large blue thermos with a meaty soup scent lingering inside. Insultingly, a silver spoon was sticking out of it as if it was just an ordinary utensil. Kadabra picked it out and looked at it sadly. It was smudged and dirty.

"My poor spoon... this is terrible! How could he do this to me?"

"You can clean it," one of the Mareep suggested, trying to be helpful.

"Oh I will, have no doubt." He frowned. "But this is insulting. He knew that was my spoon because he took it from me. And then he ate with it!"

"Isn't that what a spoon is for?"

"Not my special spoon. I told you, it focuses my mind, my mental powers. It is the symbol of my power. It came to me and is a part of me. So if someone abuses my spoon, they abuse me."

"Like our tail orbs?" She caused hers to flicker, getting the rest of the herd to follow suit. "That's terrible. We're sorry we didn't do anything."

"You're not to blame. Besides, you helped find it." Kadabra rubbed his chin. "You might be able to help do something about it in return. This new shepherd hasn't been a good one."

"Yeah, we need a shearing." The speaking Mareep shook himself, causing a number of static crackles. "With this dry weather, we might accidentally spark a fire."

"Yes, and he left us on our own, while I was napping." He looked into his spoon, grimaced for a moment, then focused on the issue. "He's not that far off. Come. We're going to have some fun with him."

* * *

The young shepherd was distracted in love. The woman of his affection would walk by the flock's current pasture every day. Happily, today they talked for a long time. He figured the flock would be all right. Kadabra was with them and would act before danger got too close.

"Is there a day we could get together later on?" he asked. "I can't leave the field today, but maybe later we can go into town."

"Hmm." She pulled her basket of gathered berries closer. "Possibly on..."

"Baaa!"

The sound got the shepherd's attention. He looked back to see where the Mareep were. Oddly enough, there were three bobbing along in the air towards him. As their yellow fleece was thick and puffed out, they appeared like small clouds.

The woman with him gasped and stepped back. "Ar-are those dangerous?"

Puzzled, he looked back at her. "What, the Mareep? No, they're pretty cooperative. I normally don't see them floating like that, but they won't harm..." he was about to say 'you', but then he absentmindedly reached out to touch one. A jolt of static jumped to him, causing a loud snap and sharp pain. "Yowch!"

The Mareep he touched dropped out of the air. After shaking her head, she looked up at him. "Baaaa!"

"Um, I think I need to take care of their fleece," he said, half-smiling in embarrassment. "We can talk later... ow!"

Turning again, he saw Kadabra glaring at him. Apparently he had launched a pebble at him with his spoon. The psychic spun the dirty spoon around as if to emphasize his annoyance.

"You shouldn't be making your partner mad at you," the woman said.

"Right... I've got work to do, sorry."

Kadabra launched another pebble at him.

"And I'm sorry to you too! Sheesh." However, he had a feeling that the Pokemon would be harder to get forgiveness from than his crush.

…

Mareep Leaf Green entry: If static electricity builds in its body, its fleece doubles in volume. Touching it will shock you.

Sapphire entry: Kadabra holds a silver spoon in its hand. The spoon is used to amplify the alpha waves in its brain. Without the spoon, the Pokemon is said to be limited to half the usual amount of its telekinetic powers.

 


	94. Nincada, Dragonair

The tree knew she was there. It tightened its defenses, releasing a bitter chemical into its roots. When she gnawed down on the nearest one, it tasted horrible. She had fed off this tree long enough and it was time to find a new one.

She wasn't in any hurry. Nincada's life was never about hurrying. Living underground, she siphoned all she needed from tree roots, then moved on when it began fighting back. Trees lived slow lives too, but when they took notice, they could get on the defensive quickly. So could she, if her life were at stake. Mostly it was just waiting, though. She had to endure a lot before she would be ready to evolve.

With her claws, she moved dirt aside to crawl out of the ground. Searching for a tree underground would take too long. But when she broke through to the air, sunlight streamed down. Although she was technically blind, the strong light hurt her senses. She would have to cover the hole back up and wait for nightfall.

Waiting was what she did best.

* * *

A sad song passed along the sleepy river. Dragonair always sang from his heart, so the sadness now was undeniable. As he sang and swam, the orbs on his neck and tail shimmered blue. A sheer curtain of rain followed his progress along the water. It was a small comfort.

By a tree that was half living in the water, Dragonair paused to rest his voice. As he watched, a gray and brown Nincada dug herself out of the ground. She twitched her antennae and tapped her claws, checking out her surroundings. Silently, he swam over to her and placed his chin on the elevated bank.

She noticed and twitched her antennae towards him. "I hope you mean peace, stranger."

"I will not bother you if you will not bother me," he replied.

"Good. May the rain bless you."

"I didn't call the rain for a blessing. I called it because I didn't want the sun."

"Ah. Thank you." She turned and began walking slowly, tapping along the ground.

Dragonair lifted his head up, then inched to follow her. "Nincada? Why do you thank me for the rain?"

"You called it."

"But the sun is the giver of life and joy, that which gives us light."

She made an extra tap of her right claw. "I cannot see. Light does not mean joy to me. Light means pain and insecurity, when I can be seen. Darkness is safety, when predators have a harder time finding me. The rain blocks the sun, which kept me from finding a new tree."

"Oh." He looked around. Dozens of trees were scattered around the riverbank within his sight. And yet, "It will take you some time to reach the next tree. Especially if you can't see it."

Nincada lifted her head and pointed down the bank, precisely at the nearest tree, a maple. "I can smell it. I'm not sure what's in the way, but I will get there."

Dragonair swam forward a few feet, then swam back. "This rain curtain follows me. I can take you to the tree."

"You are very kind, thank you." He put his head back down and she felt her way onto it. "What are you called, stranger?"

He lifted his head carefully and slithered along the bank. "Dragonair."

Nincada tapped her claw on him and sniffed. "You are still unfamiliar, but your smell has no harshness. I have never encountered a dragon before. But then, I have never moved very far in my life."

"Do you want to travel?"

"It doesn't matter to me one way or another. Do you?"

"I have traveled far for all my life."

"With a Trainer?"

"I did. She died not that long ago."

"I am sorry for your loss." She gently dragged a claw along his head, apparently a consoling gesture. "But wait and be patient. Time heals all wounds."

"People say that. Here's your tree." He moved closer to the bank to let her down. "I called the rain to be sad with me, but you find it safe, maybe even happy. That seems odd."

"It's different, that is all." When she reached a stable spot, she turned and waved a claw. "You could go be sad with the humans. Your Trainer must have known people."

"She did." He tapped Nincada with his nose. "You're a Bug; you'll live a shorter time than me. But you seem to know a lot."

"Will I live shorter? That doesn't matter, as long as I do live. I have to live underground for seventeen years before I can evolve, unless I go with a Trainer. So I have a lot of time to think. And I'd better get back to the safety of underground."

"Right. It was good talking with you, Nincada."

"You too Dragonair." She began burying herself underground.

He watched her for a bit, then swam back up the river in silence. When he arrived at the place he had left, a girl in a long black dress was there. She greeted him, apparently having been concerned with his disappearance. Then she hugged him in shared loss.

I should be here with the other mourners, he decided. He put his head on her shoulder and sang a sad note.

* * *

Nincada's claw cut gently into the new tree's roots. From that, she took a sample taste. The maple wasn't concerned and didn't fight back with bitter chemicals. So she could stay here for the time being.

She thought back over her conversation with Dragonair. Although it was short, there was a lot to consider: humans, Trainers, travels, rain, sun, gratitude, blessings, Dragons, Bugs, joy, sadness, life, death. It would occupy her mind for many months.

But she had a long time to wait, to think.

…

Dragonair Leaf Green entry: A mystical Pokemon that exudes a gentle aura. It is said to have the ability to change the weather.

Sapphire entry: Nincada lives underground. It uses its sharp claws to carve the roots of trees and absorb moisture and nutrients. This Pokemon can't withstand bright sunlight so avoids it.


	95. Metapod, Kakuna, Cascoon, Silcoon

A bundle of white silk lay on a broad yellow-green leaf. A string of silk was wrapped around the leaf's stem to make sure it was securely on the tree. While the bundle was mostly still, a small crack blinked open, revealing a red eye. Good, this evolution was complete. But this was far from the time to relax. She had to complete her new body before she could evolve into it. The new Silcoon turned her attention inward. But not for long.

"Hey newcomer!"

She opened her eyehole back up to look at a bundle of purple silk on a nearby leaf. A Cascoon, a male from the sound of the voice. "Hello."

"Who are you to call her a newcomer?" a third voice added. This came from a brown husk clinging to the nearest branch. From the triangular head shape and body plating, Silcoon knew she was a Kakuna. "You just evolved this morning."

"Well she's newer than me, so I'm no longer the newcomer," Cascoon retorted.

"The more, the merrier," a fourth voice said, accompanied by a wobbling of Cascoon's leaf. Tied under the branch was a green pod. He was a Metapod.

"Hey, watch it!" Cascoon complained. "You could knock my leaf off the tree."

"Oh, sorry." He stopped bounding.

Silcoon watched her neighbors curiously. "Um, Cascoon, did I know you before? Your voice sounds familiar."

"Does it? I guess you sound familiar too." His red eye twitched in looking over her. "Say, are you that cute Wurmple chick who I met while stacking acorns?"

"Yeah, you're the weird Wurmple guy who was trying to make a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa out of acorns. That was never going to work."

"Ooo, zinged," Kakuna commented.

"It would've worked if it hadn't kept falling over!" Cascoon insisted. "When I evolve again, I'll find a way to make it work."

"Yeah, you can do it!" Metapod cheered. Then he began singing, "Don't worry... be happy!"

"That's the tenth time you've sung that today," Cascoon said. "It's getting annoying."

"Twelfth, actually," Kakuna corrected. "I've been here all day with him."

Metapod blinked, looking sad. "But I was just trying to help, lighten the mood and all."

"We all have to be working on our next evolution," the brown Bug pointed out. "It doesn't help when you keep distracting us every few minutes."

"It's not like we have to hurry," Metapod replied. "It'll be another five months before spring, when we can come out."

"Do you know how long it will take to make your new body?"

There was a long pause before he answered. "No."

"So get to work already."

"Wait a minute," Cascoon said, his voice a bit panicky. "FIVE MONTHS? I can't move from this spot or I'll ruin the rest of my life! How am I supposed to get anything to drink?"

"You don't have to worry about food if you pigged out as much as I did," Metapod answered.

"I'm not asking about food. I want to know about water! I'm not thirsty now, but I will be."

"It should be okay," Silcoon said. "Dew gathers every morning and, if I heard it right, it'll slide along the silk and be available to drink when you need it."

He looked down, embarrassed. "Oh right, I should have figured. Dew and rain huh? What happens if it gets cold? I heard from a Gloom that it'll all be snow and ice then."

"This process produces enough heat to keep ice from coating us," Kakuna answered.

"How do you know that?"

"I kept warm and toasty during last night's chill. And my Beedrill elders told me not to worry. Nature has everything sorted out for us, so we just have to sit here and work on ourselves."

"It's a lot of work to do, though."

"We've got five months. Don't worry..."

"DON'T START SINGING THAT SONG AGAIN!"

Below his stem, Metapod whimpered.

Silcoon thought about it, feeling bad for the green Pokemon. "You know, if we're going to be neighbors for that long, you ought to be nice to him."

Cascoon made an exaggerated sigh. "Don't remind me. I'd rather think about how to make my tower of acorns work."

"Maybe if you stuck some needles or sticks in them to hold them together," Kakuna suggested.

"How am I supposed to stick needles in acorns?"

"You'll be stronger when you evolve, right?"

"I know!" Metapod called. "You need some Gorilla Glue! That stuff is the strongest adhesive ever made."

"You know the word 'adhesive'?" Cascoon said snidely.

Ignoring him, Metapod went on. "Once you stick something with it to something else, it never comes off. My brother once got stuck to a tetherball with some Gorilla Glue." He closed his eyes. "Poor kid."

"Sorry to hear that he died," Silcoon said softly.

"Oh no, he didn't die. Nurse Joy had to cut him off of the tetherball's skin, but now he has bits of red vinyl permanently stuck to his underside. It wasn't easy for him to walk." He paused. "I wonder if he'll still have the vinyl bits when he's a Butterfree."

"Uh-huh," Cascoon said. "He's certainly your brother."

The branch they were all attached to shuddered. They went silent. After some stillness, the shaking continued. Silcoon and Cascoon had both latched their leaves to the branch; Kakuna and Metapod seemed equally secured. A purple Rattata soon appeared, walking along the branch. Every few steps, he sniffed at it.

"Gotta be something," he muttered. He put a paw on Kakuna, but rapidly snatched it back. "Ouch! What's with the heat?"

"Sorry," she replied. "Don't go stepping on me next time."

He snorted. "Well if you didn't look like part of the branch, I wouldn't have stepped on you." He stepped over Kakuna, then sniffed at Metapod. "Finally." He bit him.

And immediately squealed in pain. "Buzz off!" Metapod shouted. "We Bugs don't need the likes of you around here."

Rattata growled. "You nut! I nearly chipped my tooth on you!"

"Well, you did bite him," Silcoon pointed out.

"If you're gonna try eating us, just know that I have Poison Sting!" Cascoon shouted.

"As do I," Silcoon added.

"Me too," Kakuna said, scratching her claw against another to make a rasping noise.

"Sorry about making a mistake," Rattata replied with a sneer. "I usually don't make my lunch of things that talk back." He then jumped off the branch, making it quiver harder.

"I can Tackle," Metapod said, trying to sound helpful.

"Your shell is probably enough to deter most threats," Silcoon said.

"Then nobody will mess with us!" He took a deep breath and started singing while swinging on the branch. "Everywhere we go, people wanna know..."

"For goodness sakes," Cascoon grumbled.

"Who we are, and we tell them..."

"At least it's a different song," Kakuna replied, barely hiding a giggle.

"We are tigers! Mighty mighty tigers!"

Cascoon's eye slit narrowed. "I swear, when we evolve, I'm gonna make you suffer for every moment of annoyance you've given me! And I'll remember all of them, have no doubt. Now stop shaking my leaf!"

"Oops." Metapod slowed his swing to a stop. "Sorry, I just got excited."

"At least we won't get bored in the next five months," Silcoon said.

"Don't remind me."

A year later, as autumn once again descended on the forest, a Beautifly came upon a Dustox and a Beedrill examining a pile of scattered acorns. "I'm telling you, you need some needles to pin them together."

"You're just obsessed with needles," Dustox retorted.

"Oh hi," Beautifly said. "You guys were my neighbors last winter."

"Hi," Beedrill replied with a salute from her long needle. "It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Great. How about you?"

"I'm fine, but he's still thick-headed."

"Hey!" He shook his head, then said, "Have you seen that crazy Butterfree around? We haven't and I was wondering about him the other day."

"You miss him?"

"No! I was just wondering, that's all."

A sing-song voice broke through the trees. "We are tigers! Mighty mighty tigers!"

"I guess that answers that," Dustox said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want him to know that I'm around."

"Oh my gosh, Dustox! Beedrill! Beautifly!" Butterfree squealed happily as he came into the clearing. "It seems like it's been for-ev-er!"

"I wish it was," Dustox grumbled under his breath.

…

Emerald entry: Its shell is as hard as an iron slab. A Metapod does not move very much because it is preparing its soft innards for evolution inside the shell.

Kakuna Emerald entry: It remains virtually immobile while it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it busily prepares for evolution. This is evident from how hot its shell becomes.

Sapphire entry: Silcoon was thought to endure hunger and not consume anything before its evolution. However, it is now thought that this Pokemon slakes its thirst by drinking rainwater that collects on its silk.

Sapphire entry: If it is attacked, Cascoon remains motionless however badly it may be hurt. It does so because if it were to move, its body would be weak upon evolution. This Pokemon will also not forget the pain it endured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All these cocoon Pokémon have more or less the same entries, so I put them together.


	96. Gastly, Haunter

Thunder crashed over the sea.

A violet haired girl looked up at the dark and bubbling sky. Cold salt water splashed her hands on the motorboat's bow. The seven-year-old was fascinated by the shifting weather, but nervous about being caught in a storm on open waters. They were still a long ways from home. She looked back to the other occupant of the boat. "Dad?"

"We aren't going to make it back before the storm. I'm looking for a spot to ride it out." He looked away from the rocky shoreline to smile at her. "You're alright with that, Janine? Unexpected adventures can happen at any turn."

She grinned back. So long as her father Koga was nearby, there wasn't anything to be afraid of. "Sure thing."

The sea and the sky were rapidly growing more unstable. When they had left Cinnabar half an hour ago, there had been blue skies and calm waters. Janine thought that the storm couldn't move that fast, but she was wrong. Her Dad probably knew about it coming, given the quiet ride. They continued traveling east.

At least until the engine abruptly cut out.

Koga attempted to restart it, but not a sound came. "I checked it over last week; it shouldn't be having problems." He took out a pocketknife, flipped open the screwdriver head, then started on taking the engine case off.

In the meantime, Janine looked back up at the approaching storm. The wind played with her hair, throwing it into her eyes. As she pushed the strands away, she saw a faint image on the water. It was like smoke with no fire. It came closer, growing thicker as it did. "Dad, what's that out there?"

He looked over, then stopped his work on the engine to step over to her. The ethereal image was gaining distance and clarity. Compared to their twelve foot boat, it was enormous. The water underneath it parted, then grew into a wake. The smoke turned woody and gray. When it stopped, there was an old schooner right by their motorboat.

It seemed to be thirty-five feet long and ten feet high, at least to the main deck. Towering far over their heads, the rigging was in place, if imperfect. It even had a crow's nest and a Milotic figurehead. There was a ladder built in right by them.

"This is something you could spend a lifetime searching for and never find," Koga explained, looking over it carefully. "It's a ghost ship, likely possessed by spirits or Pokemon. It's doomed to sail for all time."

She gripped his hand, torn between awe and fear. "Wow. What's it doing here?"

"It just is. But I don't think we're going anywhere while it's here. Let's go check it out."

"Are we going to be okay?"

"My Pokemon will help protect us. Besides, we may have to get on board to send it away."

Koga went up the ladder first to see what was waiting them. As he climbed over the railing, he looked down and waved for her to come up. Janine then took hold of the ladder. The gritty wood had petrified with age. As she got near the top, she spotted a group of Pokemon on the deck. They were little more than black orbs with angular yellow eyes. Violet wisps of vapor cloaked them, blending one individual into another until they were all one mass of eyes.

He took her hand to help her up the last portion. "You remember how to breathe around the Koffings and Weezings?"

She nodded. "Yes, not too deep or sudden."

"Same thing with these Gastlies, but they're tricker because their vapors are much lighter. Keep a safe distance." He lifted her up and jumped onto the deck, away from the Gastly group huddled along the wall.

They went up towards the helm. The ghost Pokemon made whispers to each other, spooky sounds that were like dried leaves on an autumn tree. While some reached out violet vapors towards them, most didn't move from their spots. Those that did move couldn't get close, as the storm's wind blew apart their vapors.

"They don't like the wind, do they?" Janine asked. "They're hiding from it."

"That's right, kiddo. We have to be careful too, in case that same wind blows them right at us."

"Neerrri nerrriira!"

Janine jumped as a Gastly yowled at them for approaching the helm. After patting her shoulder, Koga examined the steering equipment and the sails. The large wheel that controlled the rudder wasn't tied down, stuck, or broken. Although the storm brought in a strong wind, the sails were ragged and thin, unable to move the vessel. But the ship had gotten to them.

"I'm not sure of how this ship works," Koga said. "Especially considering the whole paranormal side of it. But there must be something to encourage it to move."

While he thought aloud on that, Janine looked back to a movement of purple. There was another Pokemon there now, but it wasn't bothered by the storm. It had pointed ears, a grinning face, and two long arms, while being made of little else. Since the rest were Gastlies, this one was probably a Haunter. It waved its left hand towards itself, asking her to come over.

She tightened her grip on her Dad's hand, letting him know there was another problem. He looked, then pulled her back so he would be between the Haunter and her. Overhead, thunder boomed again. It startled the weaker ghosts, but not the Haunter. It waved its hand again, trying to get both of them. In response, Koga ...

A violet hand grasped Janine's shoulder. She responded by punching her fist back, as she had been taught. But it was like punching water in that it didn't have enough resistance for flesh, but more than air. The second Haunter was taken aback by this, but soon clapped its other hand over her mouth. It licked her cheek, initially confusing her. But a feeling of pins and needles began spreading through her body, she realized that it was trying to capture her. As she tried to tear the Haunter off her, her nerves began screaming with pain.

In an instant, Koga sliced one of his hidden knives into the Haunter. While not a lethal shot, it howled in pain and let her go. The first Haunter screamed at them, causing an echo cry-back from the Gastlies. The ship creaked; the sails stopped fluttering and filled out with the wind.

"Relax your muscles," Koga instructed, picking her up. "Don't move unless you must."

Although scared, Janine did her best to do as told. The intensity of the pain subsided as Koga ran down the ship and leapt back into their small motorboat. The ghost ship picked up speed and began to fade into smoke again. Far before it reached the horizon, it vanished from their sights.

Koga brought out a bottle of anti-venom and a small cloth in a sealed packet. He rubbed the anti-venom over the spot the Haunter had licked. "That'll fix that. Rest up now."

"Okay," she said, quietly lying where he had placed her. "But I thought Pokemon weren't evil. Are they?"

He shook his head. "They aren't, but a great many of them don't understand as much as we do. Those were restless souls, lost on the ocean. They seek life and freedom, so they take what life they see, not realizing it means death for the one they take from."

"I'll be okay now, right?"

"Right. Don't worry."

Janine smiled a bit, although the anti-venom was making her face feel stiff. "I'll be brave, like you."

He smiled back, but a teardrop glistened off one eye. "I've never been as scared as when I saw it holding onto you. "

Thunder cracked the sky apart. The hiss of raindrops hitting the sea began to approach them. Jumping with the strong tides, Koga moved back to the engine. It started right up.

"It'll be fine, Janine. Let's get to some shelter."

…

Gastly Diamond entry: This Pokémon's body is 95% made up of gases, which are blown away by strong gusts of wind.

Emerald entry: If a Haunter beckons you while it is floating in darkness, don't approach it. This Pokemon will try to lick you with its tongue and steal your life away.


	97. Steelix

There was once an old woman who was known as a mean-spirited person. She seemed to live on to spite those near here. "You're only nice because you want my inheritance," she would say bitterly to people. "Well forget about it. I've endured all these years and I know how people really are. So scram!"

Because of this, most people steered clear of her. But then she disliked them for that. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, ignoring an old woman like me! Clearly you have no respect for your elders."

But since she had no respect for her juniors, no one wanted to have respect for her. She often had to resort to jabbing people with her cane in revenge. Or standing stubbornly in the way, pretending to be deaf when others asked her to get out of the way. A terrible old woman.

One day as she walked in the park, she encountered a Steelix. This was a grand Pokemon, a ten foot long serpent made of gray steel with a shine like diamonds. He slithered along the ground, moving with surprising quiet and grace. While he moved, he sniffed and licked the ground, testing it for something.

When the old woman's path crossed with the Steelix's, she poked it with her oak cane. It made a dull clank. "Out of the way, creature."

It stopped in its tracks and raised its head to her eye level. "I will move on soon. You can wait."

No one had been so blunt and calm to her in many years. "You are in my way. Move now."

"I am here and you are there. Why must I move before I am ready?"

She rapped the end of her cane on the sidewalk. "I am important, better than you, and an old woman. I deserve respect and obedience."

The steel snake considered her. "You are old... how old are you?"

"I am ninety-eight years old. Still walking every day, living on my own, not dependant on anyone."

"Hmm." It lowered its head. "I am one hundred and thirty-eight years old. I can travel hundreds of miles in one day. I take care of myself and assist my Onix offspring when necessary. If it is merely age and independence, I deserve your respect."

She frowned. "You're just a Pokemon. You just do as your instincts instruct."

"You're just a human. You follow your instincts as much as I do."

"That doesn't change things. I am still better and more important than you."

"How is that so?"

"I've lived a full life. I started my own florist business when I was young. I made my shop thrive; it still thrives and I still own it. And while I did that, I raised five children to be good citizens of the world. All that and I've been healthy all my days. My husband was in the military, and in two wars, but I supported him and loved him. But I've lost many that I love, including him, so I have survived alone. That's why I am better and more important than you."

The Steelix was quiet for a minute, then asked, "That is why?"

"Yes. That is exactly what I said."

"I've lived a full life too. I was captured young by a boy and for his entire career, I was there. I was loyal to him, no matter what happened. And no matter what other Pokemon he had, I was always there. He became Regional Champion and would not have done so without me. I was recognized as one of the most powerful Pokemon of the area.

"But then he died in a tragic accident and I was released back into the wild. In my grief, I tunneled deep into the ground. I tunneled so deep that your body of flesh and bone would have turned into coal from the immense heat and pressure. I tunneled so deep that I was nearly melted down into the lava that pours from the wounds of the earth.

"However, the legendary spirits must have plans for me, for I not only survived that depth, I was blessed with a body of metal instead of rock. Thus I came back to the surface, found a mate, and started my own family. But the presence of a human city near our cavern home leads to a danger of your poisons seeping into the soil we eat. It would make us extremely sick if we ate the tainted soil. So for the sake of my mate and children, I have been inspecting the surrounding grounds for such poisons before approving them for tunneling.

"So, old woman," he twitched the end of his tail, "what makes you more important than me?"

She frowned, but knew she couldn't match that story. "Fine, your stubborn old snake. Go on with your inspection. I'll wait."

The Steelix nodded. "Good." He sniffed at the ground for a moment, then lifted his head again. "You know, if you had merely waited in the first place, I would have been gone in a third of the time."

…

Steelix Fire Red entry: It is said that if an Onix lives for over 100 years, its composition changes to become diamond-like.


	98. Arbok, Weezing

Tonight, the Contest Hall was packed, for this was no ordinary competition. The Coordinators were all young ones, under twelve years old, but they had two Pokemon a piece. Their proud parents, smiling grandparents, bored siblings, and excitable friends filled the seats. Joyful squeals and jealous tears were always a minute away. This was the Novice Contest of Friendship.

The hostess of the Contest smiled prettily on stage. Inside, though, she dreaded this Contest every year. There was always the little starlet, son or daughter of some famous Coordinator who had heaps of preparations, maybe even a 'borrowed' Pokemon from Mom or Dad. There was always the star-struck child, the one who dreamed of becoming an instant hit but was horribly ill-prepared. And then, worst of all, there always was the obnoxious one who threw a tantrum when he or she didn't win.

She had just gotten through the little starlet: a seven year old girl who was overdressed in a Hollywood brand name blue and white dress with a dozen ribbons, shiny black leather shoes that had never been worn before, frilly socks and gloves, a hair perm, and a Beautifly barrette with flashy gemstones. Her Pokemon were obviously Contest regulars with top-quality conditions: a Swellow that would sweep a regular Cool Contest and a Clefairy that was a certified Cute Master. But not a bit of that would have been her own work, leaving the other kids to eat her dust.

Still, the hostess froze that sugary smile to her face and made a grand wave. "Thank you Miss Jen and your darling Swellow and Clefairy. They make such sweet friends."

The Swellow and Clefairy posed cheerily right on cue. They probably hated each other, although most of the audience wouldn't realize that.

The hostess turned to the entrance door, giving a quick check to her prompt screen hidden there. "And next on the wonderful Contest of Friendship, we have Adam Richards! Let's give him a warm welcome!" And which kind of brat would this one be?

For a moment, no one came. The hostess felt the on-coming awkwardness when, with no warning, a puff of white smoke appeared on stage. A young boy, probably eight years old, came barreling through the smoke, missing tripping over the microphone wires by half an inch. Holding back his wild brown hair was a red headband with long ends trailing down his back. His attire would be frowned on during normal Contest hours: a brown shirt, brown pants, and dusty sneakers.

"HI!" he shouted as he came to a stop three feet from her. "I'm a ninja."

'It's the obnoxious one,' the hostess thought. Still, she wouldn't stop her smile; she had to put on a good show, no matter what. "Hello Adam. You're certainly that. That was a... an enthusiastic entrance."

"Ain't no other way to do it," he said, grinning and showing off a front tooth that was half-grown.

"So who are your two dearest Pokemon friends?"

"I'll show you!" He snatched up his two Pokeballs and released them at the same time. "Go Shady and Stinky!"

Yes, this would be the obnoxious one with terribly picked Pokemon. She braced herself as the two lights began to form onstage. The first thing that struck her was a horrible stench, like an outdoors trash can on a warm day. The other kids, especially the little starlet, all scrunched up their faces in response. Then the two Pokemon appeared and the reason for the smell was obvious. One of them was a Weezing, a large violet gaseous cloud with a yellow mark on it. That mark had been adapted for placement on all toxic chemicals. While not as bad, the other was an Arbok. Rarely, its kind were seen in Contests Halls. But Weezings, never.

"Poh-hosh-hosh," the Weezing Stinky announced himself proudly.

"Ssssss," the Arbok Shady added. She turned towards the other competitors, then raised herself up to show off her markings. These were fierce red and yellow markings that appeared eerily like a monster's face.

The other Pokemon were stunned into stillness. A few wailed in fear, gripping their child Coordinator for support. In particular, the starlet's Clefairy cried out, apparently asking for that scary Poison Pokemon to be taken away. Several of them wanted to run away, but stayed or hid behind somebody.

Shady flicked her forked tongue out, satisfied.

"Ninjas have got to master a lot of weapons," Adam said, ignoring the distress his Pokemon were causing. "But having great ninja Pokemon is important too!"

"I see," she replied carefully. Best get this one out of the way fast; the Weezing was looking at her with strange interest. "So Adam, tell me what you know about Shady's kind."

"Well Arboks can move real quiet like. They stay low to the ground and slither, so you can't hear them approach." To demonstrate this, he hunched his body over and took a few creeping steps forward. "And then they spring up and frighten their foe real fast!" He jumped up, holding his hands over his head. "While the foe's scared, they constrict them. And Arboks are real strong too. I've seen Shady crush a steel drum can like it was made of paper."

A Mawile in the group began crying again.

'Keep your cool,' the hostess told herself. "That's very strong," she told the obnoxious boy. "And what do you know about..." she would never be saying this name in a normal Contest, "Stinky's kind?"

"I know lots! I can tell you what kind of perfume you're wearing."

Surprised, she looked away from the Pokemon down to him. "You can?"

"Yeah, it's Sweet Dreams."

"That's right." A movement caused her to look over. The Weezing had crept closer to her, watching her with his main eyes and the disturbing stunted head attached to his... tail. "But what's that have to do with Stinky here?"

Adam grinned wide. "The chemists like Weezings, you see. They gather the poisons from Weezing, refine and extract them, then make really nice smelling perfumes with them. Some of the most expensive perfumes in the world use Weezing oils, and some not so expensive ones like Sweet Dreams do too. I can tell it's that one you're wearing, because Stinky thinks you smell like a lady Weezing."

They made her favorite perfume from that disgusting Pokemon? And that was why he had been watching her this whole time? The hostess gagged, then had to disguise it as a polite cough to regain her composed smile. Fortunately, Adam didn't seem to notice. He was looked back at his Weezing.

"But then he likes to hang out over dumpsters the day before trash day because he loves to eat that smell. Isn't that funny?"

"That's... that's very interesting, Adam," she said. "So what makes you three the best of friends?"

"Oh, they're very venomous Pokemon, but they never poison me! They come along with me on my ninja missions and make sure everything goes smoothly. So I've always succeeded in what I wanted to do and never got caught once doing it. They help make me a great ninja." Then he lost his smile for a moment and shrugged. "Although, I suppose I have to go learn from a ninja master someday. There's no other ninjas around here."

"Pah-ha..." Stinky said encouragingly. Shady slithered forward and nosed Adam affectionately.

With his Pokemon's support, that toothy grin came right back. "But until then, I know Shady and Stinky will always be by my side!"

Only during the Contest of Friendship would this boy and his Pokemon be considered entrants, the hostess thought. She bit back on a snide comment and went on with the accepted format. "That's wonderful. They certainly know how to cheer you up."

"Always. I love 'em."

"Yes... thank you, Mr. Adam and your loyal Shady and Stinky."

After enduring another twenty minutes of this, the judges handed her the winner's envelope. She expected the starlet with the Swellow and Clefairy to win. But as she made the dramatic opening, what she saw on the paper surprised her.

'The winner of the Novice Contest of Friendship is... Adam Richards and his Pokemon, the Arbok Shady and the Weezing Stinky. Their authentic friendship shines through their rustic demeanor like diamonds waiting to be polished.'

…

Arbok Fire Red entry: The pattern on its belly appears to be a frightening face. Weak foes will flee just at the sight of the pattern.

Emerald entry: By diluting its toxic gases with a special process, the highest grade of perfume can be extracted. To Weezing, gases emanating from garbage are the ultimate feast.


	99. Tangela, Tangrowth, Togekiss

Looking like a heap of shoe-eating vines, the Tangela sat out in the sunny yard. He knocked his red shoes together, a little bored with the wait. The kids who had gathered seemed bored too, waiting on Luke, the boy ringleader who organized most every bit of mischief in town. Especially bored was the young girl who was creeping up on him.

With a smile hidden by blue foliage, Tangela continued knocking his shoes together. The girl walked up behind him, grabbed one of his vines, and started tickling him. "Gotcha!"

"Gweeeee!" he squealed, breaking into peals of laughter. The hairs on his vines were highly sensitive, so it never took much to get him tickled.

"Quit fooling around," Luke called, coming into the yard. "We've got a meeting to start."

Much to Tangela's disappointment, the girl let him go. "It would help if you weren't always late!"

"I came right at the start of the meeting, so I'm perfectly on time." He jumped on a stump, then let his Pinsir out of her ball. "Okay everyone, I've got big news, so listen up."

If the meeting was starting, Tangela needed to be ready. He caught his breath from being tickled, then skipped over to his Trainer Pete. Smiling, the boy patted him, then looked back to Luke. The two boys squabbled a lot, as they had different ideas on doing things. But Tangela believed in Pete. Once they were able to go out on a journey, he felt that the two of them would make a great start to a winning team.

Luke pointed to the north. "Up there is Aarde Woods, as you know. There's lots of great Pokemon in there, but I've learned something even bigger about the place. Living in the woods are a monster and an angel."

"It could just be some unusual Pokemon," Pete commented.

"They are not."

"I bet they are."

Luke glared down at him. "I'm in charge, so don't argue."

"What do they look like?" one of the other boys asked.

"Well the monster is huge and green. It eats little kids and young Pokemon, then hides by pretending to be part of the forest landscape. And worst of all, it smells like a wet Raticate."

"Ewwww," the girl said.

"But the angel had great white wings and a beautiful voice. Not many people have actually seen it, but many have heard it. And they say if you do see it, you'll be very lucky for the next year."

"That's awesome."

"I still think they sound like unusual Pokemon," Pete said.

Tangela patted his Trainer's knee. "Be careful. Remember what happened last time you got in an argument with Luke?" There was still a bruise on Pete's chest from that fight.

"Even if they are," Luke argued hostilely, "the monster one is dangerous. We're big kids, so it won't try to eat us, but what about the little ones? Or your little girly Grass Pokemon?"

"Tangela is not girly!"

"All Grass Pokemon are for girls. Anyhow, if you think you're man enough," he shot a daring look at Pete, "you can join me in saving the angel from the monster. We're gonna beat that monster, Pokemon or not, so that it's no longer a danger to anybody."

"So we'll be heroes?" a fourth boy asked.

"Of course."

"Unless they are just ordinary Pokemon," Pete said. "Then you'd be a villain for hurting one."

"I don't know why I call you to our meetings anymore, dork," Luke retorted. "If you don't like it, just stay out of it. As for the rest of you heroes, come on!" He ran off with his Pinsir and the other two boys.

"Are they gonna hurt a Pokemon?" the girl asked.

Luke got up. "We'll make sure they won't. Right Tangela?"

The mass of vines nodded. "Right."

"We've got to find the one they think is a monster first. Let's go!"

They ran into the woods.

Several hours later, Pete and Tangela were deep in the trees. It was getting dark. "Can you find the way out if night falls?"

Tangela nodded, holding some brush aside with a blue vine. "I can feel what the other plants feel. They can show me the way to go."

Although he didn't know the Pokemon language, Pete knew his own Pokemon enough to feel relief. "Good, thanks. Man, I hope Luke didn't find them."

"Kuu waiii."

Pete looked up to the Pokemon call. "There's that one again. Sounds like one of the birds. I wonder if that's his angel. It is a pretty voice."

Sensing something, Tangela knelt down and ran one of his more sensitive vines over the ground. He picked up chemical traces that seemed familiar; it was something he felt he should know, but didn't. Patting along the ground, he found a trail. He hopped up and waved a vine at his boy. "Hey, there's something here!"

"Found something? Good work." Pete hurried along after.

They came upon a clearing in the woods. It appeared that there was a vine-covered rock in the middle, but a closer look showed red shoes and a pair of eyes. But it was much larger than Tangela and had some extra long vine bundles that acted as arms. The Tangrowth was holding Luke and his Pinsir captive with some of vines, the former by his ankles, the latter around her pincers.

"Kwaa." The birdcall came from somewhere nearby.

Tangela hopped up close, then bowed politely. "Good evening, elder. I didn't know you were living here."

Tangrowth nodded to him. "Good evening. I keep to myself, mostly."

"Pete!" Luke called, seeing them approach. "See, I told you! It's the monster and he's got some angel with a beautiful voice captive."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You nitwit, I'm the one who's right. This is what my Pokemon's going to evolve into."

Luke looked back at the mass of blue vines. It was obvious to see the connection, although he didn't want to admit to his mistake. "That thing?"

Smirking, Pete came up to his rival. "Can't say that he's girly now, huh?"

"How am I to evolve?" Tangela asked. "My mother never did."

"Hmmm..." He put a vine onto Tangela's mass. "When you get a chance to learn an ancient power, do not hesitate."

"An ancient power? I'll remember that."

"But you have to admit that this thing is a monster," Luke said, still trying to prove his point. "It's got me and Pinsir captive, along with the angel."

"You probably acted in a threatening manner."

Tangrowth nodded. "Rude and crude is a better way to put it, but it was a threat."

Pinsir growled. "Once I get myself loose, you're going to pay for this."

"Can it, bug."

Waving his vines, Tangela asked, "Hey, who is that Pokemon calling out every now and then? The one he calls an angel."

"Togekiss? Back under that bush." He pointed towards a large draping mound of leaves. "She's injured, so I'm watching out for her as she heals."

"Can we go up to her? My Trainer might be able to do something for her."

"I don't know about that. It was a human who hurt her."

"It's okay," a soft voice came from the bush. "I sense compassion from him."

Tangela then tugged at Pete's shirt. "Hey, come over here." He hopped over to the bush.

"What's up?" The boy looked up at Tangrowth when he noticed where his Pokemon was going. But the older Pokemon nodded again, allowing them to go.

Underneath the bush was a rare white bird Pokemon; her plumage was so pure that if the Tangrowth hadn't been hiding her, a predator might have had her helpless. With she had natural speckles of red and blue, there was an extra red mark on her left wing. "A human tried to capture me by violent means," she explained. "I would have been unhappy under him and my powers would thus be weak. So I did my best to get away, only to end up unable to fly for long."

Pete grinned. "You're kind of right, Luke," he called into the clearing. "I've heard some people call Togekiss an angelic Pokemon. But this Grass 'monster' is protecting her."

"Dang it," the other boy grumbled. "I was going to be a hero sooner rather than later."

"You aren't going to be a hero with your attitude," Tangrowth retorted. He released Luke, but kept hold of Pinsir. "And you, for snipping off my vines, you're staying put."

"You grew them back already," she said in a huff.

"It still hurt."

"I hope you don't mind if I use one of your medicines," Pete told Tangela as he pulled a Super Potion out of his bag.

"No problem."

He sprayed the potion over Togekiss' wound; it worked quickly to increase the healing rate. "You don't want to fly on it tonight, but you should be fine tomorrow."

"That's good," she replied, nuzzling Pete's arm. "Are you two traveling?"

"Not yet," Tangela replied. "But we should be setting out next summer."

"He already has a kind heart, which is a good start. But I assure you, you both may find a bit of luck coming your way."

"Thank you very much." He bowed.

Pete closed up his bag and got up. "Come on Tangela. And you too Luke, I guess. We're going to miss the fireworks if we don't get back to town soon."

"So long as they're far away from me, great!" Tangela bounded back to a path.

Luke recalled his Pinsir, then ran after them. "Wait! You aren't even going to try catching them?"

"You have any Pokeballs?"

"No."

"Good." Pete grinned. "I do, but it's not fair to catch an already wounded Pokemon like that. And Tangela will be that powerful too, in his own time."

"You loser!"

Togekiss settled back down as Tangrowth made sure the bush covered her again. "A poor opinion. He won't make it far."

"You'll see to that?" the vine Pokemon asked.

"No, he'll see to that himself."

A week later, Pete woke up to find a mysterious egg on his windowsill.

…

Tangela Leaf Green entry: The blue vines shrouding its body are covered in a growth of fine hair. It is known to be ticklish.

Tangrowth Platinum entry: Its arms are made of plants that bind themselves to things. They grow back right away if cut.

Togekiss Platinum entry: It shares many blessings with people who respect one another's rights and avoid needless strife.


	100. Growlithe, Arcanine

There was a large crowd of people filing into a giant stadium. Within the crowd were a father and son pair of humans accompanied by a father and son pair of Pokemon. The humans wore matching black and yellow jackets, with accompanying hats. The father of that pair was pulling along a rolling cooler with drinks. Of the Pokemon pair, the father Arcanine was walking in exact step with his Trainer, while the son Growlithe often hopped up on his hind legs in excitement.

The younger canine wagged his furry tail. "Oh boy, Nascar race, Nascar race! Um dad, what's a Nascar?"

"I'm not exactly sure myself," the older, and much larger, canine replied. "But they love it, so it must be great."

"I like racing! Are we gonna run?"

"I don't think so."

"Do you have your earplugs?" the human father asked his son.

He patted his pocket. "Yeah, right here. It's gonna be really loud, ain't it?"

"Yes, very loud," he replied with a grin. Then he sneezed. "Whoa..."

"Ragweed pollen is moderate today," Growlithe reported. He sniffed the air. "And there's lots of rubber particles around, with hints of gasoline, high carbon levels, clover, fast food restaurant grease, and I think that guy over there has been drinking beer already, and asphalt, gravel dust, grass mowed yesterday..."

"Exactly," Arcanine said, then nudged his head against his Trainer's arm. "I hope you remembered your medicine."

The Trainer patted his head. "Yes Arcanine, I took my allergy medicine."

"Good."

"How'd you know he asked about that?" the boy human asked.

"If he nudges me with his head after I sneeze, it's nearly always about my allergies."

The group entered the track's stadium. After spending half an hour searching, they found their seats and got ready to watch the race. There were a great many humans and Pokemon in the stands. Growlithe barked at a Purugly for a while until a Magcargo on a plastic mat got his attention and talked to him. There was a group of three Arons, one with a tall pole with a flag on top, cheering on one of the drivers. All the while, he kept checking in on his family.

Everyone was waiting though. There was a long bit of talking, and a bunch of cars lined up. Bored, Growlithe came back up and tapped his boy with his nose. But the scent of excitement filled the air around him. The boy Trainer hugged his Pokemon. "This is awesome," he whispered before turning his eyes back to the track.

"It's good that you're happy," he said. Then he looked to his father, who was still sitting calmly by the human father. "But nothing's happening."

"Sometimes humans are like that," Arcanine explained. "They know a lot more than us. If they're happy and excited, then something exciting is about to happen."

"I don't like waiting. When will something happen?"

"It will happen. Have patience. Look, there's a flag."

Growlithe looked over at a tower, where a man was holding onto a green flag. Below him, the cars revved their engines, sending a thunderous wave of noise over the stadium. The flag waved and the thirty cars on the track rushed out from behind the starting line. The race had begun.

The cars were extremely fast and the din was enormous. The race watchers could feel the noise all through their bodies. But everyone cheered and clapped, watching the racers trying to get the lead. At first, Growlithe barked every time the cars headed their way. But they kept going into the turn and racing away, only to race back a brief time later.

He walked over to his father. "It's really loud here, isn't it?"

Arcanine looked down at him. "What? I can't hear you over this noise!"

"It's loud with those cars, right?"

"You want me to catch one of those cars?"

Growlithe pawed at the ground. "I can't hear you even though we're looking right at each other!"

Arcanine got up from where he'd been sitting. "Well I'll give it a shot. There's a lot of them, though." He trotted over to the stairs.

Noticing, the human father watched them go. "Arcanine? Where're you going?"

The large red canine went up the stairs a little, then turned towards the track. No one else was on the stairs. After judging the conditions, he roused up the fire in his paws and dashed down the staircase. As he got up to speed, he leapt over the safety fence and began chasing after the race cars.

Yipping proudly, Growlithe hopped up on his hind legs. "Wahoo! Dad's in the Nascar race!"

"ARCANINE!" The human father came onto the stairs and looked at the track with deep concern.

"Whoa, looks like we've got an Arcanine on the tracks," the race announcer said over the loudspeakers. "He's giving the cars a run for their money. They're bringing out the yellow flag until we can get him off."

Fifteen minutes later, the two humans and Growlithe met with track security. "I'm really sorry," the human father said. "He usually doesn't take off like that."

"Nah, it's fine," the guard said. "Nobody got hurt and we all got a good laugh. He might have gotten too excited by the race."

Arcanine shrugged. "Sorry I couldn't catch one of those cars, son."

Wagging his tail, Growlithe came up and licked his head. "Nah, that was awesome! I can't wait until I'm big enough to do that."

…

Growlithe Emerald entry: Its superb sense of smell ensures that this Pokemon won't forget any scent, no matter what. It uses its sense of smell to detect the emotions of others.

Arcanine Emerald entry: This fleet-footed Pokemon is said to run over 6,200 miles in a single day and night. The fire that blazes wildly within its body is its source of power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the 'dex entry listed, Arcanine can run at least 258 mph. Catching a Nascar racecar would be a cakewalk.


	101. Gyarados

The sirens had ceased, but the flames still crackled, occasionally stirring as bits of the house collapsed inward. The flames were calming down, now bright orange instead of deep violet. Being the classic trademark of Dragon Rage, the violet flames were so intense that they wouldn't look like normal flames until many hours after the initial outburst. Due to the different energy source, Rage fire wasn't quite fire. It was potentially more dangerous than true fire, since water couldn't tame it as easily.

The Rage fire was beginning to smolder now, inhabiting a space that used to be a normal two-story house. It had been a nice dusty pink, but similar to every other house in the neighborhood: white window boxes filled with pansies, a steep roof with red shingles, an old brick chimney, a welcome mat that said 'Wipe Your Paws', a rose pink mailbox. No longer. The pansies had been toasted to a crisp and were long gone. The roof was mere rubble topping the giant pile of soot. The bricks were black, some still glowing and hot enough to grill a steak. No one could locate the welcome mat and the mailbox had melted to metallic glop.

And it wasn't just the house that had suffered. In the middle of the front yard, the car was rubble as well. Not from Rage fire, though. The car had been smashed to pieces by several full body tackles. The largest damage was a blow that had crushed the roof, causing the safety glass to fracture dozens of times with large white jags. Then it had been rammed into from the left side, causing the brown and tan car to flip upside down. The last blow had been to the engine, making the hood bend up at a slight angle. Much of the fluid had been washed away, but glistens of oil and gasoline still remained on the grass underneath it. Without doubt, this car would never run again.

The tree closest to the house had burned down to a charred spike in the ground. Another tree was dangerously leaning from a seven foot long crack running up the trunk. In the driveway, there was a circular ring of cracks from something powerful slamming into the asphalt. The chain link fence in the backyard was torn out and twisted about. As he surveyed the damage, the insurance agent shook his head.

Along the street, neighbors still kept their distance. They were curious about the destruction, but afraid it would spread. They walked along the sidewalk, stopped to gawk at the ruins for a minute, then scurried on before the police noticed them. However, they kept coming back, hoping for answers.

In the street, two police officers were questioning a teenaged girl. They knew who she was, Lisa Bailey from the rural route west of town. She was dressed nicely today, with her dark green hair tied up in a neat bun with a blue scale hairpin. Her dress was hand sewn, a simple affair with short sleeves trimmed with lace, sparkling blue buttons, and a long flowing skirt. Made of blue cotton fabric with pink lotus flowers printed here and there, she had likely sewn it herself. To go with this, she had a handbag of sparkling blue scales and blue shoes with low heels.

Lisa was being emotional, though. Sometimes she was tearful and downcast, clutching her handbag close. Other times, she was bitter and angry, stomping her foot and glaring away from the policemen. And other times she was nervous and concerned, looking back to her two Pokemon in great worry. However, she didn't seem too worried about the destruction of the house. Whenever it got mention, she fumed silently.

On the other hand, her two Pokemon seemed quite pleased with themselves. One was a Gyarados, a powerful water Pokemon with small but showy frills around her neck. Twenty-one feet long, she had no limbs, instead having a strong finned tail and a fearsome countenance. With teeth as long as a man's hand and glossy blue scales that often matched the waters it lived in, people rightfully feared the wild ones.

The other Pokemon was also a Gyarados, but a highly distinctive one. Instead of being blue, he sported glossy plum red scales. This gave him a devilish appearance, especially with the cheeky grin he was wearing as he surveyed the burning rubble. Residents of the town knew this Pokemon well as Lisa's oldest Pokemon. Normally he wasn't known for causing trouble, so the neighbors avidly gossiped about what was up with the two Gyarados now.

Sitting on the curb near the destroyed home and car was another teenager. He wasn't being as moody as Lisa, though. Instead, the blond-haired track star rested his elbows on his knees while he looked down at the ground. He had been shell-shocked this whole time, never once looking back at the destruction behind him as if he could make it go away by denying it. He barely responded to people who came up to him.

He was dressed nicely as well, in black pants and a white button up shirt. However, he had a white ice pack over his right eye to keep it from swelling any more. A girl other than Lisa had punched him not that long ago. That was when his family's home had still been standing, though. He made an effort to not look at the Gyarados pair.

Eventually, Lisa was made to recall her two Pokemon and go to the station with one of the policemen. The other one came up to the boy. "Piece of advice, kid," he said in a flat voice. "Don't ever cheat on a girl, especially not one that trains Gyarados."

…

Gyarados Emerald entry: It is an extremely vicious and violent Pokemon. When humans begin to fight, it will appear and burn everything to the ground with intensely hot flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was posted to mark my first year anniversary of Pokedex One-Shots! So it includes an older version of Lisa and Tuna from the first story.


	102. Burmy, Wormadam, Mothim

Branches crashed to the side as a Pokemon came barreling through the thick forest. His orange and red wings were a blur and his breath came rapidly. Clasping his red fedora so it didn't get away from him, he dodged trees like a maniac. "Dang... stupid... Combees..."

Behind him, three yellow Combees pursued him. "Give yourself up, Mothim!" one shouted. "You can't last much longer."

"That's... what you... think," he shouted back. But when would they tire out? They'd chased him all over the forest for much of the afternoon. Or were these different Combees? That would be one of their tactics, to swap out one pursuit group for another. After ducking low to avoid a tree branch, he glanced back to check on them.

Seconds later, he screamed as sharp pain shot through his body and wings. He'd crashed right into a thorn bush while checking on the Combees. A group of particularly nasty looking thorns sat inches from his eyes. Closing them, he swore under his breath. His hat tumbled to the ground with a soft thump.

The Combee group managed to stop without hitting the thorn bush. "That is a nasty mess you've gotten yourself into," one said.

"Thieves always get themselves into nasty messes," another added.

"You deserve it for stealing our best honey," the third finished.

"Aw shut it," Mothim retorted. "You got tons of the stuff just lying around in that cave. Can't you share a bit?"

"It is our lifelong work and no one has the right to take it from us."

"Shall we leave him here?"

"Sure. We'll make a report to the Explorer's Guild that a terrible thief is stuck in thorns."

"So you won't be here forever, but you will be suitably punished."

"Good riddance." With that, the three of them took off.

Mothim grumbled. "Great. You're probably not gonna report it until tomorrow. I'll be better off getting free myself."

Observing the bush he was stuck to, he tried to think up a way to get free without tearing up his wings worse. If he pulled back one of his wings, the other would rip through. If he pulled both out at once, he risked getting horrible scars all over his body. And it would not do to lose his attractive qualities.

Or maybe being stuck to a thorn bush all night wasn't worth the pride... no, it was worth his pride to not get scarred up. He kept thinking.

As afternoon wore into evening, Mothim had to admit that his choices were narrowing to two. Either get himself further injured, possibly scarred, and marked as a wanted Pokemon, or endure a torturous wait in order to be arrested and sent to jail. "And all this fuss over some clover honey," he said with a sigh. "It couldn't have been lotus honey, or orchid honey, or even rose honey. Nope, just common clover honey. Man, I outta sue Vespiquen for running a monopoly."

"Hey, where'd this funny hat come from?" a girlish voice asked from beneath him.

"Thank you," he said under his breath. He looked down to see who it was.

There was a little Burmy girl on the ground, picking up his red fedora. She had the forest cloak, one of deep green leaves and wildflowers. With her was a pair of Wormadams. One had the adult version of the forest cloak, full, leafy, and flowery, while the other had the sandy cloak, a brown dusty looking fluff.

That was even better. "Sorry ladies," he called down to them. "I lost it while cruising around, you see."

When they looked up at him, the Burmy squealed. "Oh my. How'd you get stuck in there, mister?"

"I was being a little reckless, that's all," he lied.

The sandy Wormadam shook her head. "Oh, I bet he was getting into some kind of mischief."

Blinking, the little girl turned to her elder. "Do you know him?"

"No, but I know of his kind. That's a Mothim, what your male kin evolve into."

"Pleasure to meet you, my dear cherub," he said as graciously as he could manage with thorns staring him in the face.

The leafy Wormadam hopped closer to the bush. "I do suppose we ought to free him. It would be a cruel thing to leave a winged Pokemon to thorns."

"I would be mighty grateful if you did," Mothim encouraged.

"Then hold still. The thorns won't trouble us."

"Not much else I can do but hold still." Then he stayed quiet as the three ladies hopped up the thorny branches to him. The adults were half his size and could maneuver easier. When they came close, the leafy one took hold of his chest while the sandy one and the girl began picking his wings free. It took a long time to do so, enough that the sun set, but they got him free without tearing his wings up further.

"Brace yourself," the sandy one said as she jumped forward with him. They dropped to the ground; Mothim cringed as he instinctively spread his wings to slow the fall, but only got new pain for his effort. But the Wormadam got them down safely.

The leafy Wormadam and the Burmy hopped down to them. "Are you gonna be okay?" the little girl asked.

"In time, I suppose," he replied, dramatically drooping his feelers over his face.

"Once his wings strengthen back up, he'll probably be back up to no good," the leafy one said.

"Normally I would take offense to such generalizations. But coming from you gentle ladies, perhaps I am a bit rougher." He winced as she tapped one of his pierce wounds.

"We might as well camp here," she went on. "We've got some medicine that'll help you heal, but you'll need to stay in this spot for the night."

"Thank you. I'll pay you for the trouble, I promise."

"Just don't go getting us into your trouble." The sandy one laughed at her friend's retort.

Yet, no matter how much they said they distrusted him, a few hours got them into friendly small talk. Mothim found out that they were on a multiday trip to get the Burmy evolved. The girl hadn't decided on what form she wanted to take. At the moment she changed, her current cloak would determine if she would become sandy or leafy. The cloak would also become permanent; right now, it was temporary and she had to fix or remake it every day.

Thinking, he had to try something. "You know, I hear there's a third form for you fine ladies. It's a very tough form, but a dainty pink and pretty."

Burmy was interested. "Really?"

"Really. The leafy form requires leaves and the sandy form requires sand, right? Well the pink form is actually metal, so you need rocks, or bits of metal. If you go into a cave, I'm sure you can find plenty of materials to give yourself a different cloak."

"That could be nice."

"It would be permanent," the leafy Wormadam reminded her.

Mothim acted as if he had a sudden idea. "I know of a cave nearby that might be suitable..."

"Oh, do you mean the Combee's home?" the sandy one asked.

Darn, she called his bluff. "It might be that one."

"You're just looking for an easy way to get honey," she pointed out.

"Why don't you just get it from the flowers?" the Burmy asked. "You could fly up to any one you like."

"I could, but..."

"The Mothims tend to be lazy," the sandy Wormadam told Burmy. "They go to a huge fuss to get their honey in other ways, though."

"It's more of an adventure, right?" he said, but it didn't impress them. He sighed, then added, "Well at least leave me my hat when you take off tomorrow. And good luck to you, little lady."

…

Burmy Pearl entry: If its cloak is broken in battle, it quickly remakes the cloak with materials nearby.

Wormadam Platinum entry: When evolving, its body takes in surrounding materials. As a result, there are many body variations.

Mothim Platinum entry: While it loves floral honey, it won't gather any itself. Instead, it plots to steal some from Combee.


	103. Clefairy

"The astronauts landed on the moon yesterday," a girl said, skipping along the rocky mountain path. "An' we all went to the Pokecenter an' watched it on TV."

A step behind her, her brother scanned the area. Recent reports warned of rock slides started by troublesome Geodudes. Those Pokemon were also known for tripping unwary travelers, like his sister. "I know. I saw it too in Cerulean."

"An' they found out that the moon isn't made of green cheese," she went on, not noticing that he was barely paying attention to the conversation. "It's made of lots an' lots of gray rocks. An' craters. Some are little craters an' some are greater craters." She laughed.

"Yeah." They were still under the tree line, so hardy pines were dotted around the path. This side of Mount Moon wasn't that bad of a climb anyhow. Decades ago, a meteorite had crashed into the mountain, knocking off at least a hundred feet from the peak. Now it was a lopsided feature of the Kanto landscape.

"So when are we gonna find a Clefairy?"

"Hmm..." And odd Pokemon lived in the area. They got attracted to the meteorite. It was said that the space rock had a high magnetic field, so compasses got messed up close to it. In his years as a traveling Trainer, he'd learned to rely on other means to get around, over, and through the mountain. His family lived in Pewter, but the most important cities of Kanto were on the other side.

The girl grabbed his arm, nearly causing him to slip down the slope beside the path. "Hey, pay attention when I'm talking."

"Watch it!" He stepped back from the edge and swatted her away. "This path is a bit dangerous. I've traveled it a lot, but don't distract me."

She frowned at him. "I was asking when we'll find a Clefairy."

"We won't be."

"What? But that's the Pokemon I want to start with, a Clefairy! They are from the moon, you know. The astronauts brought one with them, like a guide I guess. An' she was able to leave the spaceship without a space suit, while the people astronauts had to have space suits or they'd freeze instantly, or something like that."

Holding his hand up, he shook his head. It was difficult to get a word in edgewise with her going on about subjects she liked, like the moon and outer space. "I said we won't be. I've been over this mountain dozens of times going back and forth from Pewter to the east side of Kanto. Not once have I even seen a hair of a Clefairy."

"But they're supposed to be here," she said, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.

"You're better off finding a Jigglypuff at the foot of the mountain. I think you'd like one of them. They're practically the same as Clefaries."

"They are not. Clefairies are prettier."

He threw his hands up. "How are they prettier? They're both round, pink, and cute. They both sing well. Too well, cause my Pokemon keep falling asleep to Jigglypuff's lullabies."

"Clefaires got a prettier little curl of fur in front of their face," the girl said, pulling a strand of her own straight hair in front and bending it up. "An' Jigglypuffs have great big blue eyes. They're creepy. Our neighbor has one an' I bet he only blinks once a day. Clefairies have a prettier face that's not creepy at all."

"Well if you run into one, you're welcome to catch it. But I've never seen one in person. Especially not here."

The girl looked down, pouting to more effect. "But Mom told you to help me catch the Pokemon I want."

"I know what she said," he replied in annoyance. "But I can't help you catch a Pokemon we're not going to find."

Spitefully, she didn't speak to her brother the rest of the day.

That night, they camped at one of the public rest sites provided by the Pokemon League. Although her brother was asleep already, the girl couldn't fall asleep. She was supposed to start her career as a Pokemon Trainer this weekend, and she wanted to start with a Clefairy. But her brother was only being as helpful as he had to be. He brought her out here and immediately tried to talk her into catching something else.

She left the shelter and lay on a rock to watch the stars. There was a full moon in the sky. Bright and mystical, yet there were people and Pokemon on its surface right now. That was amazing. And the stars were amazing too. According to scientists, there might be other planets around those stars. Would they have people and Pokemon on those planets too? It was an astounding thought that had fascinated her ever since she saw a movie about aliens and outer space a few months back.

Zip! A pink blur moved just in her range of sight.

Sitting up quickly, she caught a glimpse of a round pink Pokemon flying west. A Clefairy? Maybe. Old folk tales said that they came out under the full moon. The girl chased after it.

The pine needles tried to prick her and the pebbly path tried to trip her. But she persevered and came to a flat clearing. Flying around here were seven Clefairies. They talked in their own language, laughed with each other, and seemed to be having fun. Smiling, the girl stepped into their clearing.

As one, they stopped and turned to her. They were quiet.

For a moment, she thought that they would run away. But when they simply stayed where they were, she put her hands together. "Sorry, I just wanted to play with you."

"Coo?" A couple of them looked to others. A few of them kept watching her. Making its small wings flutter, one flew closer to her. "Coo?"

She pointed up at the moon. "Hey, did you hear that the astronauts landed on the moon yesterday? An' they took a Clefairy with them. I want to go to the moon."

Deciding she must be all right, the Clefairies giggled. The one approaching her took her hand and smiled. "Kwi!"

They let her play with them, showing her how to dance in a round like they did. Several of them sang in their loveliest voices and others put on mime acts. But although the evening was fun, it was also enchanting. She never could remember it clearly later on, other then how beautifully they sang to the full moon.

In the morning, she woke up in the public rest area to her brother's yelp. "Th-there's actually a Clefairy here!"

"Cle fah!" the Clefairy echoed, laughing at him.

After blinking a moment, she realized that her brother was trying to find his Trainer belt, where his Pokemon team was stored. She hugged the Clefairy. "No, she's mine! We're gonna go to space together!"

Fifteen years later, they did precisely that.

…

Clefairy Pearl entry: It flies using the wings on its back to collect moonlight. This Pokémon is difficult to find.


	104. Wurmple, Beautifly, Dustox

There was an inviting citrus floral scent; that was all the reason Beautifly needed to come here even this far into the evening time. He flew over the crowd of humans, searching. For some reason, they had gathered to listen to someone speak. The women were all in long dresses with lacy necks and exquisite buttons. The men were all in striped suits and low hats. With them were restless children and patient Pokemon.

Up on the staircase to the town hall, five men were gathered behind one speaking. "Therefore, in making Rustboro the most modern city in Hoenn, we are pleased to announce that the streetlight project is complete! In a brief time, our fair city will be safe to walk around in, as all shadows will be illuminated and no criminals can hide."

There were cheers and claps to this announcement. But Beautifly didn't care what the humans were up to. Where was that flower he smelled? Although the scent was strong, he saw no plant to go along with it. He flew back, trying to pinpoint the source.

"And before long, our plan will come together to add more comfort and ease to our lives. The citizens of Rustboro will all have electrical resources to draw on, to light your homes and make them safe, to run machines to make your lives easier. We are headed into a glorious age where man controls electricity and, soon after, all the powers that only Pokemon have possessed thus far."

Ignoring the crowd and speech, Beautifly was led back to one woman in a bright blue dress. There weren't any flowers in her outfit, but the citrus floral was definitely coming off her. But there shouldn't be any pollen on a human. Or was there? He came up on her while she was listening to the speech and gave a test lick to the strongest origin of the scent, her neck.

And immediately grimaced. The perfume tasted pungent, of alcohol and orange pith. Trying to wipe the taste off with his forelegs, he said, "Pah! Ugh, that's horrible."

Finally noticing him, the woman waved her hand up at him. "Shoo, leave me be."

Beautifly flicked his wings at her, sending off itchy scales to irritate her skin. "Stuuuupid. It's not my fault if you taste disgusting." He flew off.

Away from the crowd, he caught another scent, that of a geranium. He followed that and found a flower box hanging by a window. It had a dozen red and orange geraniums in it and they had been left here, free for the taking.

"Good, flowers at last," he said before taking in the tasty pollen.

"Um," a small voice piped up. "Um, could I get some help here?"

"What?" Beautifly looked away from the flowers to the glass window in front of him. Hanging on there was a smaller Bug, a caterpillar with a red exoskeleton and a pair of horns on her head and tail end. "Oh, hi Wurmple. Odd place to find one of you."

"I'm a little confused," she replied. "I climb up places to find trees, right? But I've climbed way up here and haven't found any trees. I'm lost."

He glanced down; they were five stories up. "You certainly are. This is a human building. There won't be any trees on top of it."

"Oh no." She moved down the glass a short ways to be closer to him. "What do I do?"

"Get off it and go back to the forest, duh. Here, I'll help in a minute."

"Why not now?"

"I'm eating, geez. Let a Beautifly and his flowers be."

"Sorry!" she replied, scrunching up closer to the glass.

After he'd went through all twelve flowers, he picked Wurmple off the window and flew south with her. The sky was tinged with dark violet and evening. Knowing that he'd want to sleep as soon as it got dark, he stopped at the first set of trees and set her in a branch. "Now stick to climbing trees for the time being, all right?"

"Sure, thank you." She crawled over to the trunk.

"So, fall's coming up. Have you decided what you're going to evolve into?"

She paused. "Um... no, not really."

Beautifly twirled around, showing off his wings. "You ought to become a Silcoon, so you can be a Beautifly like me. We're better than the Dustox."

"Really?"

"Of course! You don't see these stunning yellow wings on them, do you? No! They have dusty purple wings that are shabby looking. A Beautifly is much more beautiful."

"Yeah right!" a voice called out. A Dustox fluttered into the tree. He landed and held his violet wings out. "You guys look so gaudy. We're much more dignified."

"Dignified?" Beautifly demanded. "You lurk about in the night, like witches and goblins. You're evil."

"Ain't no such thing as goblins. And your feelers are so flimsy."

"Well they look better than your dumb old cone things."

"I still dunno," Wurmple said. "But I got time, I think." She crawled onto the trunk and began pulling up part of the bark to get at what she ate, tree sap.

The two males held a starting contest for a minute. Then the Dustox added, "So what've you done today? Mistaken some lady's perfume for flowers."

"YOU DID NOT SEE THAT!"

He tilted his head, then grinned. "So you actually were that dumb?"

Scowling, Beautifly flew off. He turned around for a second to call out, "Stuuuuupid Dustox! I'll beat the snot out of you in the morning." Then he darted off to find a place to sleep.

Dustox laughed. "Yeah right. Man, those Beautiflies are so silly. I don't see how they can make such an obvious mistake."

There was a white flash, followed by a soft hum. For the first time, electric streetlights brightened the city of Rustboro. It was dazzling, bewildering. It was human technology.

Over in the tree, Dustox was bewitched. "The... the... the stars? What happened to the stars? How'd they fall to the ground?" He took off.

He approached one of the white lights, expecting it to stay infinitely far away as the stars always had. But no, it stayed put. He was able to get right up next to it and gaze into its unearthly beauty. It wasn't quite what he had expected. Shaped like a cylinder with a rounded top and metal bottom, it held inside it a coiled wire that glowed intensely. A warmth came off it, so unlike the chill of previous starry nights. When he touched it, it was hard and smooth, like a glass window. Only, stars had nothing to do with windows. Right?

"Oh my gosh," another Dustox said, coming up alongside him. "The stars have blessed us by coming down to greet us."

"Yeah." he replied. He felt his stomach grumble. "I'm hungry, but I don't want to go all the way back into the forest to eat. The stars are so pretty, even close up."

"There's a tree nearby," the other one said, not tearing her eyes from the white light. "We can stay by it."

"Is it really a star?" a third Dustox asked, coming closer.

As the night progressed, more and more Dustox came into Rustboro to gaze at the lovely lights. In the morning, a great many people were angered that all the trees in the city had been chewed up by the mass of Pokemon from Petalburg Woods.

…

Ruby entry: Using the spikes on its rear end, Wumple peels the bark off trees and feeds on the sap that oozes out. This Pokemon's feet are tipped with suction pads that allow it to cling to glass without slipping.

Ruby entry: Beautifly's favorite food is the sweet pollen of flowers. If you want to see this Pokemon, just leave a potted flower by an open window. Beautifly is sure to come looking for pollen.

Ruby entry: Dustox is instinctively drawn to light. Swarms of this Pokemon are attracted by the bright lights of cities, where they wreak havoc by stripping the leaves off roadside trees for food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wondering if moths have a religion dedicated to streetlights.


	105. Delibird

"That's not true!"

"Is so!"

"Is not!"

"Boys, stop," the scoutmaster ordered, pushing the two apart. "Now what's this argument about?"

"He's making things up again," Steve accused.

"I am not," Mark replied. "I was telling the guys about the man who first climbed Mount Everest. It's really dangerous up there, but a wild Delibird kept finding him and giving him food. He wouldn't have made it up to the peak if not for the Pokemon."

"It's true!" Mark's Delibird squawked, flapping his wings in emphasis.

"Mark's right in this case," the scoutmaster said. "A wild Delibird brought him food like nuts, seeds, and dried berries as he climbed Mount Everest. It's said that he tried to capture the Delibird after he started back down, but the Pokemon refused to be captured. Some lucky climbers of icy mountains do meet up with such Pokemon that help them on their way."

"But if the Pokemon helped him, why did it refuse to go with him?" Steve asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"Not all Pokemon want to go off with a human," the adult answered. "You have to respect their wishes. Are you done or just goofing off?"

"My group is working on the badge," Mark said. "We were just scouting the area. Come on, Delibird!"

"Haha, we did it!" The red and white bird followed his Trainer with hops and flaps of his left wing. His right wing had to secure his unusual tail, which was shaped exactly like a cloth sack.

The area they were in was wild and grassy, at points hiding the boy and his Pokemon completely. Various Pidgies, Rattatas, and Duduos squalled at them as they ran by. Somewhere around here, there were paths, but they didn't want to bother finding those. It was more adventurous to rush through the tall grass.

They burst out of the grass at a group of eight maple trees. Two other boys in the tan scout uniforms were sitting in one. "Hey guys!" Mark called up. "Mission successful!"

"Could you be quieter about it?" one of the boys replied. He watched the area through a camera.

"Sorry," he said quieter, climbing up the tree to sit with them. "But I disrupted the other three groups so they had to waste time chasing us away."

"Hah, then we'll be done with it first," the third boy said. They were working on a merit badge for Photography. One of the requirements was to complete a picture scavenger hunt of wild Pokemon. To make sure there was no cheating, any Pokemon on the list, like the camera boy's Pidgey, had to wear a red ribbon all day.

However, Mark was not one to sit still and wait patiently. He decided on annoying the other teams while his two more serious friends got the pictures. The cover story of scouting out wild Pokemon was enough to fool the scoutmaster. If their group, as a whole, finished first, there would be a special prize. But he couldn't make his annoyances too obvious, or the scoutmaster would catch on. He and Delibird were expert pests, though.

"How's progress? I saw an Ekans over in another set of trees."

"We got Ekans," the third boy said, pointing to the list. "We're doing good."

"Just waiting on an Abra to come out of the grasses," the camera boy added. "Those things are tough to get a picture of. They teleport off as soon as they sense your gaze on them."

"I am getting hungry, though."

"No problem," Mark said. "We came prepared with gorp, of course."

"Of course," Delibird echoed, opening the end of his tail sack. He pulled out a large plastic bag filled with a mixture of food.

"What's gorp?" the third boy asked. "Sounds gross."

He laughed. "Aw Benny, you've got to come camping more often. Good old raisins and peanuts, that's what gorp is. But my Mom always adds M&Ms and marshmallows too."

"That sounds great," Benny said, taking a handful out of the bag.

"Yeah," Mark replied, pulling out a handful for himself. He tossed a peanut at Delibird; he caught it with a snap of his beak. "I go hiking and camping lots, so I know it's good to bring some gorp around. You never know if you'll get lost or something."

"Can you be quiet?" the camera boy asked. "The wild Pokemon won't come out if you're talking loudly."

"Sorry Dan." Mark was quiet.

For a while, anyhow. There were chirps and grunts from wild Pokemon all around them. On checking the list, Mark noted that Dan only had Abra, Weedle, and Volbeat left to get. Volbeat at least would only show up in the evening, while Weedle was easier to find then. Abra, though, that would be more or less a lucky shot.

"Hey," he whispered. "How're you gonna get the Abra out of hiding?"

"I was waiting for one to come out on its own," Dan replied.

"That'll take too long," Delibird muttered. He opened his sack back up and searched for a bit. Then he pulled out a square white box with a fancy red ribbon tied around it. Odd, because it seemed like it should have taken up all the space in his tail. However, the Pokemon was used to the discrepancy and never gave it much thought.

"Where'd that come from?" Benny asked quietly.

Mark looked at his Pokemon and realized what he meant to do. "Oh shoot... Dan, be ready."

"Ready for what?" the camera boy asked right as Delibird launched the present into the grass.

BOOM!

A cacophony of objections from wild Pokemon filled the air. Said Pokemon scattered all around, seeking shelter from further random explosions or seeking someone to blame for the day's disruption. Over near the maple trees, a now-alert Abra appeared outside the grass, grumbling to itself and rubbing its eyes.

"There's one," Benny said, barely holding it from a shout.

"It's not looking at us," Dan grumbled. "It won't be a good picture."

"I know what to do," Mark said, picking out a raisin from his handful of gorp. With the aim of an expert rascal, he tossed the dried fruit at the Abra's head.

Already annoyed at the rude wake-up call, the Abra snatched it as if it were a weapon. It sniffed, then teleported away with the raisin. Other Pokemon began to settle down, but now watching warily.

"That might have been the only one around here," Dan hissed, looking away from his camera.

"Did you get a picture of it?" Mark asked.

"It wasn't a good shot."

"But did you?"

"Don't worry," Delibird said, digging back through his sack. "We can always try again." He pulled out another Present.

"Cut that out!" Dan shouted. The Pokemon ignored him and tossed the box away.

BOOM!

…

Leaf Green entry: It carries food bundled up in its tail. There was a famous explorer who managed to scale Mt. Everest thanks to a Delibird sharing its food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, you just have trouble finding inspiration. Explosions can help with that.


	106. Giratina

What that phrase again? The one about people who are laze-abouts and do nothing all day except stare at the TV? The people who are so utterly boring and dull in mind that they make most people cringe at the thought of spending time with them, because the person will be half in the conversation and half in the TV... Couch potatoes? Yeah, that's it. That's the phrase I'm looking for.

I'm the world's biggest couch potato.

Now that's not what I was looking to become. Obviously. I mean, who would want to be known as a couch potato? I hadn't and I denied it for several hundred years before I had to admit it to myself. And really, just what is it that I'm doing now? I zone out on the coziest chunk of land in the Distortion World and watch the other side constantly, snoozing through the boring parts and eating junk food like ice cream, soda, and potato chips.

And these aren't the potato chips you're familiar with, little human. These are me-sized potato chips, big enough to roof your puny house with. I've got sour cream and onion flavored ones now. I'd offer you one, but it would probably go stale before you could finish it.

No, this isn't what I envisioned myself doing all that time ago. I was one of the top Pokemon back then, you know. I was the great and mighty Giratina! When I entered the battlefield, other Pokemon quivered in fear. You think you can stop me with your puny Hyper Beam? Hah! I'm a Ghost as well as a Dragon, so eat Draco Meteor, noob! Ah, those were the days. I was near unstoppable.

But then they said that I was too violent and had to go. Too violent? That's utterly ridiculous. I'm no more violent than any other Pokemon. Look at all those Fight Pokemon that pummel their best friends out of kinship. Look at Gyarados, who smashes everything in its path if it loses its temper. I may like, no, love battle, but so do many others and they don't get sealed away in vacant dimensions.

I know the real reason they sealed me: size bias. Everybody thinks I'm too big. Well it's not my fault that I'm the largest Pokemon ever. I was created around the same time Dialga and Palkia were, when space wasn't fully formed. So nobody knew I'd be this much of a giant. Certainly not me.

I did not influence how big I was made! Sheesh. Are you on Palkia's side? They're such jealous Pokemon. Those two twins can't even stand each other. And they both hate me for some reason. Probably because I beat them both all the time in battle.

Can you see my point? It's not my fault that I can squish you into a gooey puddle in one step. And if I could keep my levitating form, nobody'd have to worry about that. I could learn to be careful. It would be an awful pain learning how to battle without flattening the battlefield on accident, but I would try.

So when I first got sealed here, I was furious. And who wouldn't be, shut away on the excuse of being excessively violent? First I tried to smash through the walls of this dimension. This place is on the opposite side of your world. How can it be so when the world is round? Simple; just look in a mirror. That leads to another dimension where everything is reversed. So I thought if I found the right mirror and smashed it, I could escape. But no dice there.

Then I searched for some other people to fight with. I've found that you can get good information by smacking around the right person. However, there is no one here aside from me. Never was... I'd say never will be, but then you're here. You'll have to tell me how you got in here from your world. Once I remove your mouth gag, that is.

As finding that I was truly alone, I got even more furious. I began fighting the landscape for lack of anything else to fight. That's why everything's smashed up like it is. And then, something horrible happened. Something so horribly awful that I never thought it would happen at all. I got bored with battling.

Seriously, that is the worst thing ever. It's like becoming bored with life itself. I got bored with turning boulders into dust. I got bored with pretending my former 'friends' were in the ground and stomping them flat. I even got bored with summoning Draco Meteor. After realizing that there was truly no escape, I got deeply depressed and wept for ages.

Don't go giving me that look. Even the toughest guys can cry in terrible situations. You don't believe me? Fine, but don't go swimming in that big lake over there. It's very salty.

Anyhow, back to my story. After I'd been crying for that long, I stopped and pretended that nothing was wrong. I told myself that if they didn't want me, then fine, I didn't want them either. I pointed out the nice things about living in a dimension all by yourself. There's nobody around to be polite to, so you can belch as loudly as you like. Want to hear that? No? Shame, it's quite impressive.

And as I was a master of dimensions, I could make just about anything I wanted appear. Any food I want, I just use my power to find it elsewhere, and here it is. If I want dummy target for battling, I can have one in the form of any being I want. If I want a trampoline, I've got it in a minute.

What, you don't like trampolines? I admit, it was hard finding one that could stand up to my bulk. But it was worth it when I got one I could use. Such fun. But that phase didn't last. I started up a list of '5000 Reasons I Am Awesome', you know, just in case I got a chance to escape or get that list out. And I got this far:

'1498: I am Grandiose Supreme Emperor King of my own Dimension.'  
'1499: And I can do whatever I want in it except escape.'

So close to 1500. But I saw that and started bawling again. See that smaller lake down there? Also very salty.

Another thing I can't do in here is bring in living creatures like yourself. So I've got this list of almost 1500 reasons why I am awesome and nobody can read it. I'd show it to you now, but if it fell on you, you'd probably die. And I've also got nobody to talk to most of the time.

Which became a problem when I finally solved my depression, sort of. As I started to calm down a second time, I had a brilliant idea. Why not bring in a mirror to watch the livelier side of the world? The mirror didn't work out that well, since it always showed one view. Usually a bathroom, and people do weird stuff in the bathroom. But in one mirror, I saw a TV. I summoned that. The first one was incredibly tiny, to me anyhow. I managed to resize it to where I could watch comfortably.

I thought it wouldn't solve my boredom problems completely, but I soon got addicted to watching your world. It's way better than watching your actual TV shows... except maybe game shows. I tune in to those on occasion. Anyhow, with watching real people, there's no staging, no acting. Everyone is natural, who they are and no more. There's no hurrying the scene along, so I'm often hooked into watching one person's drama in order to find out the results of something they chose to do, or not do.

At first, I tried talking to the people on the screen. I would watch battles and yell at Trainers who use dumb moves or bad strategies. I would watch a school and try to call the real answer out to the nervous kid. I would watch a couple and tell her to just dump him already because he's still cheating on her and he isn't about to stop any time soon.

Okay, so maybe I get a little bit passionate sometimes. At least I did then. But I realized that nothing I said or suggested made a difference. You humans never know if I'm watching you. You never hear what I have to say and you keep making dumb choices even though hundreds of your ancestors have suffered for the same mistakes. So I slowed down on my commentaries until I fully became a couch potato, watching passive and silent as you live your lives for the wiser or dumber.

Yeah, so here I am, once the great and mighty Giratina, now just a quiet loser. But I've been seeing things about this group called Team Galactic, that they're trying to manipulate time, space, and dimension. It's silly of them to try. But if you got in here, maybe they can. In that case, I might want to get back into shape.

If I can get the right motivation, that is.

Platinum entry: It was banished for its violence. It silently gazed upon the old world from the Distortion World.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect Giratina's story to come out like this. But it's hilarious to me still.


	107. Sneasel

Winter was a harsh time, even for Ice Pokemon. A Sneasel hid under a pine tree, resting before she would move on again in her search for food. Her body was well-equipped to handle the cold, with a lower than usual body temperature, slick black fur that resisted forming ice, and clawed hands built to handle clearing snow and ice. However, the Pokemon suitable for prey were wary, hiding in hibernation or keeping low and unnoticed.

As the forest darkened, she left the shelter and headed back out into the powdery snow again. The whiteness forced her into jumping from tree to tree, to hide her dark form. The leafless branches caused erratic shadows; skill kept her hidden. All it took to stop her, though, was a faint crack in a branch above her. The Sneasel drew in closer to the rough bark of the oak.

A short shower of a snow clump was all that happened. Not willing to risk it being another predator creeping about, she sniffed the air around her. Warm-blood, another female, a faint sweaty tang that indicated a Fight Pokemon but with a touch of strong aura like a Psychic... Medicham. It wouldn't eat her, but it might fight and injure her.

It would be best to ignore the Medicham, but an extra scent caught her attention. Eggs. She loved eggs as her favorite food. At this time of year, they were hard to come by. Would it be worth tussling with the Medicham for? The Sneasel moved around the tree, then leapt to another to follow the scent.

As she came in sight of the nest, another scent caused her extra caution. A male Medicham was coming from the opposite direction. The Sneasel scuttled along a branch and hunkered down. To blend in better, she adjusted her thin tails to look like small branches and held as still as she could. She watched as the male came into the clearing.

A tree had fallen in a previous season; it lay ice-encrusted as it deteriorated by its trunk. However, it was not in the position it had fallen in. The Medicham pair seemed to have moved it to better secure their nest. The female gave him a friendly greeting. After responding in kind, the male embraced her and nuzzled his head against her neck for a moment. Then he told her something; the Sneasel couldn't tell what exactly he was saying, but he pointed off into the woods. He was probably giving her a report of some kind. With that settled, the female left the clearing to search the woods herself.

So there was a pair here. That made things more difficult for the Sneasel. If she got caught, the male guarding the nest could easily call back the female. While she might be able to take on one of the Medicham, both would cause her trouble. It would be easier to find some other meal for today.

But it seemed like forever since the last time she'd had an egg. The scent of the nest enticed her nose, causing her to lick her lips. Due to the stump and fallen tree, she couldn't tell how many eggs the pair had. Probably not many since it was the dead of winter. And if they didn't have many, they would be extra cautious in protecting them.

Thinking, the Sneasel scrambled away from the clearing. The eggs were too tempting. Even if she could only get away with one, she wanted it. And if she was going for it, it would be best to make a good plan.

She went back to the path she had traveled before her rest and started sniffing around. After moving around a few trees, she found what she was looking for. A territory marking from another Sneasel, this one a male. While she traveled from place to place in the winter, the males stayed in one area, fighting other males for resources and trying to get the females to stay after winter. Whatever this one was like, he'd be useful for getting to the eggs.

After some searching, she came to a small frozen pond. The male Sneasel was there. He had carved out a hole in the ice and was trying to lure Magikarp to the surface by splashing the water lightly with his hand. The method required patience, but it was workable.

To get his attention, she jumped onto a branch loaded with snow, then dropped down onto the ground with the falling snow. He turned quickly to the sound, bringing his clawed hands in so that he was more ready for an attack. On seeing her, he relaxed and whistled a friendly greeting at her. He then waved her over, inviting her to fish with him. Or to be impressed by his fishing skills.

The female Sneasel scurried over to her peer, but refused the offer. Pointing back to where she'd come from, she informed him of the eggs that were close to his territory markings. That interested him; the male Sneasel left his fishing hole and came over with his ears pricked up. They discussed the problem of dealing with the Medicham parents for a while. Then they went into the trees to get to the clearing.

As they got closer, she noted that her partner in crime was getting antsy, sniffing about and checking the surroundings. It must be out of his territory, she figured, or in an area that he was competing for with another male. It didn't stop him, only slowing him a slight.

At the clearing, the female Medicham was nowhere in sight. Her scent remained in traces, so she couldn't be that far off. The male was meditating, sitting in levitation a few inches above the old stump. While they had some protection from being immediately detected, the father would be more aware like this.

The male Sneasel checked the scene out, then pointed out a few things: a nearby pine tree, a cluster of rocks, a human footpath, a hollow oak with a sizable hole in the side. Then he ran along the branch, leapt as far as he could, and landed on the Medicham's head. He jumped onto the fallen tree and brandished his claws.

The Medicham glowered at him, then blocked his claw slash effortlessly. He went to kick the smaller Pokemon away, but the Sneasel hopped backwards and clawed his leg before going into the snow. Taking the bait, the Medicham jumped over the tree and tried to attack on the way down.

Of course he would go for the bravado method, the female Sneasel thought. The males always had to be doing something impressive. It did give her an opening to sneak down the tree and go check out the area. Following the scent, she found the nest inside the rotted stump, disguised with a large piece of bark. There were three of them, half buried in dirt. She wasn't sure how they were keeping the eggs warm; maybe they were intentionally slowing the growth until spring.

At any rate, one of them was now hers. She snatched up the nearest one and ran off with it. She stopped by the group of rocks by the footpath, to check on the presence of the female Medicham. Nothing at first. Did she have time to go back and get a second egg? Might as well try. She scooped snow around the egg to cover the green spots, then ran back to the clearing.

The male Sneasel had thrown snow into the Medicham's eyes, then confused him with dark energy. While the tall Pokemon stumbled around trying to find his foe, the thief went back to the stump. There was a crunch in the snow nearby. The female Sneasel tensed, then snatched the second egg. As she secured her hold on it, the female Medicham entered the clearing. She looked right to her nest and saw the real problem. She screamed in fury, causing the female Sneasel to bolt with the egg.

Giving an insane sounding battlecry, the male Sneasel launched himself right at the angry mother and slashed his claws across her face. Then he hurried after his peer, calling ahead for her to hurry up. The female Sneasel changed directions to head for the first egg she had stolen. However, she stopped in a blink, then ducked under a nearby pine.

There was a human on the footpath, a large and bulky human who wore a giant backpack and thick hiking boots. The male Sneasel joined his peer under the pine tree, watching where they had come from. Curious at the odd mound, the human gently brushed away snow from the egg. He looked over it, puzzled.

Then the female Medicham stormed into the area. Although looking for the Sneasel pair, once she saw the egg, she went right for it. The human, noticing her temper, backed off with his hands up. The mother took back her egg and went to the clearing with it. In her mind, it was better to save as many of her offspring as possible.

But once her mate's mind had cleared from the confusion attack, they would certainly try to divine the missing egg's location with their Psychic powers. The male Sneasel sniffed around, maybe checking for the presence of his rival. Then he waved the female to follow him.

They zig-zagged around the forest floor, holding onto the rare winter egg. The male was quite tense until they got to the trees where his markings began. After passing that invisible barrier, he acted much more playfully, jumping and flipping about in a cheerful victory celebration. Near the frozen pond, he pointed out another pine that provided good shelter.

The female set the egg down in there, then thanked him by patting his forehead. She offered to share with him. But even though he loved eggs as much as she did, he declined it. Instead, he skidded back over to his fishing spot and went back to his patient luring.

He was just showing off again, the female Sneasel knew. But he had to be strong. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get away with clawing an angry mother Medicham in the face. It might be worth her while to hang around here for the rest of winter.

…

Sneasel Platinum entry: A smart and sneaky Pokemon. A pair may work together to steal eggs by having one lure the parents away.


	108. Vulpix, Houndour

Hello radio listeners! And welcome to this week's broadcast of 'The Intrepid Adventures of Indiana the Vulpix', brought to you this week by Bug Chow, the favorite munchies of Bug Pokemon. When we last left our lone hero, Indy had set off on a quest for his missing twin sister, revealed by a mysterious Xatu to be still alive in the strange lands of Zestralia, where civilized Pokemon hardly explored. Wanting to prove himself to his famous parents, the four-tailed Vulpix set off. He had explored for days and found many treasures, but not his sister. However, his most recent adventure may prove to be his last.

Indy had spotted a marvelous treasure, a solid gold statue of Entei, six feet tall and almost as fierce as the real thing. While he stood no chance of moving the impressive statue on his own, there was a golden whisker that had fallen off which could prove the statue's existence to those back home. He picked up the solid golden whisker, but then was stopped cold by strange howls. This is where we begin today.

It was three howls, then four, then five. Indiana knew that even he, brave as he was, was out of his league against this group. Keeping hold of his new treasure, Indy bolted into the tall grass. But then his pursuers barked out and pursued him. One was right next to him, so he turned to the left. They soon had him on both sides and Indy didn't know what to do about his still unknown attackers.

In a last-ditch effort, he put all his energy into running faster than they, but then the adventurous Vulpix tripped over some loose stones and fell to the ground. The golden whisker fell from his grip, tumbling ahead into the dust. Growls from the grass all around him let Indy know that he was surrounded. What should he do?

To his surprise, his pursuers began talking to him. "Foolish traveler," one said. "Take that which you have stolen and return it to its rightful owner."

Indy had heard from everyone that there were no civilized Pokemon in Zestralia, so who were these ones speaking to him? "It had already fallen off," he tried to say.

"Return it, now," another one said.

"Or else the spirits of this land will curse you to a terrible fate," a third added.

Not wanting to invoke a curse, he picked himself up and retrieved the golden whisker. Then he went back to the statue of Entei to return it to where he had found it. His pursuers walked alongside him, still unseen, occasionally barking to each other. What were they plotting against him?

When he placed the whisker back on the statue's platform, something strange happened. The whisker began to float upwards. It twisted about, eventually finding the place it had broken off from. Once the solid gold statue was complete, it opened its eyes. Bright orange gemstones flickered like fire, then settled into a steady gaze over the grassy plains.

There was movement in the grass, and a black canine stepped into the statue's clearing. He was a little taller than Indy, but leaner and tougher looking. Bone like structures grew out of his shoulders, back, tail, and head, while slight curls of white smoke came from his nostrils. Within seconds, there were four other of these black Pokemon around Indy, Houndours if he remembered right.

And with them was one other Pokemon. She was a Vulpix like himself, with salmon red fur and soft brown eyes. She had six lovely tails, curled at the tips the same as his four. However, she wore a macabre collar made up of white bones and she had a patch of yellow fur in the shape of a five-pointed star, just like him.

"You," he said, astounded and excited all at once. "You're my missing twin sister! I've been looking for you."

"My brother?" she asked, in a voice that sounded much like Indy's mother. "But I am with my family, here. And you will be punished for taking a part of our holy statue."

"S-sorry! I didn't know that intelligent Pokemon lived here in Zestralia, so I thought it was just by itself..."

Then one of the Houndour spoke up. "That is not true. We live here. And while you should be punished, the statue repaired itself after you touched the broken whisker. It has been that way for many generations.'

Indiana twitched his ears up, looking puzzled at them. "So why didn't you fix it?"

"We were not the ones who made it."

Another Houndour explained, "There are two other statues like this one in this land. They say that at the point where the gazes of the three beasts meet, there is an ancient tower with a powerful treasure inside. While some of us have seen inside the tower, only the best of explorers can make it to the top."

"I could probably do it," Indiana boasted. "I'm Indiana the Vulpix, lone explorer and adventurer hero! I've gone into many dangerous places and come away clean."

"It is not wise to pursue such endeavors alone," his sister replied. "If one alone fails, all is lost. But within the pack, the many can take down foes that one alone could not manage."

"Then you should go with him," a Houndour said.

She lowered her ears sadly. "What, and leave the pack? Why?"

"He is your kin. But let's speak with the elder first. She'll be able to advise us on what exactly to do. Come, Indiana." He barked, and then the pack of Houndour and two Vulpix took off.

Indiana found himself at a bit of a loss while following the group. As he didn't understand their secret language of barks, he didn't know when they would all turn or when some obstacle like a hole would come up. Still, he tried to keep up with his sister. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Tatiana," she replied. "I don't understand why you think we are twins."

"We have the same yellow patch of fur on our foreheads."

"But I have six tails when you have four."

Inwardly, this worried him too. Could it mean that he wasn't good enough, like people back home had suggested? He told Tatiana, "Vulpix are born with one white tail, which splits up until he or she has six tails. Some people say it's how much a Vulpix is loved that causes the splitting while others say it depends on each individual."

"So you weren't loved?"

"I was loved, but I wasn't respected. My... our parents were former explorers, famous ones too, but they've grown cowardly. They couldn't even keep your egg from being taken from us, and it took me to come looking for you. But I'll prove myself to everyone, and then I'll have six tails like you."

"I think you're being rash, so I don't want to go with you," she replied. Before he could counter that, she went on. "The pack's home is just ahead. Please respect the elder; most people don't want to anger her and you've already tried to make off with a sacred treasure."

Is Indiana about to get captured for stealing the golden whisker? Or will he be able to get away and find this ancient tower and its powerful treasure? Has he really found his missing twin sister and will he be able to convince her to come back home with him? Tune in next week to find out!

...

Ruby entry: At the time of its birth, Vulpix has one white tail. The tail separates into six if this Pokemon receives plenty of love from its Trainer. The six tails become magnificently curled.

Emerald entry: Houndour communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This Pokemon's remarkable teamwork is simply unparalleled.


	109. Flygon

Once upon a time, there was a cruel king ruling over these fair lands. His name was Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third, although it was rumored that he wasn't the third of any line. He dealt out strict punishments, such as cutting out the tongues of those who made fun of his name and death to any who dared have a longer name. His reign was so terrible that even to this day, people hesitate before speaking of him. Partly because of his terror and partly because they have to remember how to say his name right.

After beheading his fourth wife for not singing to his command (she had a sore throat), King Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third announced that he was going to marry again. He had not gotten a suitable heir in any of his marriages and was determined to get a perfect son to follow him, one whom knew that his father was the best at everything. So he issued a decree, stating that he would choose his next wife in a singing competition.

"For my wife is not only to provide me with an heir," he stated, "but to amuse me and do everything with grace and beauty. The best singer that I have ever heard was a mysterious maiden in the Whirling Desert, singing a wordless melody despite the endless sandstorms. Any man who find her or who finds a maid that can sing better than her will be granted a large sum of money, an estate along the Azurite River, and my eldest daughter in marriage."

Now the people who lived near the Whirling Desert were amused by the decree. They heard the singing in the desert on a daily basis, but they knew it was no human. Instead, the song belonged to the desert spirits, elusive Pokemon that stirred up the sand into the multitude of cyclones that gave the Whirling Desert its name. But none of them would dare correct the menacing monarch.

However, there was one who dared to something more audacious than that. His name was Jack and he was a clever, if unscrupulous, man. He sold extremely weak fish Pokemon to travelers, claiming they were strong and powerful. He diluted medicines and hawked Gastrodon oil as a positive cure-all. And now he saw a golden opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

For many years, he had trained one of the desert spirits himself. This Flygon was called Guinevere and she had helped Jack in many of his schemes. Whether capturing Gastrodons or watching out for knights, she did so unfailingly, believing it was best to do as her Trainer asked. She was a good-hearted Pokemon, although a little frightened of crowds. Jack instructed her on her part of the plan, gathered some of his friends to help, made a few bribes within the castle, and was soon set to claim his fortune.

The day finally came, with the competition for the next queen. King Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third brought each of the competitors into the throne room for their introductions. Despite his ruthlessness and advancing age, the large reward had drawn in plenty of con men. Low class cons, Jack thought to himself with some pride. They tried to bring in dim-witted or naive girls and passed them off as acceptable with heavy makeup, grand clothes, and specific instructions. There were even some ambitious women who thought they could gain the upper hand over the king. If they were half as clever as Jack, he thought, it might work for them. But obviously they weren't.

Guinevere was settled into a chair, looking quite regal. The sand dragon had large red eyes that sparkled like stained glass, so Jack had accentuated that by subtly dulling her eyelids. While her wings naturally had a pretty look, he added inked floral designs to make her special. She also wore elegant jewelry: a gold collar with a ruby pendant, ruby earrings, and a diamond bracelet. As there was certainly someone in the castle staff that could identify true gems from fake, these pieces were real. Jack had tricked their previous owner into thinking they were fake, then trading 'real' fakes back to her.

With the clamor of a gong, a servant called out, "Next up, Princess Guinevere and her guardian, Jack Rivers."

Jack waved to his Pokemon to follow him, then entered the throne room. With a grand bow, he addressed the court. "Your Eminence, the mighty King Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third, so wonderful to meet you at last. I am Jack Rivers and I speak for my pure-hearted but unfortunately changed ward, Princess Guinevere Terra A'Draken." He waved his hands reverently towards his Flygon.

"Changed?" the king asked skeptically.

"Yes, your Eminence, changed. The lovely Princess had many jealous enemies and I was charged with protecting her. However, a wretched witch transformed her into a Pokemon under my nose. She was not able to hide her completely, though. As I'm sure someone of your God-sanctioned position can tell, Guinevere is still as regal, beautiful, pure, and lovely as ever."

The servant, who was in on Jack's plan, stated, "She must have been wonderful to be turned into this gentle dragon."

"Quiet, you!" the king shouted. However, now that a servant had recognized the changed princess, he had to astound everyone and prove his power. "Guinevere is still exquisite and elegant. I wasn't sure what you meant by changed, because she is certainly of royal descent. It is terrible that she would be mistaken for a Pokemon by the peasants, though. We will have to find a way to uncloud your eyes."

"I knew the witch's curse couldn't fool you," Jack said happily. "I have heard that it can be fixed by true love's first kiss, although that may be a sentimental old wives tale. If not that, I'm sure you, in your deep wisdom and wide knowledge, that you would be able to find a way to restore her to her true form."

"But sire," one of his advisers whispered something more.

"Are you not worthy enough to see Princess Guinevere's true beauty?" he demanded.

"I... there is something about her," he hastily replied.

"But can she sing?" another asked.

"Of course," Jack stated. "My lady, would you grant them their request?"

Guinevere nodded and took off from the ground. A Flygon's song did not come from her throat, though; it came from her wings. While she carefully altered her beat speed, angle, and other factors, the humming of her wings produced haunting and sweet notes that were eerily like a woman's wordless song.

After a few note changes, the king's eyes were wide and his lips trembling. He jumped from his throne and shouted, "She's the one I heard in the Whirlwind Desert! That song is unmistakable."

Guinevere was a little puzzled, since her wing song was never the same twice. But Jack distracted the court from noticing. "It is unique, your Eminence. She has always sung like this, never saying a word we mortals on Earth can understand. But you cannot mistake her pure and loving heart for anything else."

"We shall consider that, Mr. Rivers."

At the end of the day, King Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third announced his intentions to marry the angelic Princess Guinevere Terra A'Draken

* * *

 

Guinevere sighed and flew to another window. She had been in this castle for ten days now, without Jack. Other times when they pulled this kind of job, he would break into the victim's house in order to retrieve her within three days. Often, she was replaced with a different Pokemon. This place was more secure than a commoner's home. Still, ten days?

And it wasn't just the waiting that was getting to her. Various people were trying to turn her from a Flygon into a human. She had never been a human and wasn't that interested in becoming one. Especially not when she was expected to marry this king, who eagerly sought out flaws to punish his followers for. He seemed to enjoy their suffering more than their service.

While they treated her well on occasion, giving her excellent choices of meats, vegetables, and fruit, they also made her try all sorts of 'cures' for her condition. Bitter potions that disturbed her stomach, holy chants that required her to sit still or endure the whole process again, strange rituals involving needles, candles, and a spark-happy Pikachu... it was horrible. What had she done to deserve this?

Guinevere's watch for her true Trainer got interrupted yet again by the king. "There she is. Leave us be."

The servant bowed. "Yes, King Labem Abem Vincen Winsem Tarquesveiden the Third." He went back down the hall and out of sight.

As he came over, Guinevere scratched her scales under her collar. While it had been fun to dress up, wearing these jewels was starting to irritate her. It was like how living in this castle had been fun for a couple of days. But now she wanted to go back to Jack. He let her fly about in the open on her own, if he had nothing for her to do. In the castle, there was always a guard watching her, and they didn't let her fly freely outside.

The king stopped by the window she was perched in. "My lovely Princess, I hope you're enjoying the view."

Below her, there were soldiers practicing their skills at blades. Past the wall where she was really watching, there was a dusty old road leading towards her birthplace, the Whirling Desert. That is, it led there after four days of travel. She still hadn't seen Jack, so it wasn't an enjoyable view.

He placed his hand between her wings. "We really need to get you out of this cursed state. Announcements have gone out, but some of the imbeciles are already saying that we've been duped. But I know your story is true; I believe it and I will help you." The king leaned in closer to her.

That was much too close. Guinevere ducked and hopped out of the window. Quickly, her wings caught up and she landed on the outer rim of the window. She had to watch him closely.

His eyes narrowed. "This is not the time to play coy, Guinevere. We need to restore you to your true self before the wedding. And I don't want to accidentally transform you in thin air."

"Your Majesty!" One of the advisers came running down the hall. "We have some troubling news about your daughter."

"What is it? It can't be so important that you have to interrupt my time with my betrothed."

He glanced out the window nervously. "Actually, sir, we have word that Jack and your daughter escaped the winter castle and left the country by way of ship. They took all the gold you had given them, plus various treasures from the castle. And we've heard that before he left, Jack boasted that he had tricked you by getting you to marry a Flygon. She's not a human under a curse, she's a born Pokemon. And while he lost his Pokemon, he says it was a good trade-off."

Feeling her heart broken, Guinevere cried out. So Jack had abandoned her this time? She was all by herself?

"WHAT?" the king screamed. As his cheeks turned red in anger, he glared out at her. "Kill that worthless Pokemon!"

Guinevere flew off, but dove down past the wall. While archers were trying to prepare their bows, she stirred a strong cyclone from her wings. Dust from the old road swelled up and obscured the sight of those in the castle. Then the Flygon flew off for the Whirling Desert.

What was she to do, now that her Trainer had repaid her loyalty and obedience with abandonment?

...

Sapphire entry: Flygon whips up a sandstorm by flapping its wings. The wings create a series of notes that sound like singing. Because the "singing" is the only thing that can be heard in a sandstorm, this Pokemon is said to be the desert spirit.


	110. Machoke

The scene could easily be described as comical, although it was the practical way. Max, a human construction worker, sat on the shoulder of a Machoke, connecting steel structures. With one arm, the Machoke held onto the main bulk of the device powering the riveter. With his other, he secured Max so he wouldn't fall. That Machoke was also standing on the shoulders of a second Machoke, who made jibberish kinds of encouragements to the two above. Once this connection point was secure, they'd be able to move up to the next level safely.

Once he was finished with this column, he flipped his mask up. "Okay guys, let's get down."

While they doing so, the supervisor came in. "Hey Max, I've got a request for you: would you take one of Machoke to your home tomorrow? I've got a busy schedule."

"You're busy over the holiday?" Max asked. When he nodded, he answered, "All right, it shouldn't get in the way. They're pretty well-behaved."

* * *

 

"MAX!"

Worried, Max shut his tackle box and went outside. "What's wrong, dear?"

His wife was near the driveway, looking worried and angered. "Your co-worker is doing chest presses with the van."

And indeed, the Machoke was lying on her back in the driveway while lifting the van with her arms and feet. It amused Max. "Oh, she'll be fine. The Pokemon workers know not to hurt machinery."

"Still, she shouldn't be doing that."

"Fine. Daisy, please put the van down."

She gave a reluctant grunt, then balanced the van on both of her hands to curl into a sitting position. Careful to not scratch the bottom, she gently tipped the back wheels onto the driveway, then moved it back to rest on all four wheels. The Machoke then came over to them, smiling.

"It's nice that your crew lets the Pokemon off for holidays too," Max's wife said. "But can't they just relax?"

"That is her way of relaxing."

"Still..." she tried to think of something, but couldn't. "I can't see why you guys named her Daisy. I mean, for a cute Grass-type, yes, but not a Machoke."

Daisy laughed, entertained by her confusion.

"Look, why don't I take her out fishing with me?" That way, Max thought, Daisy would be free to use the van as an exercise weight all she wanted. "You're right about one thing: she's not exactly used to domestic settings. The supervisor generally leaves her in the quarry to train."

"Can I come fishing too?" Laura asked. Three months ago, she had been in a terrible car accident. She was currently restricted to a wheelchair and so far, hadn't been interested in going out to do things she used to love.

"If you can get ready quickly," Max replied.

"Thanks Dad!" She turned her wheelchair around and went back to her room to get her things.

"So you'll have a quiet holiday." He kissed his wife. "We'll bring back dinner."

"Chinese takeout?" she teased, making them both (and Daisy) laugh.

* * *

 

It was a nice day to be outside. The temperature was a little high, but tolerable under the trees. Around the shoreline, frogs, toads, and various amphibious Pokemon croaked and hummed, making a relaxing chorus. There were ticks, fleas, chiggers, and mosquitoes all about, but a Super Repel lantern kept them at bay. Max had to take a spot by the dock, in order to lock Laura's wheelchair down. It probably wasn't a good fishing spot, but the day ahead looked to be a great one.

After an hour of just a single carp, Daisy came over. She waved her right hand to get Max's attention, then tapped her left hand three times. It was a sign asking if he had anything for her to do. Even though Pokemon rights activists insisted on having working Pokemon out of their Pokeballs at least one day a week, so they could have a proper break, the Machokes didn't like having a 'proper break'. Their strength was their pride and they wanted to keep in top condition, no matter what.

Max tried to think of something, but he just wanted to fish. "Um, sorry Daisy, I don't have anything for you to do at the moment."

"Can she take me on a walk around the lake?" Laura asked. "I was thinking of catching a fish Pokemon for my first, but there aren't any biting right now."

"You've still got a few weeks before your tenth birthday," Max reminded her.

"But you'd catch it for me, right?"

"Well that depends; we don't have an aquarium for a fish Pokemon right now."

"I'll look around." She leaned over to look at the locks on the wheels.

"And Daisy could take you around the lake, if you like. Just don't go too fast now."

The Machoke nodded, glad she could help. Then she picked Laura up out of her wheelchair. Max was afraid for a moment that she would stick her on her shoulders, like the Machoke did with the construction workers when they needed some more height. Instead, Daisy let Laura sit near her elbow and put her free hand to secure the girl there. That way, she didn't have to strain her injured back in staying up straight.

"Hey!" Laura called out in surprise. She looked the Machoke in the face.

Max chuckled. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you. I've let them carry me up areas without scaffolding before. They're trained to take a human's safety in consideration."

The girl then smiled, realizing the novelty of riding on a Pokemon. "Okay! I know the paths around here, so we won't get lost."

* * *

 

They got back home about quarter to six. "At least you brought home dinner," Max's wife teased, taking the Chinese takeout bags from him.

"Oh yeas, we caught some lovely egg rolls," he joked. "But we had a great time. Spent most of our time walking the trails."

"Did you? How did Laura's wheelchair fare?"

"Well..."

"Daisy carried me," Laura said, wheeling herself up the ramp. The Machoke followed behind her. "I thought she'd be a bore because she's a working Pokemon, but she's awesome! She pushed a boulder that was taller than Dad aside like it was made of styrofoam. And this Raticate was bugging us, so she punted it way over to the other side of that big meadow. And she didn't once let me drop or feel unsteady."

She seemed concerned. "Oh... I see."

"It's fine," Max repeated. "I let them carry me while holding onto dangerous equipment. So I knew Laura was safe."

"I want a Machop for my first Pokemon now," the girl said happily.

"A Machop?" her mother asked. "That's not really a girl's Pokemon, is it?"

"Why should that matter?" Max countered. "She likes them, so why not?"

...

Sapphire entry: Machoke undertakes bodybuilding every day even as it helps people with tough, physically demanding labor. On its days off, this Pokemon heads to the fields and mountains to exercise and train.


	111. Raikou, Entei, Suicune

It was a quiet day in the rocky canyon. Too quiet. The warm humid air made local Pokemon more inclined to hide from the sun and wait for the cooler darkness. The river was running low and calm, its voice barely a whisper. Every now and then, a pebble moved out of place, causing a crumble which was as unnerving as the breaking of glass in this silent air. During the summer, afternoons like this could carry on seemingly forever.

Then a roar crashed through the silence, powerful enough that it seemed to split the heavens. Some of the hiding Pokemon freaked out; others woke up, wondering where the thunderstorm was. The way it rattles bones and set off rockslides made many think it was a multitude of thunder bolts instead of a single roar. However, there was just one source, and it darted down the canyon wall, raced across the river without making a ripple, and zigzagged up the other wall to a hidden vantage point.

Back on the other side of the canyon, a human ran up to the ledge excitedly. The hunter looked around, then realized his quarry was gone. Crestfallen, he cursed quietly and searched around for clues. Raikou chuckled to himself. Some humans were such fun to tease.

A strong howl then echoed through the canyon. It caused more panic and confusion, for it had the quality of a winter's gale, out of place under the summer sun. However, Raikou and his hunter knew the significance of it. It was Suicune, calling for him. Raikou bounded out of the canyon and followed it east.

She was waiting on a ridge overlooking the canyon. Since her vibrant blue coat stood out from the yellow and tan rocks around them, she had picked a spot where she could observe anyone approaching her. "You need to come with me," she said.

He nodded, then flicked his jagged tail. "We'd better talk on the go. There's a hunter around here looking for me."

"Ugh, teasing them again?" She got up and ran to the south, so he followed her. "Someday, you're going to get into a lot of trouble doing that."

"Aw come on" he pleaded playfully. "They have it coming to them."

"It's better just to keep two steps ahead. And you boys make me worry so much when you mess with them."

"Fine. What's the problem?"

"It's Entei. You'd better come see for yourself."

The two siblings raced along the rocky land, eventually coming to a grassland area. Raikou had to restrain himself to keep pace with his sister. While it wasn't something he would complain or gloat to them about, he knew he was faster than them. Still, he admired the way Suicune ran. There was something fluid to her steps; she made a simple run into a beautiful thing. Maybe it was something to do with her association with water. Although, Raikou hoped it was something else that gave her that grace. If he could learn that kind of grace, maybe he could run even faster.

As the rocky desert area vanished into the horizon, Suicune stopped near a tall boulder. Their brother was there, lying half in the rock's shadow. At first, it looked terrible. Entei's long brown fur was never burned by fire, but now was dusty, knotty, and, at his paws, muddy. The protective pads of his paws were cracked and sore-looking. While his mane of smoke normally held together well, it looked thin with undefined edges. And as they approached, he didn't stir. But the warmth of his body and the steady movement of his chest showed that he was deeply asleep.

"What's he been running from?" Raikou asked.

"I don't know," Suicune replied. "I hadn't seen him in months, so I started looking for him last week. I only found him like this an hour ago, and then I found you almost immediately. Of course, your loudness is hard to miss."

"I talked to him sometime last winter. And I've seen him running around on occasion, but he hasn't stopped to talk. I wonder if he stopped at all."

"I know he likes to run, but if he hasn't stopped, that isn't good. We should wait for him to wake up and make him talk."

"Good plan. Besides, this isn't the best place to crash out." He hopped onto the boulder and looked around. While the immensely tall grasses would hide them, it would also hide anyone approaching them. That is, if the Pokemon or person knew how to be stealthy around a grassland.

It was several hours before Entei stirred. He looked between the two of them for a minute before asking, "Am I in trouble?"

"That depends," Raikou said.

"You're a mess," Suicune said. "We had to clean you up and straighten your fur. What happened to you?"

He brought his head up, but remained lying on his stomach. "I've been running around, that's all. I didn't think I was that messy."

"Your paws were caked in mud and your smoke still looks feeble," their sister insisted. "And the way your pads are, you need to spend a few days letting them heal back up. If you start to bleed at your paws, you could get really sick."

"I'll be fine. Actually, I need to get back to running."

"Where are you trying to go?" Raikou asked. "And how long have you been running?"

Entei looked down at his paws; the mud was gone now and some of the knots had been removed. "Just around... it's been a while."

"How many months?"

"What's going on?" Suicune said, pawing the ground and narrowing her eyes at him.

"I don't know!" he snapped, snarling a bit. "I've got all this pent up energy inside and it builds up to where I feel like my heart is going to burst. I try burning it off by running, but it stays there, pushing me until I collapse. Once I wake back up, I have to start running again. It's driving me bonkers."

Suicune lowered her head, looking ashamed. "That sounds terrible, Entei."

"I didn't want to worry you guys. I know it's wearing me down, but if I hold still, I feel even worse." He closed his eyes and gasped quietly.

"Could it be connected to that volcano you normally hang around?" Raikou asked. "Because I went there the other day and got caught in an earthquake. That messed me up for a few hours."

"Isn't that the one people say he was born from?" Suicune asked. "How could that mistake affect him?"

"It does seem unstable when I pass by there," Entei said. He got up; although shaky for a moment, he managed to control himself. "Would you two come over there with me?"

"Sure," Suicune said, and the three of them took off to the northwest.

Past the canyon and over more rocky terrain, they came to Entei's usual running grounds, a place called Red Mountain. To get there from the middle of the grasslands would take at least a week for most Pokemon, just a matter of minutes for them. Their fire brother led them up the volcano, although he was clearly struggling from his body being overstrained. Raikou made a mental note that if Entei refused to rest after this, he'd paralyze him or something to make sure that he stayed still.

Oddly enough, the volcano seemed strained as well. There was a bulge near the top that seemed to have grown more since Raikou had last been by here. The ground felt warm, even as they climbed above the tree line. At the snowy peak, the three beasts stopped to examine the surroundings.

"See, I think this place is getting ready to blow up," Raikou stated. "And you feel like your heart is going to blow up, kind of. So they might be connected."

"But I have nothing to do with this volcano," Entei argued. "I just live here."

Suicune sniffed at the snow by her paws, then shuddered. "Guys, I don't feel so good myself. And the earthquakes around here would be bad on both of you. I don't think we should have come here."

"What's the matter with you?" Entei asked, concerned.

"I don't know; I feel like I'm under a lot of pressure somehow. And I really want to get away from here. Maybe we're getting sick."

"Well there's water trapped inside this volcano too, isn't there?" Raikou asked. "And it would be trying to find a weak point to escape from, just like the lava that's building up."

"But she only comes here to visit me," Entei argued.

"You're empathizing with your elements, that's what I mean. I know I get all wound up as a thunderstorm is building, and it doesn't get any better until the storm passes or breaks apart. So this volcano will probably affect both of you until it explodes."

"You think my home is the problem?"

Suicune glanced off to the east. "There was this one time when I found a horribly dirty pond, choked with algae scum. I felt horrible and slimy, not to mention that my lungs seemed to weaken. I felt better when I purified that pond. So maybe it is the volcano."

Entei paced around them thinking, although the build up of energy must have been antagonizing him. "But then what can I do about the volcano?"

"You could always make it erupt," Raikou pointed out.

"What?" Suicune asked, shocked. "Why would you suggest doing such a thing? Lots of Pokemon and humans could die if Red Mountain erupts. The local environment would burn to ashes, rocks and ashes would fall everywhere, so if they did survive, they would be out of a home... I bet you just want to make something blow up."

"Actually, it would be pretty cool to see an actual volcanic eruption," Entei said.

"Argh," Suicune grumbled, putting her paw over her eyes. "Don't you boys even care?"

"Well look at it this way," Raikou said. "Red Mountain's going to blow its top eventually, whether it's helped along or not. If we leave it be, Entei's going to be forced to keep running himself ragged until he gets hurt badly. And all the pressure will keep building, leading up to a bigger explosion. On the other hand, we can jump-start it now and get a somewhat smaller explosion. I mean, it's still going to be massive and awesome, but not as devastating."

"I guess that's true," she admitted. "Still, maybe we ought to ask one of the elder ones for advice."

Entei snorted. "One of them? I'm getting a little sick of them calling us kids and shuffling us to the side. I can handle the volcano, and all of us would be able to run off and escape in time."

"We could, but still..." her voice trailed off.

"Right then." He turned around in the snow to face down the mountain. After taking a deep breath, he roared with a ferocity that echoed around the rocky fields below. His roar was like a wildfire exposed to new fuel or fresh air so it could burn forth with new strength. Some of the snow slipped and nearly started an avalanche.

But although they all tensed to run, there was no sign of an eruption.

Entei sagged down into the snow. "Maybe we are getting sick and weak."

"Or maybe we should help you," Raikou suggested.

"Well I can see where my encouraging the steam trapped in the rocks would help," Suicune thought aloud. "But I don't see how you, being connected to lightning, would help in the circumstances."

"Erm, static?" he said weakly.

"Or maybe the sheer volume of his roar will destabilize the rocks," Entei said, pulling himself back up. "He drowns us both out."

"So are you with us?" Raikou asked their sister.

"I guess," she replied. She started, followed quickly by Entei, then followed a few seconds later by Raikou. Suicune never did like roaring, so she always howled. Thus she was the last one going as well.

The mountain finally trembled. As the three of them raced down the slope, the lava and steam finally found a weak point caused by the three. Red Mountain erupted into a bulbous cloud of ash, rock, gas, soot, and lava.

What trees had been around Red Mountain were now blackened, stripped of leaves and branches. Any other plants had been scorched and knocked to the ground. And the volcano wasn't through yet, as lava would likely pour from the collapsed volcano for weeks to come.

"I hope we did the right thing," Suicune said, guiltily looking over a gray sooty pond.

"I'm sure it'll work out," Raikou reassured her. He turned to his brother. "How are you feeling now?"

"Exhausted, but a lot calmer," Entei replied. He lifted his paw and sniffed at it. "But my legs are so sore now. Do you know of any spa around that would give me a paw massage?"

Despite being against setting off the volcano, Suicune laughed. Raikou and Entei soon joined in.

...

Emerald entry: Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. Its roars send shock waves shuddering through the air and ground as if lightning bolts were crashing down.

Entei Leaf Green entry: Volcanoes erupt when it barks. Unable to restrain its extreme power, it races headlong around the land.

R/S entry: Suicune embodies the compassion of a pure spring of water. It runs across the land with gracefulness. This Pokemon has the power to purify dirty water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Japanese release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver. If you put all of Entei's Pokedex entries together, you get a really dangerous mix of volcanoes exploding, making new Enteis who make more volcanoes explode…


	112. Kricketot, Kricktune

A multitude of chimes and chirps filled the grassy meadow. Most everything was still colored with summer's greens, but spots of yellow-green and red hinted at fall's approach. While a few flowers continued to bloom, within a month they would begin to succumb to the approaching cold. Even if one ignored all those signs, the calls of the Kricketots only began after mid-summer.

"Whirrrr luuu laaaa," a Kricketune called, getting a few answering chimes. But nothing quite like the sophisticated cry she had.

With her were a man and a boy. Her Trainer listened carefully. "Haven't got one yet," he stated quietly. "But they'll be around."

The boy tugged at his sleeve. "Dad, can I catch a Kricketot?"

He smiled and patted his son's head. "You're not old enough to have a Trainer's license."

"But Billy says he's going to enter the Junior Kricketot Contest of the Thanksgiving Day Festival. I'm going to be nine in four months, so it won't be that long until I can have a license."

"Weeeeeh zii kahhh," Kricketune sang, in a mournful tone for exaggerated effect.

"Oh yes, that will happen too soon," the father joked. "Still, I brought you along to show you how things are done. If you just happen to catch a Pokemon during the demonstration, I could register it under my name until you get your own license."

He grinned. "Great! So how do we find them?"

"Hold on, Derek," he said, holding his son's shoulder. "When you want to go catching Pokemon, you can't just go out and find them. You have to let them come to you."

"Why's that?"

"You remember the stories your grandmother would tell? About why Pokemon come with humans and why we need to respect them?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah. Pokemon want to be stronger, so they go with Trainers, but then you have to respect them and not hurt them badly, or they'll tell other Pokemon to avoid you and not help you out. And Pokemon do a lot of things that we don't notice until they're not done anymore, like keep forests safe and clear paths of rubble."

"Yes, and also that if you take a Pokemon away from its home when it doesn't want to, it will be depressed and dislike you for that. So you have to go into the tall grass and see which ones come looking for you."

"But Mom says to stay out of the tall grass or wild Pokemon will attack me."

"That's true, which is why almost no one catches their first Pokemon themselves."

"But I can be different, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Tika zeee," Kricketune noted.

"We'll see," his father translated.

They walked through the meadow in silence for a few minutes. Derek watched anxiously for a Kricketot to approach them. Although they could hear the xylophone-like calls as the young Bugs chatted with each other, they couldn't see a single one of them. They climbed over a natural stair formation to reach a higher part of the meadow just in front of Oreburgh Gate.

"Krrrriririririririri," Kricketune called out. More calls answered her, but none like her.

"Why are you looking for a wild one anyhow?" Derek asked in a loud whisper. "She's good enough for the Festival Kricketune Contest."

"Yes, she is," he answered. "But I want to enter the nearly-wild category this year and prove that I'm still one of the top Bug Trainers."

The boy snickered. "Aw, come on Dad. You've been in the Elite Four for two decades now with Bugs. I don't think anybody would doubt that you're the best."

"I guess so. Still, I've never been in that nearly-wild group and I've heard rumors that Bugsy will be coming over for this year's competition. I don't want to have just one Kricketune if he shows up. If things go well, I might even get her and another to perform a duet."

"What song are you gonna do?"

"Dueling Banjos, of course."

"Tzsi si," Kricketune chimed proudly. "Durri," then she went into a scale of notes effectively mimicking a banjo.

"Chong," a Kricketot answered, rustling through the grass. He found his way to the group, then shook his head to make his antennae clatter together. "Chi-chi-chi-chi-chong," they sounded.

The father passed over a Pokeball. "Okay, you give it a try." He looked to his Kricketune and mouthed, 'Be nice to him.'

"Wurrriii," Kricketune replied, hopping over to in front of Derek.

The boy thought over battles where he'd watched his Dad use this Pokemon. "Okay, use Sing."

"Cho-chong," the Kricketot said, scrunching in defensively.

Kricketune rubbed her limbs together, causing a clear mellow tune to play. However, it seemed to have no effect. The Kricketot stayed as he was, eyeing her.

"What's it doing?" Derek asked.

"Using Bide. Remember that move?"

"Oh yeah. Sing again, Kricketune."

Without a comment, she continued her soothing lullaby. This time, the Kricketot relaxed for a second. That was a mistake, as he fell asleep soon after.

"Good," Derek said with a smile. "Now use Slash."

Kricketune flicked her antennae, glancing back to her Trainer. He nodded slightly. With that assurance, she gracefully flew at the Kricketot and landed a full force blow with her arm. It had a sharp edge, both for creating music and for strong attacks. The little one didn't stand a chance; he was knocked unconscious.

"A Pokeball won't capture an unconscious Pokemon," the father reminded his son gently.

His eyes were wide with disbelief. "What? What happened? Why'd it faint?"

"My Kricketune is too powerful for them. You should have asked for False Swipe. It's a special move that has her hold back just enough to leave the Pokemon conscious no matter what state it's in."

"Oh." His ears turned pink in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"His kin will take care of him. Are you going to try again?"

Derek watched as another Kricketot came out to pull the unconscious one away. "Um…" he looked up at Kricketune.

She put her fore limb to her chest. "Kuu wen," she sang, in a forgiving tone.

"Ye-yeah. If another one comes up to us, I'll try again."

...

Kricketot Pearl entry: It chats with others using the sounds of its colliding antennae. These sounds are fall hallmarks.

Kricketune Platinum entry: There is a village that hosts a contest based on the amazingly variable cries of this Pokémon.


	113. Lunatone, Solrock

The nights were beginning to be tinged by cold. At this time, day and night were equal in length. In a few days, the nights would be slightly longer than the days. Pokemon migrations would commence, plants would begin a storage phase before they died or went dormant. It was the start of autumn.

Solrock hated this time of year.

The rock Pokemon didn't even hate winter as much as he hated autumn. Winter at least had its own kind of charm. It turned so cold that most days were peaceful and calm, wonderful for meditations. On the other hand, autumn was frantic with activity to finish everything before death or some form of death came. Even Solrock had to prepare, storing and conserving his solar energy before the days grew short and gray. Autumn was simply dismal.

At times like this, Solrock occasionally thought back to when he had lived in space. Not much happened out in space, but at least there was always a source of solar energy available. If something blocked his light, he could just move out of the shadow's way. When living on a planet, he had to endure night. Not to mention the shifting seasons, aggressive Pokemon, rainy days, and a thousand other annoyances. Sometimes he considered going back to the quiet of space and the asteroid belt.

He was also tempted to spin up some fire for some heat. But no, he was in conservation mode. It was simply cool now. It would be cold later. Deep in winter, he would really want the heat. Back in space, he could have spun himself constantly to keep warm, and he had. But that was when the sun constantly shone on him and his kin. On this horrid planet…

A noise from higher up on Meteor Falls caught Solrock's attention. As he turned around, he spotted a silvery rock, about the same size as himself, rolling down the staggered cliffs of the crater. However, it didn't ever hit the ground. It bounced about playfully as if it was hitting the sandy cliffs; little splashes of water followed its progress. It was the Pokemon that had led him down to the planet years ago, Lunatone.

He grumbled softly to himself. Of course that was her, irreverently cheerful when he was feeling the start of autumn blues. She had her reasons for being cheerful, and Solrock felt them whenever she was near. Lunatones were random mutations in the space-faring Solrock race, crescent shaped silver Pokemon that always turned out eccentric. However, while Solrocks could live hundreds of years in space, the Lunatones would never live a single year.

It had been a tragic mystery, and then this one had convinced him to come down to this planet. Now she was forty years old and thriving enough that she had replicated several Lunatone offspring with no trouble. Solrock still didn't get why being on this planet helped her to survive. However, he also had to worry that this seasonal cycle would cut his life expectancy drastically.

"Solrock!" she called out, despite being ten feet from him. "Want to race me down the cliffs?"

"No," he replied. "I want to be left alone."

"Aw, why?" she asked, floating closer.

"I just do. It's the first day of autumn, when things go dismal."

"Oh. Fall's pretty, I think. All the trees turn red and orange and yellow, then when the setting sun hits Mount Ember's ashfall just right, the whole world turns orange. And of course there's all the leaves on the ground, which are fun to stir up." She laughed.

"Everything dies, or prepares for something like dying," he grumbled.

"No, a lot of the Nincada eggs hatch this time of year. And they bury themselves in the ground to develop further. They're kind of lazy creatures in that way."

"Can't you tell that I want to be left alone?" he snapped. "I even told you so; I would notice immediately if you didn't want to be bothered."

She tilted herself a bit and blinked her odd red eyes. They were always opened wide instead of mostly closed like him. Her descendants were like that too. "Why would I want to be alone? Besides, maybe I notice that you do, but I don't care. Or maybe I notice that you want someone to talk to despite saying that you don't want me to bug you." She shook herself in an amused manner. "I'm smart too, you know, just not as old as you."

Solrock grumbled under a whisper for a bit, but she was right. "The time I get in the sun is falling," he said finally. "Sorry, but I find myself getting cranky around this time every year. I suppose it's good for you, since you seem more active at night."

"Um, that's not it," she replied. "I like the night when the moon is in the sky. But then I like the day when the moon is in the sky. And I like the full moon best, which is always at night. So whatever the sun does, it doesn't matter to me much. But then you like the sun best, so of course you get cranky now." She twirled herself around vertically, showing off.

"But in the end, you're a different Solrock," he pointed out. "I absorb sunlight, but there's no such thing as moonlight."

"There isn't?" she asked, almost as if daring him to prove moonlight didn't exist.

"The moon reflects the sun's light, which is why it only shines when it is not between this planet and the sun. So it's not really moonlight, but sunlight in reflection."

"But I'm not influenced by the light of the sun that reflects off the lake here," Lunatone countered. "I like the light of the sun that reflects off the moon. But that takes too long to say, so I like the moonlight."

"That's still not 'moonlight'."

"And, I'm always happiest at full moon and quietest at new moon. Therefore, I must take in moonlight like you take in sunlight. Hah!"

"But then why were you born into a space-faring race, with little access to moonlight?"

"That's probably why the other Lunatones died so quickly. Your meteorite cluster only came close to the moon every now and then. Was it those times that Lunatones appeared? So that means that we were always meant to come down to this planet! Because what use would a species be if part of its group was dependant on a resource that was only available a fraction of the time?"

He gave her a hard look for a moment. "I'm miserable because of this planet sometimes. What with autumn and winter giving me only a bit of time to absorb energy and all the other Pokemon around here who have no respect for meditation and thinking, I think about going back up."

"That's still more time than the other Lunatones had in space." She spun again. "Anyhow, I'm staying here. I like it here. It changes all the time on this planet. I bet if you did leave, you'd miss summer and spring. Maybe even winter and autumn."

"Maybe," he admitted. There were good points to living here. Like all the changes.

"And you've got a lot more to do around here. What did you do in space all that time? Absorb sunlight and think? Here, you can play with other Pokemon and those human creatures. And your thinking actually impacts stuff, because you've got to think and plan in order to survive the nights and the winters."

"That is true. We can see what happens rather than just discussing it."

"So if you went back to space, I bet you'd be bored real fast and come back. Anyhow, if you won't play with me, I'll play twice as hard to make up for it. Wheee!" Lunatone threw herself up to the top of the cliffs to roll down them again.

"And if I went back," Solrock mused, "I wouldn't have you around for entertainment."

...

Lunatone Sapphire entry: It becomes very active on the night of the full moon. This Pokemon was first discovered 40 years ago at the site of a meteor strike.

Sapphire entry: Sunlight is the source of Solrock's power. It is said to possess the ability to read the emotions of others. This Pokemon gives off intense heat while rotating its body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lunatone was the 200th Pokemon for this collection.


	114. Horsea, Kingdra

It was a lazy kind of day at the beach. There were a few humans running around on the beach, but they didn't seem to be running for any particular reason. The tides were calm and the sky was void of clouds. Over the warm water, a green dragonfly flew here and there, looking for something to eat. While the day was pleasant, it still had to concern itself with matters of survival. The green dragonfly wasn't in any danger of running out of food, but there was also…

A blast of black ink hit it, momentarily blinding the green dragonfly and mucking up its thin wings enough that it crashed into the water. A second later, it was snatched up and eaten by the Horsea that had shot it down. The Pokemon also had to concern itself with matters of survival.

Including predators. Although the tides were sluggish and she was in no danger of being whisked away, the Horsea still wrapped her tail around a rock. She let her blue body be swayed back and forth, as if she were another piece of seaweed or other debris. The water was shallow at this point, so she could shoot down little bugs to eat without moving that much.

One of the humans splashed into the water with no concern for stealth. The Horsea chose to remain motionless. Most of the time, that tactic worked. Not this time. The human grabbed her with two grimy hands and lifted her out of the water. "I've got a Pokemon!" it called out triumphantly.

Squirming, the Horsea tried to wiggle out of the human's grasp. When she didn't make much progress, she spat a bullet of ink at his eyes. It made him yelp and crash about in the water. It did not make him drop her, though.

Instead, he squeezed her tighter. "Hey, what was that for? I didn't do nothing to you. I'm going to make you pay for that."

She continued to fight against him, spitting at his nose this time. He squeezed her tighter, pressing hard against her gills. Being forced to use air instead of water, it was hard enough for her to breathe. She was genuinely afraid of being killed.

Then, another one of the humans came up and shoved the one tormenting her. This finally got him to drop her. She gasped in the water, forcing the air out of her gills. While her first instinct was to flee, she saw that the second human boy was fighting with the other. "You shouldn't be mean to Pokemon like that!"

"I wasn't being mean," the first one retorted with a punch. "I was just playing. Besides, it's just some other animal."

"No it isn't. Pokemon are the children of nature; we should respect them."

The bully then shoved the second boy into the water. "You've been listening to that loony old witch, haven't you? She's dumb and so are you." He turned to leave.

The Horsea swam a little closer to the one who had helped her. Although he was pretty much like any other human, there was an odd mark on his wrist. It was a black pattern of circles and lines all the way around his wrist, a tattoo even though she didn't have a word for it. That particular pattern showed up on undersea caves around the area where Lugia swam. What was this human doing with a mark like that?

Sitting up so that he was chest-deep in the water instead of almost under, the boy muttered, "If you don't show respect, they show you none in return."

The Horsea poked her head above the surface near him. She whinnied softly, not wanting to call the attention of the other boy. Maybe that attitude was why he had the mark of Lugia.

He looked over at her and smiled. He raised his hand up closer to her, but she shied away. "You're welcome, little Horsea."

"What was that?" the bully said, turning back around.

Not wanting to risk another capture, the Horsea swam off deeper into the water.

Years later…

She had proven her worth to the oceans. The grand waters accepted her as one of the bravest and kindest Pokemon within. Because of that, the oceans had changed her into a Kingdra. A dragon of grace and power, there were hardly any predator in the sea that would pursue her.

Yet she preferred to be still at the bottom of the ocean, linked to a rock and pretending to be a piece of seaweed. Granted, it was a much bigger piece of seaweed now. Her form as a Kingdra helped even more than her Horsea or even her Seadra forms, as many frills off the back of her neck floated out and swayed with the tides. Some things never changed.

And some things did change. She was rarely in the shallows any more. Her home was now deep in the ocean, where sunlight could not reach. Due to the darkness, she had to rely on more than accuracy through sight. The Kingdra could now accurately hit small prey from fifty yards away just by smell. If it were a noisy creature, it was even easier.

One day while resting after a fierce battle with a Huntail, the Kingdra was surprised to hear a bird's call. She closed her eyes and listened, stilled her frills to feel. There was a slight disturbance in the tides, rhythmic but not a rhythm of the ocean. Was it the master of storms, Lugia? Sometimes she heard him in passing. She stayed respectfully silent as he passed by.

There is an old debt that you should repay. Go now to the surface.

An old debt? She could only think of one person she had never repaid. But that had been a human boy, who was probably grown into a man by now. There was no way for her to know which human he was from the many above the surface. But if Lugia said it was, then it must be so. The Kingdra let go of the rock she'd been anchored to and swam up to the surface.

It took several minutes to reach the surface. On the way up, she accustomed her eyes to the sunlight and her body to the lessened pressure. There was a large shadow on the surface. It was probably a human sailing ship. If it was there, the man she had briefly encountered long ago might be on board. But would he be?

When she came above the tides, the Kingdra heard a commotion on the ship. She swam around to the other side. From the angle she had, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. But there was a man on the railing of the ship being threatened with a sword by another man. The sword-bearer had much fancier clothes; the one on the rails looked like he'd been through a rough fight. Other humans seemed to be near them.

"Give back the amulet," the sword-bearer ordered firmly. "We might spare your life if you do."

"You wouldn't know what to do with it," the one on the rails said. He glanced down at the ocean.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." Then he jumped off the ship into the ocean.

The Kingdra was worried about this. The shore was too far away for a human to swim there. Without hesitation, she swam over to him and bumped her head into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her; she was much larger now, so he couldn't easily choke her as the bully had years ago. She then brought him above the surface where he could breathe.

"Thank you, child of nature," he said. He patted her snout.

And on that wrist, there was a pattern that was like one on Lugia's caves. Then it was probably the boy who rescued her years ago. She whinnied softly; now she could truly say that she repaid all of her debts.

"Curse you, Sinbad!" the one on the ship shouted. "Men, kill him and that Pokemon!"

That could not go unpunished. The Kingdra swam towards the back of the ship as its crew gathered guns to fire at them. Choosing her target as the ship's rudder, she summoned a Whirlpool into being. If she could damage the ship's rudder, they would be in trouble. She had heard that from a Starmie once and, since they were one of the smartest creatures of the oceans, she committed it to memory,

The tides began to change, swirling into a vortex. But something unexpected happened. The vortex grew impossibly fast. While her attacks were powerful, she knew they weren't that powerful. The Kingdra swam with the man Sinbad away from the ship and the growing whirlpool.

As it continued to grow, panicked shouts came from the sailing ship. The waters grew immensely strong, far too strong for being a calm weather day. When the Kingdra peered back, the ship was being spun around. It tried to escape the vortex, but the whirlpool dragged it back to the center, down below the tides. As she reached a safe distance away, the ocean swallowed the humans' ship whole.

She wasn't that powerful. She knew what her powers could do, and that whirlpool was much too big. However, she heard another bird cry from below her, reassuring her. The gods had some plan for the man she had rescued. They would make sure that he was able to do whatever task they had assigned him.

Sinbad gave an awed gasp when he saw what had happened to his enemies. "I rescued a little Horsea once," he told her. "You seem to have grown. But I never thought that a Pokemon like that could grow into something powerful enough to destroy an entire ship."

Unable to correct him, she simply turned and swam on. Despite it being a long time ago, she remembered the way back to the beach where they had met. She would take him there and leave him to his quest.

...

Horsea Leaf Green entry: Known to shoot down flying bugs with precision blasts of ink from the surface of the water.

Kingdra Emerald entry: It sleeps quietly, deep on the ocean floor. When it comes up to the surface, it creates a huge whirlpool that can swallow even ships.


	115. Meganium, Typhlosion

The captive Pidgeotto was dragged along the forests paths. He fought vainly to escape the vines binding his wings. "I didn't do nothing!" he protested, digging his claws into the dirt to make their progress harder. "Just flying around, minding my own business. That ain't nothing to drag a guy through a forest for."

"It's against da rules of the forest," replied Carvinine, whose vines were being used as the ropes. "You was in a no fly zone."

"Who would make a stupid rule like that? Flying's free."

"Not in dis forest. And don't you go badmouthing da boss. He won't like it." Carvinine grinned toothily. "And da boss punishes those dat he don't like."

The other thugs pulling Pidgeotto around snickered at the thought. Despite the bird's attempts at getting free, they got him to the Boss' meadow. Tough-minded Grass Pokemon hung around the meadow as guards or lackeys, like Tangelas, Bellsprouts, and Oddishes. In the center of the meadow, on top of a small hill, there was the Boss of the forest.

He was a tall and bulky fellow, with smooth green skin and a powerful build. A lavish collar of enormous pink petals encircled his neck, while a long pair of feelers curled back from the top of his head. After looking at the entering group, Meganium tilted his head to a Jumpluff, then whispered something to her.

Nodding, Jumpluff floated down as the group approached. "Da Boss wants to know what dis commotion is all about."

"We caught dis scrub flying around in da no-fly zone," Carvinine replied. "And he ain't got the mind to respect you, almighty Boss."

Jumpluff turned back as Meganium leaned his neck down and whispered again. "Gotcha." She turned to the group. "Da Boss says to bring dis scrub over 'ere and let 'im loose, if he thinks he can beat da Boss."

"What's the meaning of this?" Pidgeotto squalled. "If that big jerk has something to say to me, let him say it himself. And you're flying, little cotton punk."

"Da Boss don't talk to scrubs like you," Jumpluff retorted. "An' I'm floatin', not flyin', scrub." She shuffled away through the air.

When Pidgeotto was brought to ten feet from Meganium, the Carvinine released him. The bird shook his wings out, then crowed. "All right loser, I'll show you what power is!" He took off from the ground and began whipping the air up with his wings.

Looking spectacularly unconcerned, Meganium yawned, curling his petals in, then shaking them out. A slight haze began to spread. The pollen got drawn into Pidgeotto's attack. As he started to attack, the pollen got the better of him. He tried to fight it, but then dropped back down to the ground with a dreamy look in his eyes. He cooed in a confused sleepy manner.

"You have fallen," Jumpluff announced. "Da Boss wins again!" Meganium leaned towards her again, whispering. "Da Boss orders dat dis scrub be thrown into Da Pit!"

The Grass thugs all hooted and cheered as the Cavinine took hold of the Pidgeotto again, to drag him to Da Pit.

* * *

 

Elsewhere in the forest, several days later, a group of non-Grass Pokemon gathered. "We have to stop Meganium from terrorizing the forest," a Miltank said. "It's been horrible for the past year, and now he's throwing complete strangers into the pit."

With the group was the stranger. Pidgeotto had been freed just that morning so that someone else could be tossed in there. He shuddered. "The mud, the spikes, those bananas… and the pumpkins." He crouched down, trying to compact himself.

"Someone has to go beat him and drive him away," Miltank finished.

A Weedle said, "Well he keeps the Bugs of the forest under strict watch and the strictest rules. I was the only one who could sneak here. Even so, he'd stomp me if I tried."

"His cronies attack whoever approaches, so they're weakened by the time they reach him," a Ponyta said. "On an open field, I could avoid them, but not in these trees."

"They know what the plants know, so I cannot avoid them either," a lone Gastly stated from its hiding place in the shadows.

"Once you do get close to him," Miltank added, "you've got to deal with that happy powder of his. He can do anything to a Pokemon once that powder hits them."

"And here we thought that having a leader who made everyone happy was a good thing," a Tauros grumbled.

"Wasn't there someone who beat Meganium, a long time ago?" Gastly asked. "I heard a rumor that someone who lives outside the forest did."

"There is that Pokemon," Ponyta said, pawing at the ground. "But I'm not so sure we can get him to come back."

Despite the long discussion, no viable plans for defeating Meganium came up. Except one idea, finding the one who had already defeated him. It came up to Ponyta to find him. Part of it was because he could cover greater grounds outside the forest, and part because he would be less in danger from approaching him.

Following scorch marks and other signs, Ponyta found Meganium's old rival. Typhlosion was bulky in body, but had small limbs. A wave of fire ran down his spine, out from his elbows, and within his eyes. At the time, he seemed to be sleeping while sitting upright. Although the younger Pokemon had tried to come up quietly, Typhlosion opened his eyes and proved to be full awake.

Ponyta stopped and bowed his head. "Master Typhlosion, sir, I come on behalf of the forest Pokemon. We ask that you come back."

Typhlosion made a few indistinct sounds, making Ponyta wonder if he had a speech impediment. Then, he spoke in a deep gravelly voice that was still unclear. "What for?"

"It's the Boss Meganium. He's making things unbearable for any Pokemon that's not a Grass type. He's redone the Pit and made strict rules so he can throw people in it. Like having a no-fly zone and capturing flying strangers. Or forcing all the Bugs to do manual labor and keeping them under constant watch in various spore conditions.

He grumbled a bit more, eventually saying, "You could beat him."

"Oh, um, no actually," Ponyta hung his head in disgrace. "He's got tripwires set around his meadow and changes them every day. My brother tripped over one and wound up with three broken legs. But you, you've taken him down before. We need your help."

Typhlosion was quiet for some time. Ponyta was afraid that he was simply ignoring the request. But then the Fire Master nodded. "But," he warned in his rough voice, "tell the others to be ready to leave quickly."

"Yes sir, thank you sir! We're very grateful to you." Ponyta turned and ran back to the forest.

* * *

 

Typhlosion took his time coming back into the forest. He knew how dangerous of a foe Meganium was. Although he was an old flower, the Grass-type knew plenty of dirty tricks. It was true that the Fire-type had beaten him, but that was long ago. In their most recent battle, Meganium had won. That was why Typhlosion had been living outside the forest for the past year.

For a couple of days, he meditated on the problem. He made some preparations to counter the dirty tricks that he knew of, plus a few more just in case. To himself, he admitted that he wasn't going in for the sake of the forest residents. It was just an excuse to take care of other grudges he had with Meganium. The rotten scoundrel had it coming to him.

When Typhlosion felt ready, he entered the forest. Many Grass Pokemon had always lived here. If every single one of them was connected to Meganium, then any invader would have a tough fight coming. That is, any invader but Typhlosion. He let his fire mane burn freely, instead of restricting it as he usually did. As it grew warming, the air around him warped. The haze made it difficult to see precisely where he was. He used that to throw off anyone who tried to shoot at him while running through the trees.

And they did shoot. Leaves, vines, seeds, and spores all tried to slow him down. But he moved on, getting past them before they could get close. He noticed pits in his path and jumped before falling into them. He noticed the tripwires and skimmed over those. However, he wasn't certain where Meganium made his home now. He checked several meadows out before coming across his rival in one.

Several Grass Pokemon screamed and ran when he entered their meadow in full blaze. Whatever Meganium was feeling, he disguised it well behind bored disdain. He spoke quietly to Jumpluff, who nervously called out to Typhlosion. "Da Boss says, why is dis smelly bum comin' back where he ain't welcome?"

"I ain't through with you yet," Typhlosion stated in his grumbly voice. "I spent my time in meditation and reflection. Still, my soul calls for vengeance. It's time for you to stop acting like a spoiled brat and pay the price for your crimes."

Rolling his eyes, Meganium gave another message to his spokesmon. "Da Boss says that he makes the rules now and nobody can get the better of him. Especially not a bum like you."

The Fire type clenched his fist, making his fires flare up. "I knew you were a waste and a jerk, and now I know for certain: you killed Totodile! I will destroy you in order to give her soul peace."

"Boss?" Jumpluff asked, looking at him.

Meganium stared at Typhlosion hard for a moment. Then he spoke aloud, in a tinny voice that was uncannily high. Always having been that way, Totodile had had a deeper voice than him all those years ago. "Are you still hung up over dat? She used to kick your sorry rear with no trouble at all."

"Like I would you?" Typhlosion retorted. He brought his paws up to his chest, then blasted his flames outward in an incinerating wave.

In seconds, the trees around him were blackened thoroughly. The leaves were instantly incinerated. The Grass Pokemon nearest to him bolted away with burns, a couple even on fire. Outside of the cinder ring, other trees and plants had caught on fire. Many calls of alarm spread up around the meadow.

But Meganium was still on his hill. He prepared a cloud of pollen as Typhlosion charged at him. For a brave moment, the sole Lombre in the meadow got in the Fire Pokemon's way, threatening to Water Gun him. Typhlosion swatted him into the burning trees with little effort, without slowing down. He got to the hill and struck Meganium across his back as hard as he could.

The pollen didn't seem to stop him. Meganium was going to ask why, but then realized that the horrid scent around his rival was sulfur. Typhlosion had been gripping the rotten-egg scented stone the whole time, protecting him from any spore or scent related threat. Not having planned to counter an unorthodox strategy like that, Meganium fled.

As soon as he did, Typhlosion took off after him. "I swore I would avenge Totodile, whoever had killed her. And I will."

...

Emerald entry: It can hide behind a shimmering heat haze that it creates using its intense flames. Typhlosion creates blazing explosive blasts that burn everything to cinders.

Leaf Green Meganium entry: The aroma that rises from its petals contains a substance that calms aggressive feelings.


	116. Alakazam, Kirlia

Up in a cave, high on the snowy mountain, there lived a Pokemon Sage. He was said to be an Alakazam of great age and power, and that he had solved many mysteries of life. Some brave adventurers climbed up the treacherous path to ask for advice, insight, or wisdom. On occasion, explorers would seek him out to find information on mysterious artifacts, or ancient enigmas. They came back down and spread the word that the Sage could solve any problem.

One morning as the sun sparkled off the constant snowpack, a Kirlia made his way up the path to the Sage. He was alone; one would think that it would make him wary, but instead he skipped and spun on his way. He skated on the icy surfaces, daring to skid close to the edge and a thousand foot fall, but never losing his footing. All he required for the dance was the music of his memories and thoughts of another blessed way to begin a day.

At the entrance to the Sage's cave, the Kirlia stopped, causing his green skirt to flare up and back. He made a gracious bow, pointing his toes gracefully. "I am Franklin the Kirlia. I seek the Sage Kazza."

"I have been expecting you," an airy voice came from within the cave. "Enter."

"Thank you." He bowed again, then came in with a skip to his step. "So you speak not with your voice, but by manipulating the air itself? That is quite impressive."

"It is my process of deconstructing the ordinary," the Sage replied. "Would you explain why you have come?"

Franklin gave a whirl. "Oh yes. A month ago, I was delving into what the future held."

"By tearing holes in the dimensional fabric and forcing Time to show you its hand."

"That is so," he admitted. "You cannot expect to read time without tearing something ephemeral apart. When I looked at the future, I saw myself speaking to you. So I made preparations, crossed the Aquean Sea, passed through the Sienna Foothills, found my way about the Icy Mountains, and finally, climbed this mountain to its peak to meet with you." He stopped and bowed again. The area he had stopped in was a circular room with four torches. However, there was no sign of the Alakazam aside from the aura of Psychic power he gave off.

There was quiet for a moment, then Kazza asked, "Yes, but why have you come here?"

"I told you: because I saw myself speaking to you."

"About what?"

Franklin shifted his weight onto one foot and stood there. "I don't know."

"Are you trying to figure out what evolution you should seek next?"

"No," the Kirlia replied. "I am happy as I am. When the time comes, I will know what I want."

"Are you trying to solve some riddle?"

"Um," he changed the foot he was standing on. "No, I prefer to solve them myself."

"Are you trying to find something?"

"Only why I've come here." He swung his foot out, making himself twirl. "But I am sure I will have no regrets for doing so."

"Franklin, you've come a long ways. Surely there's some reason other than you simply saw yourself coming."

"No. Just that."

Kazza made a sighing sound, which amused Franklin because the Alakazam went to the effort of forcing the air to make that sound. "You just saw yourself talking to me?"

"That's right."

"Did you see me in your vision?"

"Hmm, what an odd question." The Kirlia twirled a few times, thinking. "No, I don't believe so," he finally announced. "I knew that you were there in the room with me, as I know that you are here in the room with me. But where, that is a peculiar question too."

"It doesn't matter. And I must also ask why you've been dancing since you woke up this morning. The path to this cave is icy and treacherous, yet you came waltzing up here whimsically."

He laughed. "It's more of a ballet than a waltz. A waltz is a step, step, turn, step, step, turn, while ballet is what you make of the music." He demonstrated as he spoke, then bowed deeply with both feet on the floor.

"But why do you dance?"

"I dance because it is a good morning. When I look into the future, I see bad days approaching. No one likes bad days, so when I see one coming, I take steps to avoid, undo, or endure it. I wake up to that morning and if it is a good day, I am glad and dance for joy. And then other times there are good mornings when I have not sought one out. Someone must have made that morning good, and so I dance in celebration of that someone's work."

Kazza considered this. "If it is your power, then so be it."

"And," Franklin said with a dramatic flair, "I know where you are now."

"You do?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes." He twirled, then spun down to the floor and looked down into the ice sheet. "There you are. I saw a spot of brown when I last bowed, and there you are. You must fool others by forming your voice in the upper part of the room."

"Yes, that is the trick of it. It is my own riddle; no one has yet solved it."

He put a hand to his cheek. "So simple, it works elegantly. But I sense that you only tell half the truth. So, why are you there, frozen in the ice?"

It was quiet for a minute, so Franklin spun himself around to get up. Then Kazza explained, in an embarrassed tone, "It was originally an accident. I came up here because I was fed up with life below. I wanted peace and quiet in order to think and meditate. So I got all the way up here and found this cave. I placed myself on the floor and went deep into meditation. Unfortunately, I went so deep that the ice grew over me."

"How do you survive down there? There is no food, no air."

"There is a pocket of air, with a pair of vent shafts I formed out with precise and tiny psychic taps. And there is ice, which I can melt for water. As for food, I endure hunger as part of my trial."

"How long is your trial? You would need to come out at some point, or die down there and be forgotten when explorers come to find you and don't."

"I have considered coming out in recent times. I know how to do it. With those torches, I can melt out the ice. With my power, I can form trenches so the water does not drain and drown me."

"Why not blast your way out?"

"And risk all this ice collapsing on me? There are air pockets so I do not feel the full weight of the ice pack. At this point, it would crush me if the ice shattered. It will take a lot of time, but it will work."

Franklin moved back, to be in line with a pair of torches. "It is a fine plan, but what if hunger weakens you and the time works against you?"

"There is that possibility…" Kazza admitted.

"Well there is plenty of space in this cavity. Why don't I shave the ice from above while you work with the torches to soften it and watch the air bubbles? It would work faster that way."

"It would," he admitted reluctantly.

"I offer my help freely, so there is no need to be stingy with acceptance." He stopped dancing for the time being and focused his mind on digging up the ice. When he flipped one large sheet out to the back of the cavern, Kazza dumped the torches over and began assisting.

As the ice sheet had grown and shifted considerably over the years, it took some time to dig the Alakazam out. With a massive pile of ice beside the hole, Franklin hopped down the steps he had formed to where Kazza's body was now a quarter out of the ice. He helped to break the last bits of ice trapping him. Then, Kazza lifted his own body like a ragdoll with his telekinetic powers. He floated this way towards the exit of the cave, so Franklin hurried up and out after him.

Kazza was lying limply against the ice sheet that formed his cave. His ice-encrusted eyes were slow to open, but soon shut again. "Ach, so bright after being in that cave."

Franklin pulled out an Aspear berry. "Here, this food is spicy enough to warm your blood, and get rid of that frostbite."

"The body is not as important as the mind." He brought his hand up, awkwardly like a stringed puppet. But he managed to take the berry and eat it. "But thank you."

Franklin spun around. "If that is your power, then so be it. Come, we shall go down to the nearest village and get you taken care of properly."

"I left so that most people would stop bothering me," Kazza said. "I do not want to be helping with every little problem that comes along. They are simple enough to be mind-numbing. When people ask me simple things, I think it would be best for their minds if they figured it out themselves."

"I suppose I could agree with that." He leapt and turned back to the Alakazam, spreading his arms wide. "Well there are many other obscure hidden places to go in the world, places where you're less likely to be frozen alive. I'm sure one of them should be suitable to you."

"Mmm," Franklin had the impression that he was nodding in agreement, although all that came from his body was an awkward jerk. "There are many places in the world."

They went out in search of those hidden places.

...

Emerald entry: While it has strong psychic abilities and high intelligence, an Alakazam's muscles are very weak. It uses psychic power to move its body.

Emerald entry: A Kirlia has the psychic power to create a rip in the dimensions and see into the future. It is said to dance with pleasure on sunny mornings.


	117. Yanma, Cyndaquil, Ralts

"Hmmm…" Yanma paused and hovered where he was four feet in the air. He examined the forest around him. He could do this in one look, but he still turned on one spot. When he was facing the other direction, the smaller microbug dragonfly darted out of its hiding spot and shot away.

Laughing heartily, the Pokemon insect flipped in place and raced after it upside down. The dragonfly noticed and freaked out. Trying to escape, it zigzagged in and around trees to lose its predator. But the Yanma was not deterred. He could have caught it when he first spotted the prey. That was no fun, though. Instead, he held back just enough to keep pace with the microbug.

Even though it was a simple thing, he called out, "There's nowhere to hide, fool, and you can't run fast enough! I can see through your mistakes. You will soon be mine!"

* * *

The forest was spooky, even in the day. Bushes grew where trees didn't, making it hard to see far. Below her paws, old leaves and sticks were impossible to avoid, making crunching and crushing noises that could make her easy to track. Hidden rocks had sharp points and many bushes had irritating prickly burrs. She was lost. But even if she could find her way, it might not be any better if she went back.

Cyndaquil had gotten into trouble back home. She hadn't meant to. She had just wanted a closer look at the old vase. A beautiful old object, it had a colorful painting of Latios and Latias on it, flying in a pastoral paradise. Maybe it was just imaginary, but maybe it was a real place. There were stars in the sky of the vase, but not in the same positions as they were in the sky above Treasure Town.

Thinking about this, Cyndaquil had wondered if she could take measurements of the stars and figure out, by math, where the Latis were. That would be a great discovery, one made not because she was a great explorer, but because she was a nerd that the young explorers liked to make fun of. But in trying to measure the relations of the stars, she had knocked the vase off its stand. It had shattered into many sharp fragments.

The whole town had been excited about the discovery of the Lati vase, making its discoverers even more famous. They were a band of strong explorers, but kind and generous to everyone. Thus, everyone loved and admired them. She had broken their precious vase.

As another bunch of leaves crunched under her dark blue paws, she shuddered and wondered if she should have gone somewhere other than these woods. She had just gone in one direction and wound up here. But she was afraid of what these woods would become at night, when it would be harder to see and the nocturnal Pokemon would tease a lost person.

"There's nowhere to hide fool," a crazed shout came through the trees, "and you can't run fast enough! I can see through your mistakes. You will soon be mine!"

Someone was after her? Cyndaquil ran ahead, sending leaves and dirt flying. But when she passed through a bush, there turned out to be a slope behind it. She curled her body up and rolled down, crashing into another bush. After peeking around, she decided to remain curled up and hiding. Maybe whoever it was would pass by without finding her.

* * *

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Ralts murmured to herself on her way through the spooky woods. She wasn't supposed to be here on her own. She was supposed to be with her teammates. Then again, it wasn't her fault she was alone.

She was part of a large and famous explorer team, large enough that there was talk of splitting the guild and team to have smaller, more manageable groups. Today, she had been put with one of the potential leaders of the new groups, Gastly. However, Gastly didn't like her and he creeped her out. So she had been ditched partway in the woods.

Before they had left, her teammates had done something worrying. "Let's forget about the job and go looking for that cave," Gastly had said. "There should be some great treasure in there."

"But what about the client?" she called out to them. It was a very recent posting; a Cyndaquil had been seen going into the woods alone this morning. And she knew that the lost Pokemon in question was inexperienced in being in a Mystery Dungeon.

"Why should you care what we do now?" Gastly retorted. "See ya, loser."

"Or maybe not, if she gets mauled out here," one of the others had joked as they took off in another direction, making the others laugh.

It would have been easier and quicker for her to go back home. But then something terrible might happen to Cyndaquil. So Ralts carried on, looking for signs of the Fire Pokemon and hoping to at least find her before it got dark. When it got dark, the Ghost and Dark types would come out to harass strangers and she would be in a lot of trouble.

The pink horn on her head was picking up strong fear and uncertainty among the mix of feelings floating around the woods. And the signs were getting more recent; Cyndaquil's path wasn't straight and occasionally got caught in circles, so she had been able to catch up. Ralts shuffled through the underbrush to get to the lost Pokemon.

"There's nowhere to hide fool, and you can't run fast enough! I can see through your mistakes. You will soon be mine!"

Was that Gastly? The Ghost could disguise his voice. When nothing immediately happened, she got worried about Cyndaquil and hurried on.

* * *

Yanma snapped at the dragonfly, eating it soon after. That was a good snack, but he needed more for a meal. He flew around in apparently erratic patterns. Since he could see everywhere around him, he had to cover a strange path to see potential prey. Darkness would come soon, so the insects were stirring. This was the best time to hunt for them.

He spotted a horsefly moving about. He darted after it immediately. Now what to taunt it with?

* * *

"Cyndaquil?" A rustle of leaves announced a Pokemon coming towards her. "There you are."

"Leave me be!" She sent up flames from her back and neck. It was a defensive measure she did without thinking.

"Whoa, watch out for the leaves. I know you're scared, but I came to rescue you."

She uncurled a bit and saw a Ralts smiling at her. But there was no one with her. "You did? Where's your team?"

She blushed a bit. "Oh, that's a long story. I'm with Team Marvel."

Cyndaquil rolled onto her paws and winced. "What? I… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

Ralts looked confused. "Sorry about what? People get lost in these woods all the time, so it's no big deal."

"No, about the Lati vase. I'm sorry I broke it."

She put her hand to her chin. "I hadn't heard about that. What happened?"

"I was in the museum trying to determine the stars on the sides, and it fell off and broke. I didn't mean to knock it off; I thought it was secured better."

Oddly enough, she smiled. "That one? That was a copy of the treasure that was found."

Cyndaquil sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "A copy? But I thought it was the only one."

"The team leader gave it to Smeargle and he made several exact copies. They've probably replaced the one you broke already."

"Huh. Well now I feel silly." She thought about it, then asked, "Do you think I can get one of those copies to study? I think I can find where they are if I can positively identify the stars."

"Really? That would be a great discovery, maybe even a new land. I'm sure the museum would let you. I mean, if I came with you. They're trying not to let anyone know about the copies. Bait for some thieves, you see. But we'd best go back to town now; night will fall."

"Okay. Oh, but what about that voice? Someone was threatening me earlier."

* * *

Ralts was quiet for a moment, sensing the nearby woods. "I don't sense any hostility," she said, looking around. "There's some nocturnal stirring. Maybe they were just playing pranks on you."

"You could fight off any bad Pokemon though, right?" Cyndaquil asked, nervous.

"Um, actually, I don't fight much. I'm better at hiding and finding stuff. I was just going to teleport us back, once we got to a clear spot."

"I guess that's good," she said, nervously looking about.

"You will be mine, fools! Mwahahahaha!" the strange voice echoed through the trees again.

Cyndaquil curled up again. "Eeek! There it is again!"

The voice made Ralts flinch, but she still didn't sense hostility. A feeling of enjoyment and pride did come through, extremely fast. When she looked up at the source, a Yanma flew by them, sideways. "Excuse me!" she called out, but he flew by.

And reappeared quickly. With his wings humming, the Bug hovered and moved about. "Huh, what? What's you calling me for?"

"What are you yelling for, Yanma? You scared us."

As Cyndaquil uncurled, Yanma did a flip. "What, oh, sorry. Nobody pays attention to me anymore, so I get bored and yell at bugs I'm hunting. There were two fat scrumptious horseflies just passing by. But I'm very sorry. Did I really scare you?"

"Yes," Cyndaquil said, a little mad that it was just some careless Pokemon. "It was mean of you, just yelling at dumb insects and scaring us without reason."

"Sorry, sorry," he repeated. "It gets boring around here, and most of the Pokemon around here are selfish and rude. So I have to play by myself all the time. But if I go to town, wow, there is so much stuff going on and so many Pokemon about that my head spins and I get all excited and wind up hurt or getting chased out of town. But I'm not selfish or rude. Here, I give you this as an apology. I found this treasure the other day, and it was all pretty, but I can't use it or I'll have to give up my other treasure. Here." He tossed down a pink collar with a little bell attached.

"We accept your apology," Ralts said. She turned to Cyndaquil. "Right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

She nodded, then looked back to the wild Pokemon. "Do you know of any clearings around here?"

"Clearing, clearing?" He tilted his head, then spun about. "Go that way. There's a pond not that far. You should reach it soon… oh hey, what's that?" Yanma sped off backwards and vanished into the trees.

"He was strange," Cyndaquil said. "Let's go; I don't want to be in these spooky woods in the dark."

"Right." Ralts picked up the bell collar and handed it to her. "Here, you take it."

"Oh, um, thank you. For everything." They went to the pond, then teleported back home.

Although Ralts didn't get a regular reward for the rescue, she got a special award from the Guildmaster for doing it solo. And Gastly? He got into a world of trouble for ditching a teammate in a dungeon.

...

Cyndaquil Leaf Green entry: It is timid and always curls itself into a ball. If attacked, it flares up its back for protection.

Emerald entry: A Ralts has the power to sense the emotions of people and Pokemon with the horns on its head. It takes cover if it senses any hostility.

Yanma Emerald entry: It can see 360 degrees without moving its eyes. It is a great flier capable of making sudden stops and turning midair to quickly chase down the targeted prey.


	118. Celebi, Gorebyss

She was released into a small pond, barely taking up an acre and dimmed by silt. A creek fed into it on one end and slipped back out of another. But it was freshwater, and surface water at that. Not like the salty depths she had come from.

There was a tap on the surface of the water, so she turned around and brought her head above the surface. Her Trainer sat at the shore, near a campsite he had set up. When she came closer, he patted her snout. "Not the ideal waters for a Gorebyss like you," he said, "but it should be suitable for staying the night. The trip will take a few more days; you'll be back in your home waters in two weeks if nothing goes awry."

"I don't mind if it helps you out," she replied in a few clicks and whistles. He was a young researcher and often had to go out to meetings and conferences. She had actually been one of his scientific studies, but he kept her around even after it was finished.

He rubbed her head until he got a full scale, then placed it in a device to check on her health. "There isn't normally anything vicious in the waters here, but you should always watch out for Gyarados. The others are out, so you can get one of them for help if needed."

"I know."

The human nodded, then went back to his campsite.

Gorebyss went back underwater to investigate the pond. The silt bottom was loose, stirring up clouds of dirt as she poked her snout around for information. According to the smells, there were Magikarp (as usual), Goldeen, Wooper, and Barboach. With these were the lesser fish: minnows, perch, sunfish, and others. Pokemon always held some intelligence; animals held instinct only. She had no problem preying on Pokemon, if that was all there was to eat. But given that she was a visitor, she sought out the lesser fish for food. Not as good as ocean fish and plants, but good enough.

In this surface water, her pink scales made her highly visible. Gorebyss knew the locals must have noticed her, but they kept their distance. She didn't seek to bother them. If she got bored, she knew one or two of her teammates would be up keeping watch. In the meantime, she swam around for some exercise.

Late into the night, she sensed a tapping at the surface of the water. It was like her Trainer's signal, but he should have been asleep at this time. Gorebyss still went back to the campsite to see. Maybe there was some problem. If it had been an emergency, she would have been recalled straight to her Pokeball.

Gorebyss emerged from the pond, but didn't see her human friend. Instead, there was a small green Pokemon lying on a flat rock on the shore. He had pink feelers and oval-shaped wings, but he didn't seem like a Bug type. He smiled at her. "It's odd to see a deep oceanic Pokemon in the forest waters. But welcome. You swim with beauty and grace."

She wasn't sure what to make of the creature. "Who are you? And what are you?"

"I am Celebi, the Celebi." He pointed to her. "Gorebyss, an evolution of Clamperl when traded holding a Deep Sea Scale, or when deep in the ocean focusing the power of its pearl on defense. You are owned by the marine biologist Vincent Starmie, who studies the lifeforms that live deep in the ocean trenches."

Gorebyss felt unnerved. She wondered if she should signal her teammates that there was trouble. "How do you know this?"

"I'm a scientist myself, of time travel and ecology. I come from the distant future and I see to it that the forests remain healthy and mystical." He put his hand on his chest and bowed his head.

A Pokemon scientist? Somehow, she felt deep down that he was telling the truth. "Did you come to talk to Vincent? I think he would be honored to meet a scientist from the future."

"I don't doubt that. No, I came to this time to talk to you."

"Me? What for? I don't understand the science he studies; I only do little things to help him."

Celebi put his hand back in the water and traced random symbols on the surface while he spoke. "But those little things add up. My calculations are complex, but they pointed you out to me. Tell me, are you aware of the domino effect?"

"Dominos?" She didn't even understand the word.

"Hmm." He twitched his antenna, then gestured her to watch his water drawing. "Every action creates a ripple, like so. Every decision can affect another, even when not made by the same person. Powerful Pokemon like myself are… bound by honor to not act directly unless absolutely necessary. Since I study time and its effects, I choose to act by making little ripples in specific places in time. The little ripples affect other ripples, at first only slightly, but the end effect can be greatly. This night, I'm setting up a chain of events to affect a critical choice that will come years later. You're going to help change destiny."

Gorebyss swam a little closer to Celebi's rock. He spoke in a way that was similar to her Trainer's, well-educated and patient, but just out of her reach. "Little ripples get swallowed up by big waves. I know you can't permanently change the ocean tides. And I couldn't affect something as grand as destiny."

"You can, in little ways." He smiled, looking at her with great trust. "I chose you because you are in the right situation with the right heart. It's important to me, but I will let you choose to accept or deny this responsibility. If you don't want to do this, I won't bother you again. If you take it, you will have my blessing. See?" He tapped the water again and made a green glow briefly appear.

It felt green and vibrant, with a scent like the trees around them. In that glow, Gorebyss could tell that this was a Pokemon of considerable power. A blessing from a power like that would assure her of a happy and safe life. "What are you asking of me?"

"I have an egg with me, an egg of a special Pokemon. It's a Pokemon that could touch the lives of others and inspire them to great things. But in order to bring out that potential fully, it needs to be raised with love, discipline, wisdom, and knowledge. I want you to take this egg and convince your Trainer to take care of it. And you should take care of it as well, as if it were your own child. That's what I ask of you."

She felt a little confused. "You want me to take care of an egg and the child inside? I don't mind doing that, but how does that affect destiny?"

"It is an epic tale…" Celebi paused, then shook his head. "No. It is before an epic tale. Before the beginning, before the prologue, before anything, there is this. A character in a story has a personality that is affected by little things that are never seen. The Pokemon within the egg is a catalyst, a trigger to great things to come. But a thing that is great is not always good. In order to make sure that the great thing becomes good, the catalyst must be made good and loving. The grand epic tale, with its troubles, trials, and tears, it will not affect you. But you will affect it, by teaching love to the catalyst of great change."

"That sounds much too grand to concern me," Gorebyss said. "But your request is just a simple thing, to care for a child."

He folded his arms on the rock and rested his head there. "Sorry. But you must have observed your own Trainer making simple things into complex. Anyhow. Yes, the base of my request is that you convince him to adopt the egg, and then help him care for it. Will you do this?"

She patted the surface of the water with her fins. "Yes, I would love to do so. If it is aquatic, it would be like my own."

Laughing softly, he replied, "Oh yes, it will be aquatic. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is a reassurance to know that things will at least start out correctly." He pushed with his arms, then lifted himself into the air. On putting his hands together, his body was surrounded in a green glow. Celebi then moved over the surface of the water. A pale blue egg appeared and sank gently into the silt bottom.

Gorebyss came up and touched the egg lightly with her tongue. While it gave off a sense of Water, it did not seem immediately familiar. So she rubbed her head against it to give it her specific scent. If she kept regular contact with this egg, the child Pokemon inside would instinctively recognize her as a mother. "You will be my family," she told the egg.

Celebi dispelled his glowing aura, then hovered over the surface. "I shall leave the rest to you, dear Gorebyss. The love of a simple Pokemon like you will spread and make many lives better."

She came back above the surface, but the green Pokemon was no longer there. It was as if he had never appeared in the first place, save for a mysterious egg. For the rest of the night, Gorebyss looked after it and kept the locals away.

In the morning, her Trainer came and tapped the pond's surface. "Gorebyss," Vincent called.

She came above the surface and rubbed his hand when offered. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he echoed. Did he realize that? Sometimes, she thought he did. "Did you have a good night?"

She dove back under the surface and wrapped her body gently around the egg. This way, she brought the egg into the shallows where he could see it. "Here, take this."

He frowned as he touched it. "What's this? It's not your spawning season and you haven't shown any signs of it."

"It's a gift; we should take it." She nosed it closer to him in a hopeful sign.

The young scientist picked it up out of the water. "The color's different. The local Pokemon would protect their own, or an orphaned egg. So how did you get a hold of it?"

"I would tell you if I could," she stated. "You might have understood Celebi better."

After studying it, and then seeing her watchful eyes, Vincent nodded. "Well if you've already connected to the egg, I believe we can take it along with us. I'm going to leave it here, though, just in case one of the wild Pokemon comes back to claim it." He set it in the shallows, taking a moment to make sure it was stable. "If it's still here when everything else is cleaned up, we'll bring it with us."

And since she was protecting it, the egg became part of their group.

...

FR/LG Gorebyss entry: Its swimming form is exquisitely elegant. With its thin mouth, it feeds on seaweed that grows between rocks.

FR entry: When Celebi disappears deep in a forest, it is said to leave behind an egg it brought from the future.


	119. Wigglytuff, Duskull

"Class!" The teacher clapped her hands. "We can't go in until we go over some guidelines."

"Whoop!" her Wigglytuff added in emphasis. He hopped up and twitched his ears.

That got most of the talking to die down. The third graders were all excited and impatient to go. And why not? It was the class field trip, this time to a Pokemon zoo! They had all been gossiping over what Pokemon they wanted to see and which ones would or wouldn't be there. It had been the only topic of discussion for the past month, but it never seemed to end.

Their teacher went over the field trip rules, plus others specifically for the zoo. "And remember, this is a research zoo where they study many of the Pokemon inside. So if the zookeepers say to stay out of one area or away from a Pokemon, do so without complaint. These Pokemon live lives close to that which they would have in the wild, so they won't be as well-mannered or obedient as the ones your family owns. And stay with the class."

"Yes, Ms. Webster," the class replied.

Wigglytuff knew that some of the class would get into trouble anyhow. He had been a classroom helper Pokemon for many years with Ms. Webster, and field trips always invited trouble. While he never blinked his large blue eyes at any time, today he had to make extra sure to keep the kids under his watch.

Through the day, he kept kids from throwing rocks, picking plants, or wandering off. They always made the mistake of thinking that if the teacher didn't notice, they wouldn't get in trouble. However, Wigglytuff knew how to match names to faces. At the end of the day, he would advise his Trainer as to which kids hadn't followed the rules. They wouldn't get a gold star at the end of the week.

The Pokemon and the teacher knew to keep an eye on two boys in particular. These two were smart, but were always causing problems. Of course they were planning something for this field trip. Wigglytuff caught them whispering back and forth at various points. They hadn't done anything yet, so he couldn't do much either.

At the Hipopotos area, one of the resident Pokemon lunged forward and snapped at a movement of the sand. A girl had been near the fence of the pen when it did so; she shrieked and jumped back. Some of the other kids laughed at her, after getting over being startled as well. Wigglytuff came up to her and gave her a hug. Since his pink fur was so soft and cuddly, the kids loved his hugs.

But while he was comforting that girl, he spotted the two boys with a third sneaking away under a sign that warned of no access. Ms. Webster was busy chiding the ones making fun of the scared girl and keeping the trip's agenda going. Once the girl seemed okay, Wigglytuff took off after the three boys.

The sign was attached to a chain strung across a narrow path. Wigglytuff ducked under the chain and crept along the concrete path. Along the ground, there were scattered branches and leaves from the vegetation that disguised the area from most visitors. He stepped around the debris carefully to avoid alerting the boys. He could hear them talking to each other.

"There's a wicked awesome Pokemon they have here," one of the troublemakers said. "But they aren't putting it on display."

"Why not?" the third boy asked. Wigglytuff remembered him as being quiet, no trouble unless provoked.

"We don't know. They say it's dangerous, but that's stupid. It's not like some Pokemon is going to kill you."

Unfortunately, that did happen. It was rare cases, usually when a human had provoked an aggressive or territorial Pokemon at the wrong time. If the Pokemon the kids were after was this way, the zoo would have certainly put it under enough security that people couldn't get near it. But, as Wigglytuff had learned over the years, foolish little boys could do exactly what wasn't expected of them. It would be best if he could get them back to the class without much fuss.

"What Pokemon is it?"

"You know that Mystery Dungeon cartoon show? They have a Dusknoir here, just like on the show."

"Really? But he was so tough; we could get hurt."

The troublemakers laughed at the quieter boy. "Don't be stupid. It won't do anything to us."

Wigglytuff wasn't entirely sure what a Dusknoir was, but he wanted to get the boys away from it. Looking around, he spotted a black figure moving through the trees. It was small and ghostly, but maybe it was friendly enough to help. "Hey, stranger!"

It came out of the trees to float alongside him. It had a white mask with two eye holes, but there seemed to be only one red eye behind it. "Hi stranger." Her eye shifted sockets as she turned. "What's the rush?"

"I've got to stop those three boys from going any further. They're after something called a Dusknoir."

"They're after Daddy? That's not good." She rustled her black cloak. "He isn't in a mood to be having visitors. I can't tell a stranger why, but they shouldn't go to him."

"Then could you help me get them back?"

She giggled. "Of course, it would be a pleasure. I won't harm them, Duskull's honor. But they won't be wanting to come back." Duskull (at least Wigglytuff guessed she was a Duskull) hurried off through the wall.

Wigglytuff continued to catch up on the boys. They were at a metal door, trying to figure out if it was locked or watched. "Doesn't look locked. Try pushing it."

"Why me?" the quieter boy said. "You guys were the ones who said to come out here."

"What, you chicken?" He pushed against the handle.

Duskull jumped out of the door before he got it open. She gave a shrill shriek that, if it didn't startle them, would certainly alert the zookeepers. Interestingly enough, the two troublemakers screamed and ran back quicker. The third boy gasped and paled, but he soon realized that she was just a Ghost Pokemon, not an actual ghost.

When the two boys tried to run away, Wigglytuff blocked their path to let them know that he knew. He growled. "You're way out of bounds, boys."

"Hey! What're you doing following us?" He looked back and saw what Duskull was. "Are you playing mean pranks on us? Dumb Wigglytuff; I'll tell Ms. Webster!"

"You are the one causing trouble," Wigglytuff growled angrily. He inhaled deeply and rapidly inflated himself to almost double his normal size. "And risking one of your peers too! Don't you accuse me of playing pranks."

The two of them backed up, having never seen him get angry like this. One of the two cried out in shock. Duskull cackled, then sent out a telepathic thought. _Yes, give me your beautiful cries. They'll bring out my siblings, and Daddy will be along soon after. He'll consume your minds and leave you as ragged dolls._

"L-let's get out of here," one of the troublemakers said, then rushed past Wigglytuff with his friend.

"Is that so?" Wigglytuff challenged Duskull. It would be tough for him to fight her, but to protect the one boy left, he would.

She laughed again, but sounded nervous. ' _I am the only one here with Daddy_ ,' she replied, in a way so that the last boy understood. ' _And they've got him locked up good and tight. But he is in a bad mood, so you'd best move along before the keepers come_.'

The pink Pokemon released his breath, deflating back to his regular size. "All right. Well thank you for scaring them back." He hopped up and offered a furry paw to the remaining boy. "Come on, we need to get back to the class."

"I'm sorry, Wigglytuff," he said, taking his paw. "They were teasing me and said I had to prove my bravery."

' _You're still here_ ,' Duskull pointed out. ' _But you will get into trouble if the keepers come_.'

"Okay. Thanks." He went back to the group with Wigglytuff. He did get into trouble as they came back when Ms. Webster was scolding the other two boys. But with a wave of his paws to show that he wasn't at fault as much, Wigglytuff was able to lessen what the third boy got as punishment.

...

Wigglytuff Leaf Green entry: The body is soft and rubbery. When angered, it will suck in air and inflate itself to an enormous size.

Duskull Platinum entry: It loves the crying of children. It startles bad kids by passing through the walls and making them cry.


	120. Houndoom

Houndoom sniffed around; the sharp odor of disinfectant cleaners threatened to overwhelm his nose. Even the humans sitting or pacing around the room smelled overly clean. Although he didn't like it, he knew it was for the best. Hospitals were supposed to be very clean. Over the days, he had learned to ignore it.

Today, there was a scent that tugged at his heart. A boy smell, one of muddy puddles and crushed grass. It belonged to a pair of shoes, which were worn by a preteen boy sitting on one of the chairs in this waiting room. Slumped into a defensive heap, he emitted a scent of being deeply worried and upset, but also being irritated with the others who were waiting with him. There was a sense that he might cry, but not around those around him.

Feeling sympathy for the boy, Houndoom walked over quietly and nosed his hand. The hand jerked away in surprise, but on seeing that it was a Pokemon, the boy half-smiled and scratched Houndoom's head. The canine Pokemon gave him a warm look, suggesting that he knew how he felt and was here to give him some company.

"You oughtn't get too friendly with that one," an old woman sitting next to the boy said. Her voice was cold and strict. "That one is the servant of death."

The boy tensed up; it seemed this woman was the reason he was being defensive. "That's just an old fairy tale, granny," he countered, but without much enthusiasm for argument. "It's just a Pokemon."

"They aren't as innocent as you kids think they are," she went on. "The howl of a Houndoom is a prelude to someone's death. It is proven in the devilish shape of its horns and the bones which grow out of its skin. It shouldn't be in a hospital; shoo, you creature of darkness."

Houndoom whined softly, then looked to the boy. Yes, his bone white horns coiled around to give him a fierce look and he had bone plates growing along his back. But his looks didn't matter. Many people who knew better said that about him.

"Oh, this one's not so bad," a nurse said, pausing to pat Houndoom's back. "He's sweet in nature and very well-behaved. He likes to visit patients and visitors, to cheer them up."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's an evil creature from the start," the old woman responded, not in a mood to hear any reasonable explanation.

Ignoring her, the boy asked, "What's he doing here?"

"It's a sad story," she replied, "but his Trainer got into an accident and died here a few weeks ago. The family released all of his Pokemon, but this one found his way back here and has been hanging around the hospital ever since. We're not sure if he's waiting for his Trainer to return or what, but as he's done no harm, we see no reason to kick him out."

"You'll have more dead patients for it," the old woman grumbled.

"Please don't hurt or tease him," the nurse asked as one last effort to get some respect for the Pokemon. "We have a fair number of Pokemon on staff, and he's become like one of them."

"So he's a good Pokemon," the boy said.

Deciding to pretend he wasn't there, the old woman picked up a magazine from the table and leafed through it. Houndoom let the boy pet him for a little while longer, then curled up by his feet to nap. As much as he wanted to pay attention to the patients and visitors, he knew that he had to keep his strength reserved for the nights.

Shortly before night fell, Houndoom got up. The boy and his family were gone. It was uncertain if their loved one had been moved out of the emergency room or if they were just gone for the night. Hoping for the best for them, Houndoom left the waiting area and went to the staff quarters.

Upon his return to the hospital, one of the Chansey that assisted the nurses showed him where the staff kitchen was. It was as clean as the rest of the building. The few cooks were in charge of patient and Pokemon meals. As he came in the same time every evening, the one he knew best was called Charlotte. Tonight, she was dressed in her scrub top that had various Jolly Roger flags printed all over it, along with skull and crossbones earrings.

She noticed him come in despite how quietly he walked. "Oh, hello dear Houndoom! Are you ready for some food?"

He looked up at her with glad eyes and a wagging tail.

Chuckling, Charlotte patted his head, then turned to get a bowl. "You're such a quiet Pokemon, dear, I wouldn't have guessed. Most people say that the canines are loud with their barks and yips, but you don't ever raise your voice. Here you go." She took the bowl over to an out of the way hall and placed it down for him. "Some stewed beef and gravy tonight. You've got to keep your strength up for fighting off all those creepy-crawlies and ghostie-woasties that might be hidden from human eyes." She patted him, then went back to her work singing.

An odd one, but a good cook. Houndoom ate his meal, then thanked her by offering a paw for a shake. His Trainer had taught him how to do that. Although she cheerfully did so (after taking off her kitchen gloves), Charlotte had no idea how right she was.

Strange things came out at night that most humans didn't notice. The obvious ones were the Ghost and Dark Pokemon, which used the darkness of night to play mischief. Beyond them, there were some creatures that could do a lot of harm. True ghosts, which sought to pull the living into their realm, were just one threat. There were spirits out there that were attracted to the pain and sorrow that every hospital had; these ones would seek to make things worse to satisfy their evil desires.

While the other Pokemon might notice these things, Houndoom knew that he would notice them first. His affinity with darkness allowed him to know such things, like the difference between a prankster Gastly and a truly menacing spirit. Every night, he went through the halls of the hospital, carefully looking for hidden signs before the spirits could grow into terrible problems. And there was one sign that he was expecting to see.

As he thought, that sign came.

It was past midnight and Houndoom was examining the emergency care area. At one moment, everything seemed fine. In the next moment, he caught the scent of death. It was a smell that crushed one's heart and made one feel like everything, not just one soul, was lost. And it wasn't something most beings, Pokemon or not, could sense. Despite how queasy and upset it made him feel, Houndoom followed the scent to a portal.

It was something even he could barely see, a swirling mass right up against the wall. The first time he had seen it had been when his Trainer had been here, on the brink of death. Ever since, he found it from time to time. Houndoom glanced around the hall. There was a Chansey waiting by a doorway. Once she went inside the room, Houndoom went inside the portal.

After several trips inside, the transfer didn't bother him anymore. On the other side, there was a hallway similar to the hospital's hallway. It had white floors, white walls, and clean hospital equipment. But there was also a dark violet mist that, while being fine enough to see through clearly, dimmed the lights into something eerie and unsettling. There was also a background noise of moans and cries, as if the patients' pain were being amplified. And in that strange hallway, he met with Death.

It was a strange creature. Almost human, but no human could possibly live as it was. Standing over six feet tall, its true appearance was hidden by a shabby black cloak. It had no feet and its face was hidden in shadows, but a bony chin showed, as well as skeletal hands that came out of its sleeves. And by Death's side, there was another Houndoom: same short black fur, same lean muscular form, same curling horns, same bony plates. Houndoom and his peer at Death's side could have been brothers.

Death's partner growled, recalling past battles the two Houndooms had fought. The living Pokemon braced himself, expecting another tough battle. Before it could start, the Death creature held up his hand to stop both of them. It turned partly to the left and beckoned something to come forward. A white light came out, then turned into one of the ghosts that Houndoom had been keeping away.

But this one was a young teenaged boy. He had ebony black hair and oak brown eyes. Wearing worn travel clothes, he looked like any other young traveling Trainer. But seeing him made Houndoom raise his ears and wag his tail. It was his Trainer; he even had that scent of dirt and grass that always clung to him even after spending days in a city.

"Houndoom," he called out, in a mix of joy and sadness. "You can't beat Death. You just can't."

Houndoom whined in worry. He should have been able to save his Trainer from anything. But that couldn't happen. Since then, he had been trying to save someone from the thing that took his Trainer away. He hadn't saved any of them. He came up to the ghost of his Trainer; the boy dropped down on his knees and hugged him.

"Can you still protect that hospital?" he asked as he let go, trying to hide his tears. "That's good of you. Can you do that for me?"

The one he wanted to protect was this one, his Trainer. But that couldn't be. The hospital, though… Houndoom brought his paw up for a shake, showing his agreement.

"Good." The ghost boy held onto the paw in one hand and patted it with his other. "You're a good Pokemon."

...

D/P Houndoom entry: Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper.


	121. Swablu, Charizard, Aerodactyl

The winds were strong and steady, carrying him over the grasslands. Cutting through the earth was a wandering stream, searching for its way to the river. The ground below seemed like an ocean of green, with the plants being blown in steady waves by the restless air. While it made smaller Pokemon hide, he was quite fine with that. The only ones who would be out today were the strong ones, like himself. It meant that he would have a better chance at finding a good battle today.

With the winds stirring his flames, Charizard felt confident today. Like he could take on anybody and win. His record supported that feeling; ever since evolving, fewer and fewer Pokemon could match his abilities. When it came to the skies, he was the ruler of his home area. He still wished that someone around here would give him a good fight.

He caught sight of another flying Pokemon coming towards him. Charizard discounted it as a potential battle, though. It was a little blue bodied bird with fluffy white wings, like clouds. A Swablu wouldn't be much of a match. He ignored it.

But that didn't mean that Swablu would ignore him. "Hellooo!" he called, chirping lightly. "Isn't the wind great today? Fast enough to be exciting, but not so fast that it makes it hard to fly."

"It's good enough," Charizard replied indifferently.

Swablu shifted directions to fly alongside him. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing of concern to you," he replied, hopefully gruff enough to send the little Pokemon away.

It wasn't enough. "You want to race with me? I'm fast!"

"No." He swished his tail, then sped up his flight.

To his merit, Swablu did keep up. "Do you want to play something else then? It's a fun day, we ought to make it…" his prattle got cut short by a shriek.

Charizard turned his head to see a larger flying Pokemon had dove into Swablu. It was an unfamiliar Pokemon, stone gray with blue under its wings. It had a thick clawed beak, hooked talons, and a wing structure like a Golbat. From the look in its black eyes, it was a predator, trying to catch Swablu. While he didn't care much for Swablu, the stranger seemed like a worthy foe.

So Charizard slowed a bit to let them get ahead, then snapped his jaws at the stranger's legs. It let go of Swablu; the small Pokemon kept screaming and flew about in a panic. However, he was out of the way. "You!" He faced the stranger, his jaw aching as the stranger had tougher skin than expected. "This is my turf. You don't fly here unless I give you permission."

It screeched at him. "You're picking the wrong fight," it said, in a voice that seemed female. "I am descended from the kings of the sky. I am Aerodactyl, and you don't stand a chance against me."

"They couldn't have been very effective kings," he replied to her. "I've never heard of your kind. But everyone around here knows that I, Charizard, am the most powerful Pokemon in the sky here."

"Well everyone where I came from knew that," she retorted, her pride making her angry.

"Then go back to where you came from, or fight me to prove your worth."

"Looks like we're fighting then," Aerodactyl said, then lunged ahead to snap at him with her hefty beak. "I came from a rock in a museum and I'm not going back."

That made no sense whatsoever, so Charizard ignored it. He lashed out with his claw, concentrating energy like steel. As the air currents forced them to move apart to stay aloft, he looked to see what impact it had on her. It didn't seem like much, though. And the predatory look in her eyes, judging if he'd make a good meal or not, was unnerving. He did his best to hide that unease as he circled around to get a clear shot. When he saw an opportunity when she might not turn away, he took a deep breath, then sent a plume of fire at her.

At her cry, he shouted over, "My fire breath can melt anything, and will burn you to a crisp."

Then she laughed. "Not likely," she sneered, then turned and rushed at him. A gray glow appeared around her body. On seeing that, he expected her to ram him, but no. Rocks materialized in her wake, then crashed into him when she passed over his path.

The pain was horrible. Most of his body was covered in tough scales too, but his wings weren't. They had to be flexible so he could fly. Gritting his teeth so that he didn't scream, Charizard crashed toward the ground by the winding stream. He tried to catch some air to soften his landing, but he still skidded several feet.

Aerodactyl made a primal cry in the air. "You don't know true royalty when you see it!" she called out, then circled up into an updraft.

Well he'd found his new rival, Charizard considered with a scowl. He didn't think he could lose so badly anymore, though. After checking over his injured wings, he settled down to rest and recover.

* * *

 

She had indeed come from a rock in a museum. Humans had brought her to life from a stone. Although she knew that, Aerodactyl couldn't explain it any more than that. What she could explain, though, was that she was not going back to the human habitation. They lived indoors, in artificial caves with small rooms and artificial things.

At first, she had liked the attention. It was all she had known. But then instinct stirred in her heart stronger than it had before, driven on by a battle she'd had against another one of the museum Pokemon. She couldn't fully explain that either, but she knew that she was meant for an open place like this, where she could rule the skies over a land of prey and servants.

Aerodactyl settled in one of the scattered trees and observed the grassland. A few local Pokemon were watching her warily and curiously. They didn't know her, like that foolish Charizard didn't know her. However, they seemed wise enough to know not to mess with her.

Weren't there supposed to be others like her around? She could definitely manage by herself. That Charizard was the only Pokemon to challenge her since she left the human habitation far behind. He wouldn't be a problem.

But as she watched the setting sun turn golden, she wondered if being on her own would be a problem.

* * *

 

Charizard woke up to an odd sensation; something was brushing over his scales in circular patterns. He bolted upright, getting a small squeal in response. Now that he was fully awake, he realized the he felt strangely damp. He looked down and saw Swablu getting back to his feet. It was the same bird; Charizard recognized the red marks where Aerodactyl's claws had dug into the smaller Pokemon's back. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Oh, you are back awake!" he cried happily. He bobbed his head up and down eagerly. "I am washing you."

This didn't strike him as normal behavior. Then again, he'd never paid much attention to the Swablues before. "Washing me?"

"Oh yes, your scales were quite dim and in need of a good wash and polish. And your bruises needed to be cleaned so they healed well. Pokemon always need to look their best, as you never know if you'll run into an old friend or a new one, or your mother, or someone you may love. Besides, I can't help myself when I see something dirty. You look much nicer now, although I'm not quite done yet." He spoke so eagerly and rapidly that he didn't seem to take a breath in between all his words.

"Why are you washing me?" Charizard asked sternly, sending a puff of smoke out of his nostrils. "I'm the most… I was the most fearsome Pokemon of this land's sky. And you only ran into me today."

"Oh, but you saved my life, Charizard!" He started bobbing again. "That scary gray Pokemon would have killed me, I know. But you distracted it from me enough for me to get away and hide. I can't thank you enough, but I can try. I'll help you get revenge on that beast!"

He snorted. "I doubt you can do that."

"Um, well, I can sing in a really charming way; it puts Pokemon to sleep." Swablu puffed his feathers up to appear bigger. "And I'll be big and powerful too. I hope soon, but I don't know when. I can help you then better. But for now, I'll just wash you and help you look nice. Will that work?"

"I've never needed washing before and I don't need it now."

The small Pokemon looked disappointed, losing his puff and appearing smaller than before. "Oh, is that so? But it's so nice to be clean and good looking. Look at me; I wash myself three times a day and groom my feathers constantly." Swablu held his fluffy wings out, then noticed some smudges from his grooming of Charizard. "Oh, I should go clean this up before it gets to be gunk. But I wasn't done with you yet."

As much as Charizard was annoyed at the unasked for bath, he wasn't completely cold. Seeing Swablu get disappointed like that tugged at his heart. He had been smaller and weaker before. Maybe not quite as hyper… or obsessed with cleanliness. And Swablu wasn't too bad, just too trusting. Besides, some Pokemon had funny ideas about being saved and became overly pushy with their gratitude.

He wouldn't be much good against Aerodactyl, Charizard thought. And the Fire Pokemon wanted to defeat that stranger himself. However, an ally would help when his authority was being challenged.

"Although, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I let you finish your cleaning," Charizard admitted. "And if that's what you want to do to thank me, fine, go ahead."

Happy again, Swablu gave a cheery whistle. "Of course, I'll do a great job! Let me wash up my wings so I don't go smearing more dirt around." He hopped over to the stream and went right into the water.

Charizard would never be able to bring himself to do that willingly. But every Pokemon had their own way of living. He wondered for a moment what Aerodactyl's way of life was. However, she was now a rival, a strong one at that. Strong rivals made his fires grow stronger. It was better to consider how to approach their next battle.

...

Emerald entry: A Charizard flies about in search of strong opponents. It breathes intense flames that can melt any material. However, it will never torch a weaker opponent.

Sapphire entry: Swablu loves to make things clean. If it spots something dirty, it will wipe and polish it with its cottony wings. If its wings become dirty, this Pokemon finds a stream and showers itself.

Emerald entry: Aerodactyl is a Pokemon from the age of the dinosaurs. It was regenerated from genetic material extracted from amber. It is imagined to have been the king of the skies.


	122. Cloyster, Crawdaunt

The meeting was marked by lots of fighting. Not that this was any surprise; every single one of the pond community meetings involved arguments, either in words or in claws. No one ever complained. The Crawdaunts liked things that way and would pick a battle with each other over anything. As for their neighbors… what neighbors? All other Pokemon had left the pond months ago when the Crawdaunts began moving in. The crustaceans scared off the micro-fish and socialized in a highly violent manner.

Cawer, the male Crawdaunt with the largest star shell on his head, still tried to run the meeting despite the chaos. "I say it is high time we declared war on another pond!" he called out.

War? That announcement always got attention. "What reason do we have for declaring war?" a rival male asked.

"Who needs a reason for war?" a recently evolved Crawdaunt stated. "It'll be fun!"

"I say we declare war because the other ponds have been too soft on the land Pokemon," Cawer suggested. "If we intend for the Water type Pokemon to become the total overlords of all, we need to have a base of many ponds and force the other Waters to get into shape for the grand war against the land beings."

"Well then who needs those slackers for the grand war?" his rival challenged. "We could call a restart of the grand war against the land Pokemon."

"Against all of those Pokemon? We need more than just one species to win that war."

"So you don't think we're good enough?"

"Of course not! We're the best battlers around. But even we can't take on all the lands at once."

"If I were leading this pond, we could!" The rival then tried to pinch Cawer's head. He attacked back, and soon the community meeting had degenerated into all out battle again.

On the shore of the pond, a large violet shell rolled to a stop. It appeared to be made of many spiky layers. They opened a slight bit, showing a pair of glowing eyes. Looking around, the Cloyster didn't see anyone around the shores of the pond. "Hmm… I suppose this place will do for a break. This is taking longer than I thought."

The Cloyster's shells shut again, as he went to sleep.

Under the pond, the community meeting had broken up. Cawer had beaten his rival again, but still grumbled against him as he walked away. "Foolishness, thinking one kind of Pokemon could win the war against land Pokemon. I just don't see why the other Pokemon don't want to find the glory of the greatest of battles."

Thinking he might explore around for a good pond to invade, Cawer crawled out of the Crawdaunts' pond. Up there, he found a strange shellfish Pokemon that he had never seen before. Maybe it would fight, or maybe it would join their fight. Support of the grand war or proof of his skill in defeating other Pokemon would help his cause.

Cawer knocked his claw on the shell of the stranger. "Hey, what are you? What's your name?"

The shellfish didn't respond.

Frowning, he circled around it. "You shouldn't ignore me. I'm known as Cawer, a mighty Crawdaunt warrior. I am the leader of this pond and everyone knows it."

It didn't respond.

Cawer hit the shellfish again. "Hey! If you're going to be rude like that, I'm going to show you just how strong I am." When it didn't reply, the Crawdaunt went to pinch it with his strong claws.

Immediately, he grimaced. The stranger's violet shell was hard, resisting even his claws. Stepping to the side, he tried pinching other areas, even some of the spikes. Every attempt was the same; not a chip appeared in the stranger's armor. And still, the Pokemon did not respond.

Mad again, Cawer found and gripped the edges of the stranger's clamped shell. It was tough to get a hold, but he managed. Then he tried to force the stranger to face him. Nothing happened. The shell might have been glued for as little give as he got. Cawer tried another point, and another, and another, and another, and another… but no where he tried, he could not pry the stranger's shell open. Not even gripping the top shell and pushing with his feet got the stranger's shell open. It just pushed the two Pokemon apart.

"You are going to pay for making me look like a fool," Cawer hissed. He tried harsher means of attack: Crush Claw, Water Gun. He even kicked sand at the stranger and chucked rocks at it. But it still did not stir.

Cawer tried to trick the stranger into opening up. He tossed water weeds and small fish at it, thinking it would snatch up such tasty tidbits. No luck. He dumped lakebed mud on the shell, in hopes that it made it easier to pry the stranger's shells open. Didn't work. He grabbed a sturdy stick and tried to use it like a crowbar. It snapped before he could manage. Not even grabbing a metal crowbar that had been lying on the shore helped. The crowbar couldn't separate the shells, or wake the stranger up when it was beaten with the human implement.

Frustrated, Cawer came up with an ingenious solution. He left the pond area for a place where humans had been working the past few days. They were making a road, which required explosives to flatten the landscape. Sneaking around, Cawer snatched a stick of dynamite, then walked back to his pond with it. He placed it by the stranger, then had to figure out how to light the fuse.

Since the stranger hadn't objected so far, Cawer struck his claw across the tough violet shell. Small sparks appeared and fell to the ground, but not on the fuse. He tried striking again and again. After some twenty hits, a spark finally landed on the fuse, making it hiss. Cackling, Cawer rushed away to get some distance between him and the stick of dynamite. He made it to a large rock and hid behind it.

KA-BOOM!

Dirt and water were blasted twenty feet into the air. Shrieks from land Pokemon filled the air after the blast settled down. With that came the sound of dozens of feet running away from the scene for safety, or running to it in curiosity. Bubbles erupted across the pond as various other Crawdaunts came up to see what had disrupted their day. Cawer came out from behind his rock, grinning in excitement.

As sand was still raining from the sky, he went back over to where he had left the stranger and the dynamite. There was a wide pit there, filling in with muddy water. And right in the middle of the pit was the stranger, still closed. There was still not a scratch on the violet shell.

"ARRRGH!" Cawer kicked the stranger. Why wouldn't it respond?

Then, the shells moved, opening a minor crack. Two glowing eyes appeared in the dark insides. The Cloyster blinked sleepily. "Huh? What'd you wake me for?"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE A CRAZY LOSER WHO DOESN'T SHOW ANY RESPECT!" Cawer screamed.

"Um… I don't show any respect? You're the one yelling at me after I just woke up."

"I am going to show you the might of the Crawdaunts!" He went to attack again, this time aiming for between the shells, at the glowing eyes.

The Cloyster's shells opened wider, then fired shell spikes at Cawer. Those hurt. Then he shut his shells again. "I'm tired. Let me sleep." And he wouldn't open up again.

...

Cloyster Fire Red entry: Its shell is extremely hard. It cannot be shattered, even with a bomb. The shell opens only when it is attacking.

Ruby entry: Crawdaunt has an extremely violent nature that compels it to challenge other living things to battle. Other life-forms refuse to live in ponds inhabited by this Pokemon, making them desolate places.


	123. Seaking, Remoraid

Seaking felt ready for the approaching season, the time to find a mate. His figure had plumped out, showing that he was resourceful and strong. His elegant fins showed no signs of rips or tears, showing that he could take good care of himself and whoever he wound up with. His bronze scales were brighter and more colorful than ever, showing that he knew how to get good food. When the time came, he was sure that he could beat out any rival and get the female of his choice.

There was just one problem with this. He couldn't find another Seaking. No females, no males. There was a school of Goldeen around, but they were too young. Despite his best efforts, it might all be a waste.

Although he felt upset over it, there was nothing he had done wrong. He lived in a public aquarium. And because it was publicly funded and quite large, the aquarium organization was low on resources this year. Part of that was because they had spent a lot of money acquiring a pair of Milotic and refitting an aquarium to fit their needs. One of the ways they raised money was selling off a few of their residents, including nearly all of the Seakings.

The lone remaining Seaking still went through with his showy dances, vainly hoping that some other Seaking would appear. Maybe one of the Goldeen would evolve in time, or maybe another Seaking would come out of hiding. He swam in graceful patterns, letting the water ruffle through his flowing fins. He turned in place in spots were the light would glitter off his scales and dazzle any who were watching. He even made some mock battles against imaginary rivals.

The aquarium visitors were enchanted by his mating displays, even the ones too young to know why he was doing this. The aquarium staff was glad for the increase in paying visitors. Among themselves, they talked about finding a female Seaking before the season passed. However, no one was certain how long it lasted and any new aquatic residents would have to wait in quarantine anyhow before being allowed into the tanks.

But there was one Pokemon in the aquariums who noticed the Seaking and watched him every day. She was a Remoraid, a rather different kind of Water type. While he was robust and round, she was slender and muscular. She had gray scales, rather like pewter and not nearly as dazzling as the Seaking's. Her fins were thin and small, typical for her kind as they were not showy at all. From day to day, very few visitors would stay and watch her, if they could even find her in the first place.

At first, Remoraid stayed along the rocks as she usually did. But after a few days, she came out and swam by him. He was rather annoyed at being interrupted, but then relented. At least he was getting attention from some female. Seaking went back to his dances and she swam around him. Remoraid had no instinctual behaviors for such dances, but that didn't keep her from trying.

A week later, she laid ten eggs. It caused something of a scandal, albeit on a small scale. Some claimed that there was no way that the pair of them could mate, but the eggs were fertile and she was the only Remoriad the aquarium had in the riverbed tanks. Others claimed that the aquarium shouldn't be encouraging cross-species breeding as it was 'against God's will', or something to that effect. To herself, the aquarium director believed that they were just lacking in major things to complain about.

In an attempt to quiet them down and keep the public aquarium going, the director invited Professor Elm to come observe the pair. He seemed quite enthusiastic to do so and was there in a couple of days. He watched videos of the pair of Pokemon meeting and dancing, then watched them in their tank along with a couple of his assistants.

A few interesting things came to light. For one, Elm noted that Remoraids weren't known for being aggressive about protecting nesting sites. In fact, most Remoraids in the wild would lay their eggs upstream, then swim back to the ocean. Seakings, however, were notorious for being aggressively protective, sometimes not eating for days in order to make sure the eggs were safe. In this case, Seaking was acting normally. He fought off any Pokemon or human that got too close and even drilled a hole in the rocks to act as a better nest.

On the other hand, Remoraid behaved against her kind's normal practices. She stayed around the nest area with Seaking. While she wasn't nearly as aggressive, she did hover close near the nest when he was sleeping and did fight off a few too curious Finneons. One afternoon, she felt that there were too many human visitors peering at them from above and used her strong muscles to fire a blast of water at a child leaning over the bars.

The child's parents were obviously upset over this and demanded a refund. Elm tried to help by explaining that the water shooting was a normal behavior for Remoraids in hunting flying insects. That didn't help any.

His final report helped as much as it hindered. Elm stated that it was perfectly natural for the two to mate, as they were genetically compatible and wildlife observers saw the same thing in Pokemon that had gotten separated from their own kind. Besides, all Pokemon came from eggs, so it wasn't as big of a deal as the religious folks were making of it. Most people accepted this.

But the extreme believers were the most vocal and were stating that either science was wrong or that the aquarium shouldn't have made these two Pokemon the only ones of their kinds in the facility. Either way, the extremists said that the whole thing was unethical and the public aquarium should be boycotted and unsupported. Oddly enough, the fuss they raised caused more people to come to the aquarium and got the aquarium more funding in their next charity drive. That drive featured the six Remoraids and four Goldeen that had been born of the unexpected pairing.

Many people believed that the successful charity drive was the end of this particular story of science and romance. But it wasn't. The real ending of this story occurred several months later.

The two Pokemon were shortly joined by others of their kind after the charity drive. However, they remained together, having settled on being a pair for life. They swam together, battled others together, ate together, and slept together. They could nearly always be found in the part of the river tank where they had met and first danced together.

Then Remoraid grew restless and left that part of the aquarium. Seaking followed her devotedly, chasing off others while she seemed distracted and generally in a bad mood. They swam along with the flow of the river ecosystem, encountering Finneons, Carvahnas, Magikarps, Feebas, Poliwags, and other river Pokemon. Due to the design of the river ecosystem tank, they wound up back in their usual spot after a day.

Not pleased with this discovery, Remoraid swam frantically all over, trying to find some hidden passage. Seaking tried to follow her and calm her down, but this was not part of his instinctual knowledge. The aquarium staff figured it out though. By the softening of her scales and shifting of her internal chemistry, they knew that she was close to evolution. Instinct was calling her to come to the salt waters, whether sea or ocean, before she do so. They had to move her out of the river tank.

This was not easy. They started with the usual procedure, of using a specially trained aquarium Tentacool to put her to sleep first. But Seaking was furious about the attack and fought the Tentacool with unexpected roughness. By the time they got the Tentacool out, they had to put it and Seaking into separate healing tanks. Remoraid woke up while they were taking him away, so then she tried to fight off the human diver. When they got her out finally, the staff was worried that she was too stressed out and wouldn't evolve.

The aquarium director called Professor Elm again and asked for his advice. Based on that, they put both Remoraid and Seaking in the temperate ocean ecosystem. Goldeens and Seakings could adapt to freshwater and saltwater environments. And if the two wanted to stay together, it was best if the aquarium allowed them to do so.

For the next couple of weeks, Remoraid and Seaking explored their new area. There were different Pokemon here: Clamperls, Wailmers, Relicanth, Chinchou, and Tentacools. Initially, they were hostile to the last set of Pokemon, but eventually started avoiding the jellyfish altogether.

Then, feeling settled down again, Remoraid found a spot to hide and evolve in. Seaking was confused, as he had evolved in open waters. But he decided on the same routine he used when protecting his nest. Keeping awake and alert, he paced around the spot she was hiding in and fought off anyone who tried to get near.

Remoraid emerged a couple of days later as an orange Octillery. It was a drastic change: she now had eight muscular limbs instead of a few slender gray fins. She resembled the Tentacools more than a regular fish like Seaking. She gave a soft happy cry at seeing her mate patrolling by her.

Seaking didn't recognize her. In fact, he was rather horrified that this strange creature had emerged from the hole Remoraid had hidden in. The only assumption he could make was that this Pokemon had eaten his mate. So he screamed in fury and attacked her.

Octillery was bewildered by this and didn't fight back; she nearly died that afternoon. Upset by this, the aquarium director ordered that Seaking be put back into the river ecosystem, so that he didn't try to attack the other Octillery in the tank. But even that effort didn't save them. The two Pokemon pined for each other and hid away from the crowds. Eventually, both died because of depression.

While this story of a Seaking and Remoraid in love with each other is often told to prove how adaptable wild Pokemon are in ensuring their continued survival, it also tells us that a clash of instincts can led to tragic consequences.

...

Sapphire entry: Seaking is very protective of its eggs. The male and female will take turns patrolling around their nests and eggs. The guarding of eggs by these Pokemon goes on for over a month.

Emerald entry: A Remoraid uses its abdominal muscles to forcefully expel swallowed water, then shoot down flying prey. When evolution approaches, it travels down rivers.


	124. Cradily

Once upon a time, when fossil Pokemon were as common as Tentacools, there was a Cradily that believed that he was supposed to be a Flying Pokemon.

"Where did you get such a ridiculous idea, Cray?" another Cradily asked him. "It makes no sense."

"It does so make sense," Cray insisted. "Every night, I have dreams of flying in the wide open skies, far above these waters that we live in. If it wasn't every night, I wouldn't think it meant anything. But I am having that dream every single night. Therefore, I must be destined to one day fly above the ocean."

"We're Rock Pokemon. And Grass Pokemon. Both of the ground, not the sky."

"Careful about saying that so loud," a shy Lileep piped up. "Some folks might say you're betraying Kyogre by saying that."

The other Cradily, named Lily, sighed and shook her short tentacles. "Fine, we're Rock and Grass Pokemon that are definitely dwellers of the waters, not the skies. And we don't have any loyalty to that stinking Groudon and the ground dwellers. But the point still stands. You're not supposed to be in the sky."

"Well I think I'm meant to live in the sky," Cray insisted.

"And how, pray tell, do you intend to do that?" Lily asked. "You have no wings… and we don't even swim. We walk along the seabed and come out at low tide. And even then, it's hard to hold these rocky heads up when we're out in the air. There is no way that you can fly."

"I'll find a way. You just wait and see. I'll be flying one way or another."

"Idiot. Come on, child." Lily nudged the Lileep. "It's low tide; let's go find on shore and dig for food."

Cray would not give up his dream, though. He trudged all the way south to a point called Sapphire Beach. In this quiet cove, there lived the oldest Cradily known along the Hoenn coastline. The Old Guy supposedly knew much of the wisdom of the sea, despite living in the shallow waters like every other Cradily. If anyone could help Cray live out his dreams, it was The Old Guy.

The Old Guy lived on the side of a large yellow-tan rock. His small but tough green body hooked onto the side, letting his large flower head drift back and forth with the tides. Some of his tentacles were cut short or shriveled. According to rumor, he hung onto the side of this rock in a stubborn effort to prove that, although he was The Old Guy, he wasn't too old.

After twisting his head in a show of respect, Cray said, "I want to ask you about something."

"Do you? Hmmm." He remained like that for a minute. "There is no way to create an acid that will instantly dissolve the armor of a shellfish Pokemon."

"What?" He shook his head. "No, that's not it, although that really stinks. I have constant dreams of flying in the sky, so I feel that I am destined to grow wings and fly above the ocean. Do you know of any way I can do that?"

"Fly? Above the waters? That's ridiculous. We're Rock and Grass Pokemon, tied to the ground and loyal to Her Majesty of the Seas, Kyogre."

Cray leaned forward. "Uh-huh, yeah. Loyal to Kyogre."

"And we Cradilies are not meant for the skies," The Old Guy stated.

"But I'm sure that I'm meant to fly. I dream about it every night."

"That might not mean anything. No one under the ocean's waters…" The Old Guy paused. "Well, all but one of us under the ocean's waters will never fly."

Cray straightened his stem up. "And I could be that one!"

The Old Guy sneered. "No! That one is Lugia, Master of Storms. He is said to be great of the mind, a Psychic type, and he flies equally well above and below water."

"Is he a Water Psychic then?"

"No, you doofus. Master Lugia is a Psychic Flying Pokemon."

"And he lives underwater and abovewater? Uh-huh, makes as much sense as our loyalty to Kyogre."

"Because we are loyal to her," The Old Guy agreed, missing or ignoring the sarcasm. "Lugia is the only one underwater who can fly above the water, period. Now go do some sensible things like digging up some food for me in exchange for listening to your dumb idea."

But even the lack of support from The Old Guy Cradily did not deter Cray. As he trudged away, he muttered to himself, "Well if Lugia is the one I need to ask, then I'll find a way to ask him. I was meant to fly, I know it."

As Lugia was the Master of Storms, Cray figured that he should wait until a storm came before trying. He had to wait many days for this to happen. In the meantime, he walked along the Hoenn coast, never backing down on his claims that he would one day fly. The other sea Pokemon teased him, called him names, or outright ignored him. But he would persevere.

And then came the storm. The black clouds began building as the sun was setting. As it was calm, Cray acted on his plan. He came to a tall rock that stood out of the water and stuck his suction cup feet to the side. Slowly, he climbed to the top of the rock. It was a difficult task: once he was out of the water, he had to support his entire weight in the weaker air. And it took a lot of time, as each repositioning of his suction cups only moved him by the inch. Overhead, the sky grew darker and darker.

As he was nearing the top, the winds came in, rushing past him and stirring up the ocean's surface into a white froth. Raindrops came, cold and harsh. There was a clap of thunder. Other Pokemon were already hiding, as this looked to be one of the worst storms of the year. But not Cray the Cradily. He kept climbing the rock. No matter what it tried, the wind could not knock him loose.

Triumphantly, Cray made it to the top of the rock. He basked for a moment in the wildness of the growing storm. It was this power that was going to help him achieve his dreams. Stretching his stem up to the heavens, Cray called out in the loudest voice he could manage. "Lugia, Master of Storms, please hear me! It is my dream to fly like you do, both under and over the water! This dream is how I'm meant to be! Help me to soar above the ocean waves with you!"

He released his suction cups and jumped off the top of the tall rock.

Cray felt odd. Nothing was holding onto him, not the water, not the rocks, nothing. It was just him in the air, nearly weightless. The stormy winds blew around him, the raindrops spattered all over his body, and the lightning lit up the sky. He felt like he could fly forever, feeling like this.

A second later, he crashed back into the ocean like the rock he was.

"Hey, watch it!" A Magikarp blubbered at him in annoyance. "You nearly fell on my hiding spot."

"I didn't expect to fall," Cray said, bewildered and disappointed. "I was trying to call on Lugia."

The Magikarp blinked. "Lugia? Doesn't he live in Johto?"

Moral of the story: Before you go calling on a legendary Pokemon, make sure it lives in your area.

...

Emerald entry: It drags its heavy body along the seafloor. It makes its nests in the shallows of warm seas. Cradily can be seen on beaches when the tide goes out.


	125. Walrein

12/21?

It is the longest night; indeed, here in the Arctic, the winter night never seems to end. It is dark and I can only tell the time by the positions of the rotating stars. And the cold is just as unrelenting, especially bad when the winds blow, biting at my skin and threatening to freeze me alive. I've been unable to write for several days, being too busy with working to survive. I can only confirm my feeling that this trip was a foolish dream.

But hope is not lost. This is the highest power that night has, and if I can hang on until the sun returns, I should be able to make my way back home. I have built a shelter out of ice, based on what I have seen in the native tribes, who (perhaps wisely) live south of here. It wasn't as easy as I thought it was, but the structure I have now is holding and does not seem to be in danger of collapse. And most of all, I have made an ally.

It is a Walrein, a majestic Pokemon that I have seen before in my travels. When I saw them before, they were defying warmth as Ice Pokemon living in a hot environment. This desolate icy tundra is likely their native home, I believe. I had seen them with their younger Spheals and Sealeos, diving in waters so frigid that I would probably be killed in. But I hadn't interfered, for fear of being harmed.

One particular specimen had approached me as I was trying to build my shelter. He has thick curling whiskers and brown eyes that seem oddly serious on a Pokemon. Although probably not the leader of the group, he has impressive tusks, nearly the length of my arm and solidly formed. This Walrein slid over to me and barked.

At the time, I supposed that as humans were rarely (if ever) seen here, the Pokemon weren't sure what I was, whether enemy, rival, or friend. Given how large he was, I didn't want to make enemies with him and his group. I might be able to outrun them over land, but I didn't want to find another area to settle in. So I spoke to him calmly, telling him that I didn't mean them any trouble.

He seemed to show the same kind of diplomacy as me, lumbering around watching me, but never threatening or getting in the way. Perhaps in being alone for so long, I was glad for even that company. I told him about what I was doing in building my ice shelter. I don't know if he understood. In response to my words, he would bark or wuffle, or make some other sound I didn't know. I thought it was strange that he was being so communicative with a creature he had never seen before. Or maybe Pokemon really are just that friendly.

After I got done with that shelter, I started searching for holes drafts could slip through. The Walrein left at that point. I was a little disappointed, but I had more important matters at hand. But not that long after, he came back and dropped a fish by my shelter. It was clearly a gift, and a very welcome one; I had such trouble fishing. I told him so and patted his snout. He bumped his nose against my hand, then went back. I guess he had to catch his own dinner.

That night, I rested in my shelter. But I woke up to cracking sounds. I got out, but the shelter collapsed. It was a great setback, as I had to make a shelter all over again. Knowing how long that took, I looked for another flat spot, then started carving ice.

I heard a bark and saw that one of the Walrein had come over. I wondered if it had been the same one as before. Although it embarrassed me, I told him about how I wasn't experienced with building with ice. He answered with a sound I can't quite decide how to write. Perhaps a 'hmmm' or a 'so that's how it is', because he didn't seem to be mocking me for my failure.

Then he went over to a large block of ice that had built up on the side of a hill. I hadn't tried to carve ice from that block, as it was taller than me and could have come crashing down on my head. But the Walrein wasn't afraid. He looked over the ice, then made a loud bark and jammed his tusks into the ice block. To my surprise, the entire block collapsed into a pile of ice. And the Pokemon wasn't bothered. He seemed to laugh at his work, soon joined in by echoing laughter from his group. Then he looked back at me, as if offering his assistance.

Many of the blocks were irregular and jagged, but they were of good size and it was much faster to carve them into shape than to dig blocks out of the ground. I was able to complete the shelter faster, allowing me more time to find faults than the day before. It put me in a good mood, so I told him my story of setting off on a late journey, getting abandoned by a greedy crew, then becoming lost and wandering around the desolate land as the winter grew. It felt good to tell my story to a sympathetic friend, even if he was a Walrein and not human.

At the end of the day, I even had some time to try fishing. My friend joined me by slipping into the water and hunting them in his own way. It is another wonder of nature that a creature can bond so well with Arctic waters that he can become like them. I managed to catch two fish, although he may have helped by herding them my way. As a gesture of appreciation, I offered him one of the fish, which he graciously accepted.

I don't really know why Pokemon befriend humans as they do. Surely, the Walrein and his herd get little advantage by making me an ally. I might even be a burden if a dangerous situation arises and I know nothing about it. On the other hand, I benefit greatly in having a Pokemon ally rather than being alone. He has checked on my well-being and helped me to survive. He even eased the burden I had in creating my ice shelter, when he declines to enter or use it.

But then, perhaps the bond of friendship is as sacred to them as it is to humans.

-the author of this journal is recorded as one of the few novice explorers to survive an entire winter far north of the Arctic Circle. And the Walrein is known as one of the first to appear in the country of his human friend.

...

Ruby entry: Walrein's two massively developed tusks can totally shatter blocks of ice weighing ten tons with one blow. This Pokemon's thick coat of blubber insulates it from subzero temperatures.


	126. Stantler, Bayleef

The Routes leading to Ecruteak were quiet today. Nearly two feet of snow was on the ground, making the green of the pines and cedars almost disappear. Glistening icicles hung off those branches, the signs, the country houses, and anything else immobile along the way. Although the snow had passed, the sky was still gray and the cold was still intense. But at least the wind was not blowing.

The crunches in the snow seemed especially loud then, compared to the distant calls of Pokemon. There were two distinct patterns to the footsteps. One was a steady 'crunch, crunch, crunch' from the boots of a teenaged girl. The other was an almost steady plowing sound of a Bayleef doing her best to walk alongside her friend and Trainer. Sometimes, the girl had to help pull her Pokemon out of a particularly deep drift.

Every time she did so, the girl got a whiff of the invigorating scent of the Bayleef's buds and leaves. It changed slightly from time to time for reasons she wasn't sure about. Today, it smelled like a mug of hot apple cider. It encouraged her to go on, where there might be a real mug of hot apple cider waiting to greet her.

"Are you doing okay, Verda?" she asked. "I can put you back in your Pokeball if you like."

She shook her head and flicked her head leaf back. She was doing just fine, even if it was tough going. Besides, she didn't want to leave her Trainer alone on this trip.

"Okay, just let me know if there's a problem."

The girl had no trouble on this trek, given her snow boots, snow pants, winter coat, gloves, and winter cloak. The last item was a bright red cape that came down to her knees and tied together at her neck, with a hood to go over her head. Although some of her peers poked fun at her for having nursery tale fashion at sixteen, she didn't care that they thought. She thought it was cute, lacking the hassle of having both a hat and a scarf.

In her arms, she carried an insulated basket. In it was some soup, some cookies, some Poffins, and a loaf of banana bread. All of it was homemade, the bread and part of the cookies all by herself even. "We're gonna make sure that our grandmas aren't alone for Christmas," she told Verda, even though they had talked about it before. "Everyone else is all busy or away, too concerned with themselves. But we'll be there, even if the snow storm comes back."

Although she didn't make much noise, ever, Verda made a clicking sound. She agreed and was going to go, even though the weather was cold for a Grass Pokemon like herself to be out. They were still young, so they could make the trip easily.

They then came upon something unexpected. While they often ran into other Pokemon on the trips between Violet City and Ecruteak, this one was unusual. It was a wild Stantler, lying in the snowbanks behind a large pine tree. An arrow was sticking out of his shoulder, the end of it with a few Fearow feathers tied onto it. Blood was caked in its fur, so it must have been at least several hours since he'd been shot. As if that wasn't strange enough, he wasn't the normal light brown of its kind. This Stantler was light green, matching Verda's skin tones.

"Oh, you poor thing," the girl said. She took a step closer, but paused. Should she really approach an injured wild Pokemon? Maybe… she spoke softly and kindly to it. "You must have a hard time hiding at winter with that coat. I'd like to help you. I'm Rosa. Verda, could you tell him that?"

Jumping through the snow, the Bayleef made her way over to the injured Stantler. He huffed, noticeably nervous. But Verda came over and sniffed at his nose in a friendly gesture. After a moment of getting to know each other's scent, the Stantler looked back at her, still wary but not as much. Verda looked back to her Trainer and gestured with her foot to come over.

Rosa did so, working on not making any sudden changes in posture or gait. She then removed a glove and let the Pokemon sniff her hand. Somehow, they were able to tell a lot by scent, or so it seemed to her. Once he seemed satisfied, she worked on removing the arrow. It took some work, but she got it out. Then, she took a High Potion she had and sprayed it onto the wound. While a rather expensive medicine to use on a wild Pokemon, she wanted to make sure it healed quickly.

A scab formed. On wiping the Stantler's fur down with snow, Rosa could see that the skin around the wound was only a little pink. "Okay, you can go now. I hope the hunter who caused it isn't around anymore."

Making a wuffling sound, the Stantler looked up to her. She looked back over his long face and his curved antlers. They were amazing things, those antlers, so beautiful. While looking into them, Rosa noticed something strange. The air between the horns seemed to shimmer and shift. Wondering what kind of power it was, she reached over. And a strange thing happened: something came into her mind as vividly as a powerful memory. Except, these weren't her memories.

- _Rosa and Verda felt their hearts pounding, their senses heightened and alert. Facing them was a boy who had challenged them again and again, their rival. He stood by his Skarmory, smirking and believing the battle to be his. But they would not let him defeat them again, especially not at this final stage of the Johto Pokemon League._

- _Rosa had spent her career searching for the most beautiful and talented Pokemon. She had rooms full of ribbons to prove it. As she came before the judges with Verda, who was showing off a new flowery scarf, she smiled with complete confidence. She would win the Grand Festival._

- _Only the rarest of Pokemon would do. Those that spent months tracking down, months observing, and dozens upon dozens of battles to finally capture, these were the rarities that Rosa wanted. And even those had to be different, the coveted shiny Pokemon of unique and sparkling colorations. Her reputation as a Collector was at stake with every choice she made about her team. However, this new one… the breeder wanted Verda in exchange._

- _Rosa was beautiful; no one could compare. The studios all begged for her to star in their shows, the camera men constantly followed her around for a rare candid photo, and she had fans by the thousands. She didn't have to work for anything; she had the money to get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it. And her servants didn't let her do anything that might harm or dirty her. And yet, to think of what price she had paid for this glamour and luxury… poor Verda._

Rosa smelled hot apple cider. Verda bumped her cheek, helping to snap her out of the trance. Somehow, she had collapsed into the snow. "Sorry girl," she said, patting her Bayleef before sitting up. "I'm not sure what happened."

After she got up, she made sure snow hadn't gotten into her protective clothing. Her red cloak had some snow stuck to it, but a good shake got that off before they soaked the thick fabric. She also saw that the Stantler was still with them. He was standing now, apparently well enough to have moved a couple of feet. From his poise, she could tell that he wasn't sure if he should run or fight them.

"It's okay, Stantler," she told him. "I don't even have an extra Pokeball on me. It's just me and Verda, as always. Whatever I saw, I don't want any of that. You go on back to your family. That's where we're going."

"So that Stantler isn't yours?" a man asked.

Rosa turned and saw a stranger come out of the trees. He was tall and fairly well-built, an obvious outdoorsman. In hand, he carried a sturdy compound bow, with a single arrow. The tanned hide of a Mightyena had been turned into his cloak; eerily enough, it still had pointed ears, a tail, claws, and all its fur. On top of that, he wore a quiver for his arrows. A Houndoom stood by his side, smoke curling out of the canine's nostrils.

"He's not mine," Rosa said. Then she noticed that his arrows were all like the ones that had been stuck in the Stantler's side, with Fearow feathers attached. "Why do you ask?" she added

"I've been hunting this one down," the man stated flatly. "It's a rare shiny, which will make a valuable trophy."

"You should leave him alone," Rosa said, angry at the hunter. "You've already caused him enough suffering, so just leave him be."

"I won't let something like this slip my grasp," he said, then brought his bow and arrow up.

The green Stantler made a nervous whinny, then tried to run into the trees. However, it was greatly weakened and couldn't run as fast as it usually could. Rosa wasn't sure what came over her, but she felt frantic that her efforts to heal the Pokemon would go wasted. "I said don't!" she shouted, jumping in front of the hunter's arrow.

Thankfully, he stopped, hesitant to shoot a human. But his Houndoom saw her action as a threat to his master, so the black canine leapt at her and bit her arm. Rosa screamed, while Verda tried to help by tackling the Houndoom. But he wouldn't let go.

That is, until his master ordered him. "Houndoom, no!" He gave a reluctant look to the woods, then ran off with his Pokemon.

A burning sensation ran up Rosa's arm, causing her to drop her basket. Verda came over and whimpered in sympathy, sniffing her wound. Picking her basket back up, the girl grimaced, trying to ignore it. "W-we'd better get to Ecruteak. There's a doctor there."

After going a short ways, they heard a snort. The green Stantler had come back, for some reason. He came up beside Rosa and tapped her with his antlers. Then he knelt down a bit.

"Are you sure?" When he didn't move, Rosa carefully got on his back. She left the basket down so she could keep a grip with her uninjured arm. Verda shook her head leaf, then shot a Magical Leaf through the snow to clear a path. Then she picked up the basket and led the way to Ecruteak.

An hour later, Rosa's arm was all bandaged up and numb as she lay in the hospital bed. The wild Stantler had collapsed upon reaching the hospital with her, so one of the nurses had his Pokemon help bring him to the Pokecenter. And Verda returned, bringing with their grandmothers. "Well I'm glad that you're okay now," Rosa's grandmother told her after hearing the story. "You were lucky to have found a kind Pokemon to help out."

"I just wanted to see you for Christmas, like always," Rosa said, clasping her wrinkled hand.

When Rosa left for Violet City a week later, she went with Verda the Bayleef and Francis the green Stantler.

...

Stantler Fire Red entry: Those who stare at its antlers will gradually lose control of their senses and be unable to stand.

Leaf Green entry: Its curved antlers subtly change the flow of air to create a strange space where reality is distorted.

Bayleef DPPt entry: The buds that ring its neck give off a spicy aroma that perks people up.


	127. Wingull, Pelliper

The town of Slateport was busy again today. The marketplace especially, with flags fluttering in the wind, colorful tents open and welcoming, many interesting goods being bought and sold, and many humans milling about, doing business. Above them, a Pelipper flew north, away from the sea. She was a large bird, with a bill nearly as big as her body. Still, she flew gracefully with the setting sun sparkling off her white and blue feathers.

She went past the town and to a grassy route that wandered about over a crystal blue lake. Landing there with a few running steps, she checked around. There seemed to be no humans about. With that assured, she crouched down and opened her bill. A small yellow and blue Pokemon hopped out.

"Gee, thanks Gracie," the Minun said with a smile. "That was a fun adventure."

"I'm glad you liked it," she replied cheerfully. "And thanks for not sparking while I was carrying you."

"Of course I wouldn't do that! I couldn't be that insensitive. Here's a berry for you." He gave her an Aspear berry, then hopped off into the lush grass. "Bye!"

"Goodbye!" She ate the berry; it would do until she could catch a fish later. Then she took off and flew over Slateport again. The wind was so good today, steady, warm, and salty. Gracie could just fly around enjoying the lovely weather, but she felt that she should check back home first.

This time, she went east, to a rockier part of the coastline. There was a cliff there. Relatively small one, but it suited her kind. She went by her nest. Immediately, she noticed the smell of old dead fish. Grimacing, she wheeled away and landed in the water by some rocks. It wouldn't be relaxing to rest at her home with that stench.

Gracie looked at the Wingulls circling overhead in the orange sunset sky. Their kind's younger forms flew differently, relying on the winds to stay aloft. As she could now fly wherever she wanted, she was quite glad. "Jimmy, Winnie, Bobby! I'm back!"

Her three children broke away from the group and landed on the rocks by her. They had smaller bodies than her, along with smaller bills and longer legs. So they liked resting on top of rocks rather than on the waves. "Hi Mom," the eldest Jimmy said. "What'd you do today?"

"I took a Minun out to an island because he wanted to see what it was like out there. We had a fun time."

"Islands aren't much different than the mainland," Winnie said.

"To land Pokemon, they are," she pointed out. "What did you three do today?"

"I caught lots and lots of fish this morning!" Bobby said, excitedly spreading his wings (to the annoyance of his brother and sister).

So that was it. She narrowed her eyes at him. "And you left one at home to stink up our nest, didn't you?"

"I, um," he ducked his head down in embarrassment. "I was full, but I had this really nice fat one, so I wanted to save it for later…"

"Well now it's rotted, stinky, and horrid tasting. Go dig it out and take it somewhere else." The mere taste of having to carry the rotted fish away would hopefully teach him not to do that again.

"But Mom…"

"Go do it now."

"Awww," he said reluctantly. He flew back to the nest to retrieve his hidden fish.

Gracie shook her head. It was a habit of all young Wingulls to try and store extra fish they had caught, to show that they were so good at hunting that they caught too much. But unless the fish was put alive in a cold or wet place, it would die and rot. Even if it was retrieved before it stank, it wouldn't be as good as fresh caught. Thus, it was a habit that had to be broke early.

She looked at her other two kids. "So what did you two do today?"

"I challenged Tentacools to battle so I can grow stronger," Jimmy said. "And I hung out with Pelly too. She really likes me." He beamed at the thought.

"That's wonderful," Gracie said. "You two get along so well. What about you, Winnie?"

"I found lots of treasures today," she said, puffing her chest feathers up. "I found three pretty pearls and buried them all in the sand." She then flicked her tail, showing some annoyance. "I also saw that jerk Kelly bury a bigger pearl nearby. She probably stole it from somebody and wanted to show off how much better she is than everybody else in the flock. But then I fixed that."

"What did you do?" Gracie asked, in a tense voice of warning.

"I unburied her pearl and reburied it three feet away," Winnie stated. "But I didn't tell nobody until just now."

"I suppose that's all right," the Peliper mother decided. Pokemon often forgot where they hid such things anyways. She occasionally wondered how many little treasures were hidden in the sandy beaches, the grassy lands, or the rocky hills.

"I also found some pretty round things," the Wingull girl added. "I buried those… actually, I'm not sure where. I think in some grass."

Forgotten just like that, every day. "They might have been coins," Jimmy suggested. "Or buttons. Or bolts."

"I woulda known if they were bolts, silly."

"Hey Mom!" Bobby called, flying over with a discolored fish hanging out his bill. "Where should I put this?"

"Oh gross!" Winnie said, covering her nostrils with her wings. "Don't bring your rotten stinky fish over by us!"

"Just go dump it somewhere away from here," Gracie said with a grimace. "And you're still in trouble for this."

Bobby sighed, then flew off to find somewhere to drop his dead fish.

"There was something else neat that happened today," Jimmy said, changing the subject. "There were these humans along the coast wearing blue clothes. They called themselves Team Aqua, and they were saying that they were gonna make the oceans bigger! They've been catching Pokemon to help them too, and I thought about going with them. It sounds pretty neat."

"Humans are going to make the ocean bigger?" Gracie asked. "I didn't know they could do that."

"I didn't either, but I might be gone with them tomorrow. Maybe if I can talk Pelly into coming with me."

"But if they make the ocean bigger," Winnie interrupted, "what's gonna happen to our nest? And what'll happen to the land Pokemon?"

"They can swim," Jimmy said.

"Not forever," Gracie said. "But maybe if there were patches of land left for them, it might be okay. There would be more fish, after all. Go if you like. I hope you get a nice Trainer."

"Yeah, me too."

"I know what I want to do!" Winnie said, fluttering in excitement. "I wanna fly off to Sinnoh and find a Coordinator."

"You can find Coordinators here in Hoenn, silly," Jimmy said.

She wasn't going to have anything to do with that, judging from the look in her eyes. "But the ones in Sinnoh don't just groom their Pokemon and teach them to act. They actually let you dress up in pretty things! Like scarves and rings and collars and feathers and flowers and…"

"That's interesting," Gracie said. "But Sinnoh is a long ways off."

"Yes, but it would be so magnificent," she said dreamily. "I could be a star if I could get there."

Bobby came flying back. "Okay, I got rid of it," he said.

"EWWW, but now you stink like rotted fish!" Winnie declared. "Ew, ew, ew! You make my stomach feel queasy."

"So you're sleeping elsewhere for the night," Gracie stated. "And I hope you've learned your lesson. Be careful where you hide your fish, get back to it quickly, and never ever hide it near our nest."

"Awwww," Bobby said, trying to get some sympathetic lenience. But it wouldn't work when he was stinky.

...

Ruby entry: Wingull has the habit of carrying prey and valuables in its beak and hiding them in all sorts of locations. This Pokemon rides the winds and flies as if it were skating across the sky.

Pelipper Pearl entry: It acts as a delivery service by carrying small Pokemon in its bill. It bobs on the waves to rest.


	128. Ledian, Jirachi

"He's not going to live."

The horrifying proclamation made Cedric's head spin. Wasn't going to live? That couldn't be real. There was no way it was real. But the doctor wasn't lying and there wasn't anything but his own denial that made it an untruth. On the countertop, his Ledian was still, breathing rather noisily. His eyes were cloudy; he was old for his kind. Still, this shouldn't be the end.

The doctor spoke of it as a matter of fact. "The illness has spread to many of his internal organs, including the lungs. If you leave him with us, we can order a replacement immediately and have it ready by tomorrow."

"But it won't be him," Cedric said, looking down and holding his Ledian's hand.

"It will be him, an exact genetic copy," the doctor corrected. "Or you could choose another kind of Pokemon if you don't want a Ledian again. You don't have another companion Pokemon, right? So you can ask for nearly any Pokemon and it should be accepted. What do you have in mind?"

It still wouldn't be his Ledian, Cedric thought. And he didn't want any other Pokemon. "I'll think about it," he said quietly, then picked up the Bug. "I'll take care of Red."

"All right. Make sure to put in your request before the weekend, or you'll have to wait a few days longer."

"Right," Cedric mumbled, and left the Pokecenter.

If he was anyone else, Cedric knew, he would have left Red with the doctor and taken a different Pokemon instead. Sickness was a sign of weakness, and weakness was undesirable. But from his grandmother, he knew stories of before the city, stories from centuries ago. Those stories told of green landscapes with clear skies; the stories told of countless free and happy Pokemon. In this city of concrete and steel, the Pokemon were produced and never seen without a human owner.

Some of the other pedestrians gave him disapproving looks or walked out of their way to avoid him. He could have sent Red back into his Pokeball. But he didn't want his Ledian to be alone. Cedric would get back to his grandmother's house and put Red in a soft bed and stay with him. After that… he didn't know.

But as he approached the house, things turned out bad. There was a group of enforcers blocking off the yard. Various people stood watching, wondering what was happening. As Cedric got to the crowd, a lead enforcer came out of the house. The only way one could tell he was a lead was because his uniform had yellow fringes. Otherwise, the enforcers all looked alike: black shoes, black pants, black jacket (with personal armor), black sunglasses, and black caps.

The lead enforcer held his hand up to quiet the crowd. "Citizens, we have a grave announcement. The resident or residents of this house have been put under arrest for spreading misinformation and corrupting the youth. He, she, or they have been telling stories of a time and place other than the city. The city always has been and always will be. Such lies will not be tolerated. We have the situation under control. Please return to your regular lives." Then he moved back in, talking in a low voice to other enforcers.

"I didn't know there was a corrupter in our neighborhood," a woman said, horrified.

"I'm glad I didn't know them," a man said, even though he had often come over to chat with Cedric's grandfather about vehicles.

"Huu nah?" Red mumbled softly into Cedric's ear. He sounded confused and saddened.

He patted the Ledian gently and turned around. "We can't fight the enforcers," he said quietly. "But I know what we can do. We're going to find the green lands."

The green lands were something his grandparents had often talked about. According to the officials, the city was the only habitable place on Earth. There was nothing beyond its borders. However, his family and others believed that there were green lands, places of paradise that were being kept away from everyone. It was said that millions of Pokemon still lived free in the green lands. Cedric had always wanted to see them. Now with his grandparents under arrest, shortly to never be seen again… there was no reason for him to stick around.

After a quick stop at his home to pack a few things, Cedric took Red and set out to leave the city.

* * *

 

Two lead enforcers walked along a suspended metal walkway. There was open air for hundreds of feet below them. "There is one of the corruptors that we haven't tracked down yet. Trackers indicate that he is heading west."

"They were sentenced to execution, right?"

"Right."

The other lead enforcer nodded, then stopped by a red glass box. She put her hand on the glass and looked into a retina scanner, double confirming her identity. With the box unlocked, she opened it up and took a transmitter. "Hunter J, activate," she stated into the transmitter.

On a tower near the suspended walkway, a series of small orange lights appeared. There was a creak of metal being set into motion. A low grumble came from the tower.

The male enforcer handed his peer a digital clipboard, displaying data on the target. "You are to seek out and eliminate Citizen C57-825-223. He is heading towards the old city, so encounter him as soon as possible."

After a hiss of steam, Hunter J set off.

* * *

 

Cedric lived in the center of the city. The elite members of society lived in the east of the city, while the poor lived in the west. As he traveled on the subway, the stations grew progressively more dilapidated and dirty as the train went west. However, there would be fewer enforcers in the west.

At the last station, he got off and went up. The houses and buildings out here were so dilapidated and drafty that no one should be living or working in them. But they were being used. Cedric didn't intend on staying here, though. The smell of industrial smoke was strongest here, and his Ledian coughed every few minutes from it.

But there came a point where everything was so bad that no one lived there anymore. Collapsed ruins were everywhere. The concrete streets were crackled badly, in some places nothing but rubble. "I hadn't expected things to be this bad," Cedric said to Red. "I've noticed they steadily move the city east, but they're always so clean. I thought they would clean up everywhere."

Red warbled, flicking his feeler along Cedric's neck. He lifted his head a little and looked around. With a twitch of his wings, the young man caught sight of the single pair of black stars on the Ledian's shell.

"Hang in there," Cedric said. "Maybe we'll both find the green lands."

Behind them, there came a terrible scratchy roar. When he turned back, there was a great steel monstrosity crashing through the ruined streets after him. It had the appearance of an impossibly enormous centipede turned into a tank. The enforcers already knew that he had run away, so they had sent a Hunter after him.

Cedric ran, even though a part of his mind said it was impossible to escape a Hunter once it found you. It began firing at him with at least a dozen guns. Some people said that they were robots that had once been built for war. Others said that they powered by Pokemon stronger than any other. The government would not release information on the Hunters, other than that they were used only for the worst of fugitives.

But how could he be one of the worst fugitives? It didn't make sense. The stories his grandparents told couldn't be that dangerous. And not letting them take away his Ledian wasn't that bad either.

Red cried out in fright and worry, finishing up in a raspy gasp. A silver glow formed around his fists. "Red, you're not strong enough to fight," Cedric said. But then the Ledian released Silver Wind anyhow.

There was a pained screech from the Hunter, right before it crashed onto the road. Cedric managed to trip himself up in the torn up road. Trying to protect Red, he turned to the side and hit the street rather hard. He sat up and looked over his Pokemon. "Are you all right?"

"Hooo," Red said softly, trembling in his arms.

This wasn't good for the Pokemon while he was sick. Cedric got up, looking warily at the Hunter. From the showers of sparks flying off the machine, the attack apparently had damaged some critical power lines. Were they really going to get away from the Hunter?

Then there was a groan of metal. The Hunter lifted itself back up again. However, it did not roar, nor did it start firing again. It looked at him, doing nothing. Cedric started to back up, but nearly slipped on loose rubble. Should he just keep running? That seemed best. And yet, he felt something holding him in place, a power that he couldn't see.

As he couldn't react, the Hunter came up to him, picked him up with its claw arms, then placed him in a caged seat that was partly sunk into its armor. It then put a locked bar over his lap. With him secured, the Hunter went west.

Cedric was mystified. If it had been sent to retrieve him, why was it continuing out of the city? But so long as it was doing that, he checked on Red. The Ledian seemed oddly relaxed. Maybe he didn't even realize what was going on. His ragged breaths got softer and then stopped altogether.

That attack had probably spent up the last energy that Red had. And it had only held off the Hunter for a moment, being unsuccessful in keeping Cedric free. He had been with Cedric too long to do nothing, though.

When Cedric had turned ten, he had been assigned a Ledyba as his first Pokemon companion. The government officials were always good about matching people with Pokemon that would suit them and made sure that everybody had at least one. Still, Cedric adored Red and always had him out by his side. They had battled enough for Red to evolve into a Ledian, but past that, they were simply the best of friends, as close as family.

He remembered how Red liked to watch the night sky, as brown and ugly as it was. He would warble happily under the full moon and was ecstatic any time a strong star pushed its light into being seen. During the day, he liked to help in the greenhouse that Cedric worked in, trimming trees and smelling flowers. The Ledian had all friends, no enemies. So why did he have to be taken away after such a short life?

Cedric held the body close and cried.

* * *

 

At the Office of Domestic Security, one of the officials spoke with a high ranking enforcer. "Why are the remote planes being deployed?"

"Sir, we've lost control over Hunter J," the enforcer said. "It was sent to terminate a corrupting citizen and its mental monitors were damaged."

"How many Pokemon does the fugitive have?"

"Just one, sir. A terminally ill one at that."

"Then how did we lose control over Hunter J?"

The enforcer lowered his head. "We don't know, sir. But the pilots of the remotes are well trained and Hunter J is damaged. We will retrieve it before it gets too far away."

"You'd better. We haven't had one of them escape in over four centuries."

* * *

 

The strange Hunter had struggled to get past some of the older ruins, where rubble had been spread and was prone to slipping under its great weight. But when Cedric had the presence of mind to look around, he saw trees growing among the ruins. Trees… he had only seen them in pictures and his imagination. "Did we reach the green lands?" he asked. It didn't seem that great of an accomplishment, though. Not with Red gone before the loyal Bug could see the trees.

Then there was a buzzing overhead. Cedric looked back to see eight remote planes flying their way. According to official records, they had been left over from past wars as well and were not supposed to be in use. But this Hunter was still going west. Maybe Red's Silver Wind attack had made it malfunction and they had been sent to eliminate both him and the Hunter.

From below him, the Hunter made a hiss of steam. It paused in its travels. Then with a series of clanks, the robot released ten body segments that were behind where Cedric was sitting. Before he could decide why it would do that, the last body segment lifted into the air. Then, as if an invisible giant had a hold of it, the hunk of metal was lobbed into the sky. It hit one of the remote planes and knocked it out of the sky.

And then the Hunter proceeded to throw the rest of its body segments at the remote planes. It hit most of its targets, but the last three seemed to wise up to the plan. They began turning erratically, making them harder to hit. Despite that, the Hunter managed to knock down two more. The third finally got in range and began shooting.

Cedric felt an impulse, almost an instruction, to jump off the Hunter, but wait by the head segment for a moment. The lap bar released, along with that segment's connection to the head. After sending Red's body into the Pokeball for safe keeping, he got off of the Hunter's back. His mind wanted him to run away right then and there, but that impulse to stay for a moment remained. So he waited, hoping that he wouldn't get hit by the remote plane.

As the one body segment got chucked at the remote plane, the head segment changed. The left part of its face, including the eye, split up and shifted up or down. Within the depths of the ancient machine, there lay a strange Pokemon. It seemed like an infant lying in there, clothed in a white gown with two wide yellow trails hanging off it. However, it also had an oversized yellow hat with three floppy peaks. Several strips of blue paper hung off the tips of the hat. But it was a Pokemon, so that 'hat' was part of its body. Its eyes were closed, but its chest was moving.

Cedric pulled the Pokemon out of the Hunter machine. After he took a few steps back, the Pokemon's tails and hat fluttered under a strange power. The head segment then lifted off the ground and was thrown at the final remote plane. This found its mark and their last pursuer was destroyed.

Although it was quiet now, Cedric wasn't sure what to do. His Pokemon was dead and the one he was holding didn't seem responsive. However, close examination showed that it was merely asleep. But then how had it been able to drive the Hunter machine? And throw it piece by piece without any physical contact? Even the best of Psychic Pokemon that he had seen wouldn't have been able to manage that feat even when awake.

Then he had that impulse feeling again. Don't worry about it. Just follow the path now.

Cedric wondered what path to follow, but then the Pokemon's tail fluttered again. When he looked in the direction they flowed, he saw a dirt path heading further into the trees. As he didn't want to be caught by any more forces the enforcers would throw at them, Cedric went to the path and followed it.

There were wild Pokemon in the woods. He saw them occasionally, coming to investigate this human stranger in their home. But they didn't bother him. Maybe it was the Pokemon he was holding onto. He wasn't sure what this one was called. As he followed the path, it grew dark.

Several hours after he first set on the path, he emerged from the woods and found a grassy field. Immediately, he noticed a Ledian fly by. She came up to him and cooed curiously, calling over another one like her. While Red only had two stars on his shell, these wild ones had a dozen or more. And it wasn't just two. When Cedric looked over the field, he saw hundreds, no, thousands… more that he could estimate. They weren't the only Pokemon awake on this night, but they were the ones who captured his attention.

And then when he looked into the sky, he saw an amazing sight. The night sky was not brown and muddy like it had been in the city. It was black and velvety, sprinkled liberally with so many stars. Bright and bold ones that sometimes peeked at the city were alongside tiny and shy ones that he could never have seen before. But with a sense of awe, Cedric was filled with a deep sadness. "Red would have wanted to see this," he said softly.

There was a bubble of laughter at his ear. When he turned his head, Cedric found himself looking into eyes as pure as the black sky above. The colorful little Pokemon floated away from him, smiling and clasping its hands together. Brilliant sparkles like the stars in the sky swirled around it, then dove into the Pokeball on Cedric's belt. Following that, there was a pink flash as the ball released its resident.

Red was there, flying alongside his wild peers. His black eyes were unclouded and sparkling. His breath came easily and he was able to smile. "Ko dah!" he squealed, then hugged Cedric.

"Red!" Cedric clasped him to his chest again and was thrilled to feel a lively response. "It's a miracle… I'm so glad to have you back." He then looked back up to the odd little Pokemon, who was still smiling at him. "You must have done this somehow. Thank you."

It closed its eyes and giggled merrily. But soon, its mood turned somber. It looked east to where the city lay, as if considering something of great difficulty and grave importance. Perhaps even its power to grant miracles was small compared to the might of the city.

Something still had to be done.

...

R/S entry: It is said that in lands with clean air, where the stars fill the sky, there live Ledian in countless numbers. There is a good reason for this – the Pokemon uses the light of the stars as its energy.

Ruby entry: A legend states that Jirachi will make true any wish that is written on the notes attached to its head when it awakens. If this Pokemon senses danger, it will fight without awakening.


	129. Lickitung, Lickilicky

In a kids' clubhouse made of old wooden planks, Lucy the Lickitung observed a yellow apple on the old card table. It was sitting near the edge, near a boy sitting in a metal folding chair. The fruit had little tan streaks; not a bad sign, just the kind of apple it was. Lucy was on a bench by the wall, five feet from the apple. But that was close enough. When the boy wasn't paying attention, she twitched her tail and flicked out her long pink tongue. She snatched the apple and was soon munching on it.

The boy turned in time to see his snack gone. "Hey! Lucy! That was my apple."

She spat out the seed core. " _And it was a good one too_ ," she commented with a goofy grin. Her tongue hung out about two feet, which always gave her a goofy look.

"You should know better than to leave apples in their reach," another boy at the table said. There were five boys total, and two girls. With them were three other Lickitungs as well as a Lickilicky. The oldest Pokemon was busily grooming himself on an old stuffed chair a little away from the rest.

"But that's one of the things that makes them so cool," the leader of the group said. He put a notebook on the table. "Anyhow, I've got a great idea for the Chairman's contest! It'll make our Lickitung Supreme Fan Club the obvious winner. Wanna hear it?"

The group of kids leaned forward, eager to hear about it. The International Pokemon Fan Club had a yearly contest for more specific clubs to showcase their favorite Pokemon. If a smaller club won, they got a ten thousand dollar prize and a trip, this year a weekend cruise on the SS Anne. Plus all the articles written in big magazines and lots of respect from everybody. It was an open-ended contest, though, just to produce something that made the Pokemon great. On considering entering, many small clubs were overwhelmed by the possibility. As far as they knew, no club dedicated to Lickitung and Lickilicky had yet won. It put more pressure on them to do something great enough to win.

And the club leader had something in mind finally. "We're going to make a movie starring our Pokemon, only using them! It'll be a western, cause we can use the old farm and the desert for the landscape. And we've got enough of them to make a good movie."

"That would be cool," one of the boys said.

" _I wanna be a movie star!_ " Lucy piped up, jumping to stand on the bench.

" _Me too!_ " one of her friends, Pink, added.

" _Sounds intriguing_ ," the Lickilicky Mitch said, pausing in his grooming. He then licked his paw and started scrubbing his left ear.

"Who's gonna write the script?" one of the girls asked.

"We all will," the club leader said. "So we've got Mitch, Slobber, Drulz, Pink, and Lucy. Mitch can be the Sheriff."

"Why does your Pokemon get to be the Sheriff?" another boy asked. "Drulz can be a Sheriff." Not surprisingly, this boy was the Trainer of Drulz.

"Cause Mitch is the only Lickilicky we have," the leader said. "But if you can get Drulz evolved in the next few weeks, we can have them be the Sheriff and the bad guy. If we only have one, the Lickilicky gets to be Sheriff, because the hero's gotta be the strong one."

"I guess."

" _I will be strong, so I can be the Sheriff_!" Drulz promised, rolling his tongue up and flexing his arm muscles.

" _I don't care one way or another,_ " Mitch said.

"Can Lucy be the pretty woman?" Lucy's Trainer asked. She was the girl wearing a cute flower-adorned hat. "Lots of westerns have a pretty woman, and I'm training her to compete in Contests, when I'm old enough."

"That's what I was thinking," the leader said. "Cause she doesn't mind costumes, while Pink won't sit still long enough to be dressed. Pink can be the Sheriff's sidekick."

Dropping down from hanging by her tongue on a ceiling beam, Pink put in her own comment, " _I can't stand those weird bows, bleh._ " She then scampered around, looking for something new to pass the time with.

" _I love them_ ," Lucy said, content with her role. " _They make me look pretty_."

" _Does she tie them around your tongue?_ " Slobber asked.

She made a face. " _I couldn't stand that! No, she ties them around my neck or tail. And I'm not going to have a tongue piercing, before you ask._ "

Drulz picked up the end of his tongue and noted, " _I've thought about getting spikes pierced into my tongue. That would be a great weapon!_ "

" _A tongue spike? Gross._ "

" _It would keep you from picking stuff up,_ " Mitch pointed out. " _And if you're gonna evolve soon, your's won't stick out as much all the time._ " He tapped his own tongue, which almost fit into his mouth. It made him look like he had a big lip instead of a big tongue. " _Then the spike would be in your mouth most of the time._ "

" _But it's a tongue spike_ ," Drulz insisted. " _It'd be really macho._ "

"Wait a minute," one of the club members said, putting his hand on the table hard enough to shake the cereal snack mix in the large bowl. "Westerns always have a big gun fight, you know, the duel at high noon. But I don't think anybody's gonna let us use guns, even just for a movie."

"We could use water guns," another boy suggested. "Or Nerf guns."

"That would look stupid."

"We'll just have a Pokemon battle instead of a gun duel," the club leader said. "Which would make it especially cool if we had two Lickilicky stars. A double Rollout battle would be epic. And besides, both Mitch and Drulz know Fling, so we can kind of have a sort of duel."

"Would be more like a gun duel if I could get my hands on a Shadow Ball TM," the Trainer of Drulz grumbled. "Or Shockwave."

"I like the Fling idea," one of the boys said.

"I like the Rollout duel better," Lucy's Trainer said.

"So what's Slobber gonna do?" Slobber's Trainer asked.

"Slobber can be the weird gold-mining guy," the club leader suggested. "He's got the perfect personality for it."

_"Does the weird gold-mining guy part have a scene where he shoots rubber bands with his tongue?_ " Slobber asked. " _That's my special talent._ "

" _I'm sure they'll put something like that in, since you do that all the time_ ," Lucy said. " _Just don't wreck my costume._ "

"What's the story going to be?" the other girl club member asked. "We can't have the bad guy be a cattle rustler, as we can't have Miltanks or Taurus to act as cattle. But we have to make an awesome bad guy, as well as an awesome Sheriff."

"Well we've got a gold miner," the club leader said, starting to write notes in his notebook. "So our setting is a Gold Rush town, which is probably wild and lawless. The people of the town, as shown by Lucy and Slobber, are being terrorized by the bad guy Drulz… or Mitch, whichever. They call in the hero Mitch, or Drulz, and his sidekick Pink."

"Pink's outta be known as Pink the Wild Child," Pink's Trainer suggested. "Cause that's what I call her."

" _And because Jungle Girl Pink doesn't fit into a Western_ ," she said, now standing on the bench beside Lucy.

"Right, the sidekick Pink the Wild Child. They come in to town to clean things up. We may have to make the three Lickitungs play multiple roles, so we have a big looking town and a bad guy gang. The new Sheriff and sidekick come in and put the law on the lawless town. The bad guy then kidnaps Lucy in an attempt to get even, but then the Sheriff comes in and challenges the bad guy to a duel. The Sheriff wins, and everybody's happy."

"Except the bad guy Lickilicky," one of the boys pointed out. "He gets put in jail."

"But the local priest comes in and talks him into having a change of heart," the club leader said. "So he vows to never be a bad guy again. Then everybody has a happy ending."

"Who's going to play the priest? Slobber would be too silly."

"And Pink couldn't act respectable."

"Lucy can be the priest too," the club leader said, jotting it in his notebook. "She's the only one we could get in a priestly costume, anyhow."

"But then who's going to marry the Sheriff and the pretty woman, if Lucy is also the priest?" Lucy's Trainer asked.

"We can use camera tricks for that," the smartest club member suggested.

"And how is the bad guy going to be captured?" another boy asked. "They can't use handcuffs."

" _I've got something more useful than handcuffs_ ," Mitch said. Then the Lickilicky snapped out his tongue, far faster than Lucy had when she was snatching the apple. Mitch gave the boy his answer by wrapping his enormous tongue around his body, to the point where he couldn't move.

The club members laughed as the boy yelped. Mitch let him go readily, although even for that short capture, the boy's clothes and hair were soaked. "Aw man, Mom's gonna kill me for coming home covered in drool again."

"Just tell her that's a sign of how much you love your favorite Pokemon," one of the girls said.

"Right," the leader said. "So does everybody agree, that the Lickitung Supreme Fan Club is going to make a Western movie and win the Fan Club's ultimate contest?"

"Yes!" every kid and Pokemon in the room agreed. And so it was decided to make the movie, _The Fastest Tongue in the West_.

...

Lickitung Platinum entry: When it extends its over-six-foot-long tongue, its tail quivers. There is a possibility they are connected.

Lickilicky D/P entry: It wraps things with its extendible tongue. Getting too close to it will leave you soaked in drool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, I find these two Pokemon easily forgettable. They're kind of out of the way. So, I gave them a fan club. And Drulz rules!


	130. Unown

In my collection I had  
Twenty six letters  
And two punctuation marks  
Neatly organized in Pokeballs  
Controlled contained and tamed

But they never did much  
With weak powers  
With strange abilities  
Lethargic and seemingly pointless  
So I let them all go

Before I left the ruins  
Leaving them behind  
They did something strange  
Six came up to me  
And asked PARTY?

Party? Too strange to believe  
I had abandoned them  
But there was their question  
Seeing no harm  
I agreed to come

The freed letters seemed happy  
Dashing this way and that  
Squealing to the wild letters  
A group came together  
And spelled out BALLOONS!

To my surprise and shock  
There appeared balloons!  
Dozens of them  
A rainbow of bright colors  
All tied with curling ribbons

And this was not the end  
As they decorated the dim ruins  
There came PUNCH and COOKIES  
STREAMERS and BUBBLE MACHINE  
And even MUSIC

There came an argument  
Over what kind of CAKE  
Some wanted WHITE  
Some wanted YELLOW  
Others wanted DARK CHOCOLATE

Unable to decide  
They came to me to know  
Which cake to create  
Not wanting to offend further  
I suggested a layer of all three

The letters looked happy  
And with some fuss and rearranging  
Produced a grand three layer cake  
With butter cream frosting  
In a strange geometric pattern

They danced and laughed  
Playing alphabetical games  
Telling pun filled jokes  
And producing many strange things  
By changing places with each other

Like OBOE  
ZITHER  
TIFFANY LAMP  
OTTOMAN  
CURSIVE TYPEWRITER  
IGLOO  
GAZEBO  
METRONOME  
CORNUCOPIA  
BUST OF PROFESSOR OAK  
GOLDEN AXE  
SEAWEED PIZZA  
YARMULKE  
QUIRKY HEIRLOOM TIGER RUG  
And PINK FLAMINGO

They dissolved some items  
And kept others around  
Seeing the game I had to know  
After I kept them for so long  
Why had they never done this before?

They answered with ALONE  
But then I had my Pokemon  
The twenty six letters  
And two punctuations marks  
Out together on sunny days

They answered SEPARATE  
And then ALONE  
NO POWER  
NO WORDS  
NO MAGIC

Then I knew their secret  
Letters of ink must be controlled  
Given rules of grammar  
Given strict attention  
Letters of ink must be tamed

But they were letters as Pokemon  
Letters of life must be free  
Given company of peers  
Given no orders nor rules  
Letters of life must be poems

...

Unown Platinum entry: When alone, nothing happens. However, if there are two or more, an odd power is said to emerge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't write poetry often. But this felt so fitting. It's inspired by my favorite poet, Shel Silverstein.


	131. Mawile, Delcatty

Sonja the Delcatty woke up, stretched, sharpened her claws on an old wooden post, then tended to some cleaning. She had no plans, no obligations. Unlike other Pokemon, she had no Trainer, no Master to give her orders. That was exactly what she wanted. She was free to do what she wanted.

However, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be here. It was a creepy place, an empty fairground. The tents were gone, but a number of small permanent booths remained. Everywhere, there were remains of fairs and celebrations: strings of flags fluttering off posts, some forgotten trash hiding in corners, and signs that were outdated by a few weeks. With the electric lights giving both harsh brightness and deep shadows, it was hard to tell what exactly was out here.

"And I'm hungry," she thought aloud. She should probably leave the fairgrounds and find somewhere else to stay. If not for the creepiness, then for the lack of food.

Sonja still sniffed around, hopeful that there was some forgotten hot dog or hamburger. Or even bread; she'd eat that now, although she wouldn't like it so much. But all the food stalls were empty and cleaned, smelling like disinfectant cleaner. While they might not have gotten rid of all the trash, they certainly got rid of the food trash. She might come check the fairgrounds out in a few days, when another fair was set to start. There would be plenty of food then, and plenty of gullible humans to beg from.

Deciding to leave for certain, she walked along the dirt pathways to the exit. She wondered where she could go for some food and shelter. She didn't want to restrict herself by choosing a home to live in, or a human to live with. There was a store around where she had gotten some good meals from on bad evenings. Could she be a store Pokemon? But then she'd have to stay at the shop. No more wandering around and seeing new things. It was a tough choice.

There was a movement in the shadows that made her freeze. She hadn't smelled anything warning her of someone approaching. After a second, another Pokemon came out into the light. It had a scent of steel, which was why she had ignored it at first. It stood on two feet to be at eye level with her. Outwardly, it had a smooth flesh-colored armor coat covering most of its body. A long gray steel horn came off the top of its head and hung back like a long ponytail. Despite the natural metal armor, it had large black eyes and a small mouth.

"There's nothing going on here now, Mawile," Sonja said. "Might as well go on back home."

"Ko?" the steel creature asked.

"Humans won't be back here for a few days. Go home; you never know what kind of creeps are wandering about a place like this."

"Ko," he said, holding his hands together in a shy frightened manner. His eyes got watery.

Sonja put her pink nose to the air and tilted her tufted ears back. "What's a tough Pokemon like you got to fear? And why've you got to act cute to get help? You're metal; you don't have a cute fur collar, like I do naturally.

The Mawile shuffled closer to her, looking back into the darkness. He may not have had a fur collar, but his expression was cute and harmless looking. Most likely, his wide eyes had something to do with that. "Ko ko?"

Shaking her head, she took a few steps along the path. "I'm not Koko. I'm Sonja. Not too bright, are you? Can you say anything else?"

"Ko…" he said sadly, then started walking after her.

"Figures. What am I supposed to call you then? Ko?"

"Ko?"

"I guess. So then, Ko, know where there's any food about?"

"Koooo… ko!" He stopped, then waved over to another area of the fairgrounds. Then, seemingly rethinking it, he put his hands together and lowered his head. "Koooo."

Why'd she have to run into a coward? But if he knew where there was food, then it would be worthwhile to hang out with this Mawile for a night. "Ah, don't be a sissy. I'm sure whatever's out there, we can handle it. Or at least, I can. Where's the chow?"

Ko waved for her to follow him, then went back down the fairgrounds path. He turned left at a crossing, where more permanent stalls were. As they went along, he kept looking from side to side, as if expecting an ambush at any time. His pace was uneven and his steel horns twitched to and fro. And, Sonja wasn't sure of this, but she thought that the horns, almost grown completely together, seemed to have teeth.

"Geez, don't have a heart attack," she said casually. It made him jump forward and turn towards her. "I don't smell anything worrisome, except maybe a lack of food. And there's nothing I can hear that's bad either."

Although, the lack of any danger signs seemed to be a danger sign in itself. The empty fairgrounds were silent. There should have been some other Pokemon scrounging about in the night. But not even a Flying type was passing overhead. This place hadn't seemed so bad by the morning's daylight, but in this electric lit nighttime, something didn't feel right.

"Kind of lonely out here," Sonja commented. "I really ought to come back when it's lively."

"Ko." Then the Mawile tripped on something, falling onto his hands and knees. His horns made a solid thump when they hit the ground. Fiddling his hands about to make sure he was okay, he seemed embarrassed at his moment of being a klutz.

"Careful," she teased, coming up to see what he had tripped on. There was a small metal square in the pathway. When Ko got off it, it lifted up. Some kind of pressure activated device. "Weird thing to be out in the middle of the walkway."

Without warning, a strange instrument began to play. It was like a flute, but deeper and more mystical in tone. Some chimes accompanied it. While Sonja's ears went back and Ko got even more tense, a distorted voice began speaking in human words. "Do you seek a guide to your fortune? I see past the veils of mystery."

The Delcatty looked to the source of the voice and music. It turned out to be just a mechanical performer for the fair crowds. Within a small glass-walled booth, there was a robotic puppet of a Grumpig. With its native dark pearls around its body, it also wore strands of multi-colored pearls around its neck and dangles of multi-colored pearls from its ears.

Sniffing, Sonja swished her tail. "Just a puppet player. Unless the puppet happens to know where some food is. Where's the chow, robot?"

"Your fortune," the Grumpig puppet said, slowly blinking its eyes. "You must beware of treachery in new ones… that is what your aura defines. With a small payment, I could take a deeper look into this fortune."

Sonja would have just passed this off as weird nonsense, but then she saw a flash of gray steel. Her instincts for battle kicking in, she jumped out of the way to face the Mawile. His horns had separated some, making them look even more like enormous jaws with razor-edged teeth. And he had brought them in front of his face instead of holding them behind.

Hissing, she lowered her poise to something more fitting of battle. "What's this for? Overly superstitious, Ko?"

His eyes narrowed. His shoulders had gone from a pulled-in anxiety to a set-back confidence. "I like to play with my food a bit, ko," he said in a clear and cool voice. "But ko, Miss Fortune Teller had to ruin things tonight."

She began pacing around him. He kept his horns between his main body and her. "As much as I appreciate the concept of play, I am not food. Pokemon don't eat each other."

He put his paws to his chin, but his smile was sly. "I found that I like my food more intelligent than usual, ko." He brought his steel horns up, opening them wide. "This will be the end of ko, Sonja the Delcatty."

When he snapped those toothed horns at her, Sonja rolled to the side. "Fo-or-get it, dearie dangerous demented Ko," she said in a sing-song voice. "You-u won't be-e get-ting me-e."

Ko's eyes started to look drowsy. As the Sing attack kicked him into dreamland, Sonja turned and bolted. If she went as fast as she could, she could get out of the fairgrounds before the crazy Pokemon could catch up. She considered going to that shop after all. While it would be a less adventurous life, there would be less folks trying to eat her.

Ko stumbled back onto the pressure plate that triggered the Fortune Teller mechanism. "Do you seek to avoid disappointment?" the puppet asked. "I can show you the secret ways."

...

Sapphire entry: Don't be taken in by this Pokemon's cute face – it's very dangerous. Mawile fools the foe into letting down its guard, then chomps down with its massive jaws. The steel jaws are really horns that have been transformed.

Ruby entry: Delcatty prefers to live an unfettered existence in which it can do as it pleases at its own pace. Because this Pokemon eats and sleeps whenever it decides, its daily routines are completely random.


	132. Budew, Lotad

It was a quiet sunny morning. The air still had a chill to it, although the snow had all disappeared. In the pond, the ice was mostly gone. Spring was a little ways away, so they just had to endure a little longer. Then the harsh Sinnoh cold would be eased.

By the shore of the pond, a Budew was crouched behind the wind shelter of a rock. He had hibernated for most of the winter, but he really needed the sun. The yellow bud on top of his head was closed, so that he had the maximum amount of sun-absorbing green was exposed. But should the temperature drop, he would be at risk of freezing to death. This was a dangerous time of the year.

A small splash came from the pond. "Hey, Budew. It's been a while."

He looked over to see a large cupped lilypad floating on the pond. Mostly floating. The closest part was lifted up, showing a pair of round eyes on a dark blue face. Budew bowed. "Hey Lotad. Doesn't seem that long. I spent most of it sleeping."

"I spent most of it frozen and sleeping."

The flower Pokemon shivered at the thought. "Ugh. I couldn't stand that. I was in a hole in the ground."

By a twin pair of ripples, he could tell that Lotad was shrugging. "It's not too bad to me," she said. "You wanna play now that we're both awake?"

"No, thanks. It's still too cold for me. The sun's not warm enough for me to open my bud and be active."

"I see. We can just chat."

"About what?" He tried not to sound cross; Lotad had been a good friend of his last year. However, his kind did not appreciate winter. Not even the very tail end of it. As she said, since she lived in water, her kind could tolerate winter.

"I dunno, just stuff. I know! When do you plan on evolving?"

Budew sighed. "I don't know when. I can't say when."

Lotad's lilypad tilted up, showing her curious face. "Why not?"

"Among the Budew, we are told that in order to evolve, we must find a day so wonderful that the sun shines within us. Only then can we turn into a Roselia."

"Until the sun shines within you? Wouldn't that be painful? The sun is supposedly a great big ball of fire."

He fluffed the small petals that hung below his face. "It's not literal. It's some kind of riddle we must solve. I guess we have to get smarter to evolve. But I haven't gotten that smart yet."

Lotad paddled closer, but not onto the shore. She had never come out of the clear pond because of her lilypad. According to her, it hurt to hold it up for long out of water. "That's tough. I've gotta find some rock apparently, but not until much later. My first evolution just comes with time, I think this summer."

"I have to find a rock for my later evolution too."

"Oh. Sorry to bring it up, then."

"It's no trouble. Maybe you can help me figure out this riddle. I don't think today is a wonderful enough day, though. Too cold."

Then there came a rumble of a vehicle. Lotad dropped her lilypad to hide. Cautious but more curious, Budew turned to the nearby road. There was a white van coming to a stop by the pond. The driver's door opened to release an old human man who was on the portly side, with a short gray beard. A thick wool sweater and hat protected him from the weather. "Such a nice brisk morning," he said. "Lucas, are you ready for the day's work?"

"Yes, Professor Rowan," a voice called from the back of the van. There was a boy back there in a red coat, getting something out of their vehicle.

"It's just a couple of humans," Budew told his friend. "They don't seem that bad."

"You sure?" She tipped her pad up and peeked out at them.

The boy came around the van holding onto two black suitcases. He set them down, then yawned. "Oh… 'scuse me."

"Up a little late watching the Championship Battles?" Rowan teased.

Blushing, Lucas twisted his red cap. "Well, umm…."

The older man laughed. "It's fine. Quite an exciting battle, wasn't it? Cynthia's not going to give up her title easily."

"No she isn't," the boy agreed. He went back to the van for more items. "And she has some amazing Pokemon, doesn't she? I keep wondering where she got them, like the Spiritomb."

"The ones she has are all native to Sinnoh. Once you get to exploring, you could find them." Rowan went to help, taking a folding table out of the van. "Then again, she was once one of my assistants, just as you are now. We could ask her where she got them. So which one of my starters do you want? You can have any of the three you'd like."

"Oh, um… I dunno. I'm still thinking about it."

"What're they doing?" Budew wondered aloud. "The humans who want battles usually don't have this much stuff with them."

"I think I know this deal," Lotad replied. "They take you over to their little station there and give you a treat."

"They give us a treat? And don't capture us for good? That sounds fishy."

She caused ripple-shrugs again. "Well you do have to let them take you peacefully, if temporarily. And they examine and measure you for some reason. I got the thingie on my leg from them." Raising her left front paw up, she showed off the small metal strap that was attached there.

"But why?"

"I dunno. They're scientiffs, or something like that."

"So, do you think we'll run into that vicious red Gyarados that people are talking about?" Lucas asked, a tone of worry in his voice.

"What?" Lotad squealed. "There's a Gyarados in this lake? Where?" She dropped her pad back on the water surface and turned about in a fright.

Rowan smiled and shook his head. "I doubt it. I doubt it actually lives here. For you see, a mysterious Pokemon is said to live at the bottom of this lake, a Pokemon that is renowned for being a master illusionist. It's one of the local legends of this region. I would like to find proof of this legend some day, either to validate or disprove it."

"What'd he say?" Lotad asked, shyly bringing her pad up.

"He doesn't think there's a Gyarados around," Budew replied. "But he suspects the daydream maker who lives on the bottom of the lake."

"Oh. I've looked in that cave, but have never been able to enter it. It's weird like that."

Once the humans had their equipment arranged, Rowan handed Lucas a small cloth bag that smelled wonderful, like spiced berries. "Okay, now you need to go round up some specimens. This bait should keep them calm and lure them into following you. But if they act aggressive, stay back and just tell me what kind it was."

"What kind of Pokemon should I get?" Lucas asked.

"Whatever's around that'll cooperate." He pointed to the side of the pond where Budew and Lotad were. "There's a pair there that's been observing us set up. Try getting them to come over."

The boy looked at them. "A pair? I only see a Budew and their pollen always makes me sneeze."

"It won't bother you this time of year. Look more carefully."

"What should we do?" Budew asked.

"Don't worry about it," Lotad said, showing her left paw again. "They should treat us nice, if they're like the last guys who did this."

Lucas walked up to them, slowing as he got close. "Hi Budew. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. We just want to see you for a…" his eyes had been wandering between looking at the rosebud Pokemon and looking at other things: the grass, the rock, the water. Then he saw the eyes underneath the lilypad. "Oh, it's a… I'm not sure, but it's in the water."

"That would be a Lotad," Rowan called over. "But it won't come out of the water on its own. Try catching it with your hands."

"Um, okay." He came to the pond and stepped in. He wore black boots and gloves, Budew noticed. "Hey, could I... take you out for a bit, little Lotad? It'll be okay. You can come too, Budew."

"Mind the lilypad," Lotad said, then swam closer so Lucas could pick her up. The boy did so, stumbling a bit when he had her weight fully. As he took her to the table, Budew shook himself, then hopped after them.

"This lilypad weighs more than the rest of its body," Lucas said as he placed her on a plastic mat on the table.

"That's why they live in the water," Rowan said. "Their ancestors and the rest of their evolution line come out of water easier… hmm, seems this one's been tagged already."

Budew hopped onto an extra chair in time to see the old man use something on Lotad's arm thingie. "How'd you know it was a Pokemon?" Lucas asked.

"The lilypad," he answered, tapping it. "You don't see those plants this time of year. This one just came out of hibernation, most likely. Her friend too." Rowan paused, then ran his hand along Lotad's pad. "And the pad itself is a whole circle. The next stage for this Pokemon, Lombre, has a small wedge in the lilypad, so it can be identified even while underwater. And the Lombre's body is larger and stronger, able to support the pad. She can't. Take the notes quick so we can get her back."

"Right." As Lotad said, they took measurements and observations. Then they gave her a savory smelling bread they called a poffin. Once she was finished eating it, Lucas took her back to the pond.

Then Rowan offered his hand to Budew. "Did you want a turn? It doesn't take long, as you've seen."

Once Lotad was in the water, it was obvious that these humans had no intentions of keeping them. It still seemed kind of fishy, but at least harmless. Budew hopped onto the man's hand and let himself be examined. At the end of it, he got a poffin treat and a 'tag' metal thingie attached to his right leg. Then they let him return to the pondside, where his friend was waiting.

"See?" she said. "That was it. Humans aren't that bad. Strange, yes, but not bad."

"At least most of them are like that," Budew replied. Rowan and Lucas stayed for several hours, making observations and giving other Pokemon tags. Then, as another pair of young humans came into the pond's area, the scientiffs packed up and left.

...

Budew Diamond entry: Over the winter, it closes its bud and endures the cold. In spring, the bud opens and releases pollen.

Sapphire entry: Lotad is said to have dwelled on land before. However, this Pokemon is thought to have returned to water because the leaf on its head grew large and heavy. It now lives by floating atop the water.


	133. Chinchou, Lanturn

The view outside the window was dark. Sometimes they had the outer lamps on, but not tonight. Instead, all that could be seen in the darkness were twinkling spots of light. But they weren't the stars of the sky. These were the deep sea stars, the Lanturns who lit up the dark ocean depths with their brilliant antenna light. Those moving star lights could be seen from three miles up at the surface. Or so Chipper's trainer said.

Thus, the Chinchou had no idea how far away his kin were right now. They could be just outside the underwater research lab, or they could be miles away. He twitched his two antennas together to cause a bright spark. It was a greeting. But were there Chinchous or Lanturns in view of his hello? He couldn't tell.

"Chipper! We're ready for the experiment."

"Coming," he replied, turning from the window and swimming towards his trainer. A globe of water around him kept his gills working properly. It went wherever he did, so being in this environment of air wasn't troublesome. Maybe a bit lonely from time to time. There weren't many of his kind inside the lab.

His trainer was a man of red hair and thick glasses. He wore a white lab coat with an insignia of the TriTech Research Group, the blue one that was used at this undersea station. With a smile, he scratched Chipper's chin. "Today, we're doing a full test of the teleport gate system. It's a derivative of Bill's wireless trade transfer system. But while you can only trade one Pokemon at a time through that, this gate system should allow for transport of multiple beings, including trainers with their Pokemon. That is, transferring them safely without accidental blendings and body switching. You ready to go with me, Chipper?"

"I know what we're doing," he replied. "I helped you with it. So it should work just fine."

"Of course, you may already know how this system works, given you've assisted me this whole time. I wish they would hurry up with the Pokemon translation device. Anyhow, although it should work perfectly, I need to go over the safety protocols," he rolled his eyes. "For insurance reasons."

"Of course," Chipper said.

But as they were going over that, another scientist came in the room. "Dr. Mitchell, something great has happened! You know about the Pokerus injections?"

"Yes, where all the injected subjects fell into death-like comas," he replied. He and Chipper didn't think much of that experiment. It took a modified version of the natural Pokerus virus and combined it with Super Vitamins, hoping to attain new strengths for all Pokemon. However, it promised to put too much of an advantage into the hands of wealthy but lazy trainers, denying the natural efforts and hard work of the rest.

"The subjects are beginning to revive and all current signs point to the injections as being a success. You want me to tell you when they put them to the battle test?"

Mitchell waved his peer off. "No thanks. I'm running tests of the transport gates and since me and Chipper are the only ones on this highly important project, we're going to be busy."

"Suit yourself." He then left.

"And our project will be helpful to more people," Chipper said, showing his support through a flicker signal that his trainer understood.

"Yeah, you don't need some experimental drug to be great." Mitchell looked over his checklist, adjusting his glasses. "Let's get back to this." They finished their safety protocol, noted all the current settings, and made a last check for instabilities. Then Mitchell and Chipper went into the transport gate.

And that was when disaster struck.

Chipper appeared in a different lab than before. That was to be expected. And he seemed to be himself, still a Chinchou with Mitchell still a human. That was what they had hoped for. The lab they entered was completely wrecked, with only the red emergency lights active. That was not planned for.

The sea Pokemon looked up to his trainer. Mitchell put his hand to his chest. "Well, I'm still breathing… but what happened here?" He went to a computer and turned it on.

Swimming around the room, Chipper tried to figure out what had happened. Brightening his antennas for light, he found blood splatter. Human, with some Pokemon too. And the damage was all caused by violence: jagged edges caused by claws ripping metal apart, holes created by a Poison-types acids, holes created by a gun, scorch marks from fire… at least none of the holes pierced the armor of the research lab. Then Mitchell would be in trouble.

A bright light pierced the dark room. Chipper looked out the window and saw a Lanturn passing by. Since they were separated by protective armor, he used light codes to speak to her. "Hello out there, Lanturn."

The blue fish stopped and peered into the window. Her antenna flickered in response. "Hello in there, Chinchou. Something odd has happened in there."

"I know, but I do not know what. Do you?"

"No. It was a moon cycle since this place went dark. There was a lot of noise coming from inside at first. It is quiet."

A month since it went dark? Something must have gone wrong with the gate experiment. And some other experiment as well. "My human and I may have to leave," he told her.

"Should I stay to give you light?"

"Yes, thank you." He went back to searching.

It took half an hour, but Mitchell finally turned from the computer. "Chipper, is there a working data drive around? Something awful has happened."

"I saw one earlier." He went to another desk and looked in a drawer. After nosing the drawer open more, he was able to take the drive out with his mouth and take it to Mitchell.

"Thanks," the scientist said, putting it into the computer. "Something messed up with the gate system. It's a month since we stepped into it."

"So she was right." He looked back out to the window, where the Lanturn was watching patiently.

"But even worse," Mitchell went on, setting up files to transfer, "the Pokerus program got terribly out of hand. The injected Pokemon did become very strong. However, they also became uncontrollable and savage. Injuries don't even stop them from attacking." He rested his chin on his hand, then added, "It looks like they've managed to create Pokemon zombies."

"Zombies?"

"The injected Pokemon are able to infect other Pokemon by biting them. At least that's what Reynolds theorized. He also notes that the escape shuttle had an unexpected malfunction, so they were unable to escape when the zombies started killing them." He looked to Chipper. "And since his notes ended a week ago, with the shuttle still registered as docked here, it seems that he, and all the other staff, was killed."

"I'll protect you," Chipper said. "But… zombies… this won't be a usual battle."

Mitchell had grown quiet, tapping his fingers on the desk. It was a sign that he was nervous, trying to think of some plan. In all their time together, Chipper had never seen him panic. "If you could, would you ask your peer out there to try traveling with us? Her light will be helpful if only the emergency lights are on."

"Right." However, there wasn't a word in the light code for killer zombies. Chipper went up to the window. "Lanturn, may I ask that you give us your light as we travel through here?"

"Sure, I will help," she replied. "What is going on?"

"Pokemon have turned into cold killers," he said. It was the closest thing he could come up with in code.

"Bad things. Okay. Where are you going?"

"Escape to the surface."

She closed her eyes, thinking. Then she opened them and looked around. "I will try to follow," she replied.

Chipper went back to his trainer. "She'll come," he said, with an affirmative flicker.

"Good. Thank her for me." He waited a minute, then took the data drive out. "I took as much as I could about the on-going projects and the failures. Now we have to hope we can figure out the shuttle malfunction. Let's go, Chipper."

After giving a nod, he flickered out to the Lanturn, "We thank you. I will try to lead."

Mitchell and Chipper left the room. The whole lab station was a mess. Where the once-familiar halls had been bland but reassuring, they were now dangerous and disturbing. There were skeletons around, both human and Pokemon. When Chipper swam closer to one, he noticed teeth marks on it. Something had eaten this human's flesh after he or she had died. Feeling disgusted, Chipper swam back to Mitchell and stayed close by his side.

For the most part, all they could hear was the hum of the life support systems, Mitchell's footsteps, and the occasional snap from Chipper's antennas. There were occasional other noises: metallic creaks, other footsteps (maybe), a flutter of wings. While the Chinchou stayed alert for any strange Pokemon about, none of them had appeared yet.

Outside of the halls, the Lanturn flickered a message. "Something approaches from your right."

Chipper was on Mitchell's left side, so he swam ahead to guard his trainer. There were slight scraping sounds coming from that hall. Noticing the change, Mitchell slowed some, looking more defensive. Something, possibly those zombies, was just ahead.

A Cloyster appeared in that hall. Its hard outer shell had a severe crack in it and it was lacking the water shield that most captive Water-types had. Once it saw them, it growled roughly and fired a dozen of its spikes at them. Mitchell stepped back in time. Chipper avoided them and sent a sparkling ball of electric energy at it.

"I think that was one of the test subjects," Mitchell said. "Chipper, just paralyze it so we can get out of here."

"All right." After avoiding another volley of shell spikes, he adjusted his electrical flow, then built up a wave around him. Slamming himself into the Cloyster, he had it unable to move. Still, he swam back to Mitchell's side quickly.

The human and Chinchou ran down the hall leading to the escape shuttle. As they passed the Cloyster, it growled into a cry of rage. Not long after, there was the sound of an explosion from the insane Pokemon. Chipper wondered what the point of that was, but felt it was safer to keep on the path to escape than to stop and examine the zombies.

When they got to the escape shuttle's location, the room was dark. Lanturn had probably lost them in the crossing without windows, Chipper thought. He checked around for any enemies while Mitchell went to the escape shuttle. As there didn't seem to be anything lurking yet, the Chinchou went to the largest window and flickered as brightly as he could. The zapping of his antennas was enough to make his spine tingle. But he hoped…

Light came into the room as Lanturn appeared on the other side. "Good, you are okay," she said. "How is your human?"

"He is fine. He is checking our ship. Could you move down and to the left please?"

"Show me where." The two Pokemon went down until they found a spot that illuminated Mitchell's work.

"They already tried a number of things," Mitchell murmured. "I can guess what based on what's here… thanks Chipper, and say thanks to her again. This could take a while."

About an hour later…

Chipper watched the entrance. Three of the zombie Pokemon were here now: a Golbat, a Hypno, and the Cloyster from before. While they were staying away for now, they were fighting with each other. That could draw attention of any others that remained. However, the three all looked to be in bad shape: thin, many wounds, looking exhausted. Maybe they were stronger than normal, but if they haven't eaten in a while, they wouldn't be up to full strength. And they would be more likely to kill him and Mitchell for food.

"Chipper!" Mitchell waved him over. "This might be tough to work with, but I think the problem is outside. Can you ask the Lanturn to help us again?"

"I can try."

"Good. I'll have to come up with some reward for her. The shuttle appears to be working fine, as does everything else in here, so it might be the outer launch mechanism. If I could just know what you say for certain…" He paused, then went on, "We'll try. There should be a sensor outside the airlock hatch and a silver-colored box with the machinery inside. If they're damaged, we could be stuck."

"If I knew the color of the sensor thing, that would help." Still, he went to the window and figured out the coding for the request. "Is there a silver box and a blinking light out by this place?" He pointed with a fin to the airlock hatch.

"I will see." She drifted away, making the room darker. Chipper used his own antennas to keep some light. When the Lanturn came back, she said, "Box is there. The light is covered by seaweed. Should I remove that?"

"Yes please, and many thanks."

After a few minutes, Mitchell got a smile on looking at the status screens. "Great! It looks like the safety sensor got covered up, so the computer felt it was more dangerous to leave than stay. Let's get out of here before those ones notice."

He nodded, but went to the window while his trainer prepared the shuttle. "We can get out now. Could you meet us at the surface?"

"Yes. I will follow."

"The ship will lead."

"Come on," Mitchell called from the shuttle. Chipper swam inside so the door could be shut.

Upon reaching the surface, Mitchell opened up the hatch and brought out a small radio. The main unit on the escape shuttle seemed to be malfunctioning. Under the starry sky, the dark ocean waters spread to all horizons save one: a patch of land to the northwest was visible. While the human tried to communicate with land, the Lanturn popped her head above water. "I hope no one else got left behind," she said.

"They all got killed by Pokemon zombies," Chipper replied.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Pokemon zombies? How strange. Can they get out of there?"

He thought. "I don't think so. Maybe the Cloyster, if a break appears in the station walls. But they were constructed not to break, and held up even when he exploded."

On checking the atmosphere, Mitchell looked down to see the Lanturn there. He smiled, then slipped down onto the fin of the shuttle to pat her on the head. "Thank you very much, Lanturn. We wouldn't have been able to get out without your help. I'm afraid there's not much I can give you as thanks, unless you wish to come along with us."

"I could?" She looked up at Chipper.

He rapped his antennas together. "It's been a while, but the land is a neat place to visit."

She smiled. "Sure. Just so long as we don't run into any zombies."

...

Sapphire entry: Chinchou's two antennas are filled with cells that generate strong electricity. This Pokemon's cells create so much electrical power, it even makes itself tingle slightly.

DPP entry: Lanturn's light can shine up from great depths. It is nicknamed 'The Deep Sea Star'.


	134. Mantyke

Ysavvryl: Hmm, another toughie. The obvious match is Remoraid, which was already covered. Let's see…

In the cold waters of Sinnoh, a little Mantyke soared underneath the waves. His wing fins helped him to glide along the currents at high speeds. But he wanted to go even faster. Feeling the conditions of the water with his antennae, he shifted down and to the right, catching a faster current. After taking this ride for several minutes, he sharply turned upward and broke out of the ocean's surface. He caught a breeze and glided through the air now, squealing in delight. Several nearby swimmers saw him and laughed with joy at the little Pokemon's antics.

Inner Critic: HOLD IT!  
Ysavvryl: What? I'm just getting started.  
Critic: It's dumb already.  
Ysavvryl: It's only one paragraph in. I'm just playing with the Pokedex entries.  
Critic: It's just some little Pokemon playing around. It's going nowhere. Get into gear.  
Ysavvryl: But he's so cute!  
Mantyke: Yay!  
Ysavvryl: And see, he's having such fun. Just roll with it and we'll see where it goes.  
Critic: I don't like it.  
Ysavvryl: I can stick you in your little mental prison again…  
Critic: Okay fine. Grumble grumble.

Mantyke crashed back into the water gleefully, then swam back the way he'd come. It was slower, as he was going against the current. When he got into a good position, he caught the fast current again, then leapt out of the water to glide closer to the swimmers. However, they had started a Pokemon battle between a Seaking and a Pelliper. Mantyke wasn't interested in fighting. He got hurt during fights more often than he got hurt while playing. When he landed back in the water, he caught the fast current and headed south.

After a while of gliding in and out of the water, Mantyke started to get bored. Playing by himself was okay, but now he wanted to play with somebody else. He looked around, eventually finding a Tentacruel. Smiling, he swam up to the jellyfish Pokemon and called out cheerfully, "Hey, hey, come play with me."  
  
Critic: This is still dumb.  
Ysavvryl: What's your problem now?  
Critic: It's starting to sound like some little kid's storybook.  
Ysavvryl: And the problem with that is…?  
Critic: Most of your readers are old enough to not be interested in preschool stories!  
Mantyke: I like those stories.  
Ysavvryl: He's a baby Pokemon, for crying out loud. A storybook format fits him. But then I might want to really simplify the language later on.  
Critic: Grumble grumble.

Tentacruel snorted. "Play? That's for kids and babies, like you. I'm not interested in playing." He then floated off into the dark depths.

Ysavvryl: Gotcha.  
Critic: Grumble grumble.  
Mantyke: *laughs*

Mantyke pouted. "Aw…" But then he reminded himself to not give up. There were lots of Pokemon in the ocean. Surely one of them would want to play. He swam on.

Next, he encountered an Octillery. The red octopus Pokemon was swimming along in search of something. "Pardon me," she said.

He grinned. "Hey, hey, come play with me!"

But she shook her head. "Not right now, sorry. Go find some of my unevolved kin; they usually play with the likes of you." She then continued her search, jetting through the blue waters.

Disappointed but not deterred, Mantyke swam on. Eventually, he spotted a different tint of blue in the ocean. He swam closer and realized that it was a Pokemon. And not just any Pokemon, but the biggest and largest Pokemon ever, a Wailord.

Critic: Hold on a moment. Are there even Wailords in that area? Where are you setting this anyhow?  
Ysavvryl: The water passage to the Elite Four. I'm pretty sure that's where you find Mantykes.  
Critic: But what about Wailords?  
Ysavvryl: I dunno. But I'm not changing it! It's funny.  
Critic: No it's not.  
Ysavvryl: You don't find anything funny.  
Critic: And why are you still on this flimsy plot of finding a playmate?  
Ysavvryl: It's the rule of three. He has to run into three Pokemon to ask. And since it's a rule, you can't argue against it.  
Critic: Fine, but get onto something more relevant after.

Now delighted, Mantyke called out as loudly as he could, "Mr. Wailord! Hey, hey, come play with me!"

"HMMMM?" the giant Pokemon said, shifting his head left to right. "WHO'S SPEAKING TO ME?"

"It's me, Mantyke!" he yelled. "I want someone to play with!"

"I DON'T SEE YOU," Wailord replied. "I'M SORRY. I WOULDN'T MIND PLAYING WITH YOU BUT IF I CAN'T SEE YOU, I MIGHT HURT YOU BY ACCIDENT. NOT TODAY."

"Ooooh. Well, have a nice day anyhow."

"YOU TOO, LITTLE ONE." Wailord then swam on, creating a wake so powerful that it threw off Mantyke's directions for a second.

Saddened, Mantyke sighed. He wasn't having much luck finding someone to play with, and now it didn't seem as fun to play on his own. He wondered where his kin were. Sooner or later, he had to run into another Mantyke. So he swam on.

Then, after he passed through the shadow of a boat, he got hit on the head with a beer bottle.

Critic: Stop right there! I've got you now.  
Ysavvryl: Huh? I was getting into a good trance there…  
Critic: If you're going to have a storybook feel, you can't just throw in a beer bottle.  
Ysavvryl: Nobody's gonna drink out of it! It's empty, I swear.  
Critic: You still can't have it in there. It implies that somebody was drinking, probably whoever's in the boat.  
Ysavvryl: I know some guys who drink while fishing. I don't do that, but…  
Critic: Can't have it.  
Ysavvryl: Okay, fine.

Then, after he passed through the shadow of a boat, he got hit on the head with a glass bottle.  
  
Ysavvryl: Well?  
Critic: It could still be a beer bottle.

Then, after he passed through the shadow of a boat, he got hit on the head with a glass soda bottle.  
  
Ysavvryl: Happy now?  
Critic: No.  
Mantyke: Are you ever happy, Mr. Critic?  
Ysavvryl: No, critics are never happy. But at least I can move on with the story.

Then, after he passed through the shadow of a boat, he got hit on the head with a glass soda bottle. "Owie," he said, wishing his fins could bend around so he could rub his head. Since he couldn't do that, he grabbed the bottle and swam up to the surface. There was a single fisherman in the small boat, so Mantyke threw the bottle back at him. "Hey, don't go dropping your trash on us!"

"Ow!" the man said, after the bottle hit him on the elbow. He turned to the Mantyke and glowered. "That was uncalled for."

"No it wasn't. You hit me with that bottle."

"I didn't see you under there," the fisherman said.

Critic: Why are the human and Pokemon speaking to each other normally? They shouldn't be able to!  
Ysavvryl: This is one of those exceptions. Plenty of kid storybooks have humans and animals talking, so it's not like it's new.  
Critic: And what's with the sudden anti-littering message?  
Ysavvryl: You wanted a more relevant plot.  
Critic: But you haven't shown any indication of an environmentalist theme in this story yet! Not even a mention of 'pristine waters' or 'trash troubles'. It just came up out of nowhere. This story is utterly weak and stupid. You should trash it and write something entirely different. It is in no way entertaining and…  
Ysavvryl: Hey Mantyke.  
Mantyke: Yeah, what?  
Ysavvryl: I'm going to ask something a bit unusual of you. Here's what you're gonna do next.

"I didn't see you under there," the fisherman said.

Mantyke frowned at him. "You is bad man. You no can has cookie. The sign sayz no litterin'! And the Walrein sayz to return his bukkit."  
  
Critic: What the fudge was that? !  
Ysavvryl: LOLcat.  
Mantyke: That was funny!  
Critic: That wasn't proper English, or even a proper half-language! It was… was….  
Ysavvryl: Okay, let's finish the story while the critic is stumped.  
Mantyke: Yeah!  
Ysavvryl: But we have to redo that line.  
Mantyke: Awwww.

"I didn't see you under there," the fisherman said.

Mantyke frowned at him. "There's lots of Pokemon in the ocean, so you could have hit anybody! You could have hit the Wailord."

"There's Wailords around here?" He looked around the waters, searching for surface signs.

"You're gonna pay for messing up the water." He then dove back under the surface.

But what could he do? He was just a little Pokemon, not big enough to capsize the boat like the Wailord could have. He wasn't too good with attacks, so he couldn't hit the fisherman like the Octillery could have. And he wasn't intimidating or sly, so he couldn't scare him off like the Tentacruel could have. What could he do?

Watching the boat, Mantyke saw the fisherman's line drop back into the water. A Magikarp came up, investigating the tasty-smelling bait. Then he knew what to do. Mantyke swam up to the Magikarp. "Don't take it!" he cried out.

"But it leads to a Trainer," Magikarp pointed out. "Trainers make you strong."

"Yes, but he doesn't respect the water," Mantyke argued. "He dumped his old glass onto my head."

"Did he? That's not right."

"Help me tell everybody around not to come to this guy, all right?"

With the Magikarp's agreement, Mantyke swam around and informed other sea Pokemon of the troublesome human. No ocean Pokemon would go with a Trainer who willfully disrespected the water. And thus, the fisherman didn't catch anything that day.

Mantyke: And good wins out over the polluters!  
Ysavvryl: That's right. Thanks for working with me, Mantyke.  
Mantyke: It was fun, so I'll say thanks too. Thank you!  
Ysavvryl: You're welcome.  
Mantyke: But what about your inner critic?  
Ysavvryl: It'll be back in true form shortly. It always recovers. But I have other ways of making it shut up.

...

Mantyke Diamond entry: A friendly Pokemon that captures the subtle flows of seawater using its two antennae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instructions for using prescription-strength LOLcats: Use sparingly with humorous intent.


	135. Banette

A teenaged boy came into the house; he wore a brown jacket over a white shirt with black pants in an almost but not successful attempt to look nice. He smiled nervously at the man who had opened the door. "Good afternoon, Mr. Price. I'm Jacob."

"Afternoon, Jacob," he replied in a gruff voice, while he shook hands with the teen. "Iris should be down in a few minutes. Would you take a seat?" He offered one of the chairs at the kitchen table while he sat in another one.

"All right," Jacob said, sitting down nervously to the inevitable 'are you worthy of dating my daughter' grilling session. He looked around the kitchen and found a strange doll sitting on the kitchen counter.

It was in such poor shape that it was almost a sad thing, if it weren't so creepy. The fabric of its body was visibly old, thin in patches and stained in others. Covering that was a white dress with a rainbow array of polka dots, only it was ripped and apparently chewed at one point. Its red yarn hairs were frayed or missing, while one black button eye was loose, tilting off the face. For some strange reason, it had a red zipper strap for a smile and a wide red ribbon bow around its neck.

Somehow, the doll was watching Jacob. He looked away, but the whole time he spoke with Mr. Price, the teen knew it was still watching him. It made him anxious for Iris to come downstairs so they could leave. Really, the doll made him more nervous than his girlfriend's father. The doll noticed, but stayed where it was.

"Maria!" a girl's voice rang through the house. "Where are you?"

To the boy's surprise, the rag doll lifted off the counter and changed shape. It now had a sack-like black body, with a round head and tubes for pigtails. The Banette still had a zipper for a mouth and a red ribbon bow, though. Making an eerie laugh, she floated to a doorway.

A girl in a blue dress came into the kitchen. "Oh, there you are sweetie." She took the Banette into one arm, then gave a broad smile to the boy. "Hi Jacob! It's good to see you."

He smiled back. "Hi Iris. You look really nice today."

"Thanks. I hope you don't mind Maria coming with us. She's with me everywhere, you know."

"That's fine. Are you ready to go?"

As she nodded, her father added, "Make sure to be back by eight."

"Sure thing," Jacob agreed. "It was good meeting you, Mr. Price."

They went some goodbye exchanges, but as the two teens went out the door, the father mouthed to the Pokemon, "Keep them in line."

Since the Banette's mouth was always zipped into a smile, she blinked, then looked out to the boy's car. It wasn't anything impressive, just a practical vehicle for a young driver. That was a plus for this one's chances at staying Iris' boyfriend, at least with respect to her parents' opinion. And while Maria did belong to Iris, she knew to keep on the good side of the parents.

The date started out with a movie. He paid for the tickets while she paid for the soda and popcorn. For herself, Maria didn't much care for what movie was playing. But she did always like the darkened theater. The Banette sat herself on the back of the chair next to Iris.

"She was a real sorry-looking doll when I came in the house," Jacob commented while the lights were on. "I didn't recognize her until you called her name and she changed to her normal look."

Iris scratched Maria's head, making the Pokemon coo contentedly. "Yeah, she does that from time to time. That little red-headed ragdoll is the one she possessed in order to evolve."

"She had to possess a doll? Weird. My Pokemon just had to get strong enough."

"Shuppets evolve that way, by taking over a discarded doll. And even if they take a nice-looking one, they tend to make it look worse."

"Huh. They're kind of creepy. But then I guess Ghost Pokemon are all that way."

"To most people. But when they love you and give you big soulful eyes, they're just so adorable." Iris laughed and patted Maria.

Interested in the boy's response, the Banette got up and floated forward a short distance. His eyes showed that he still thought it was creepy, but he smiled anyhow. "Yeah, it's great when your Pokemon become friendly with you."

As the lights went dim, they had to stop the conversation. Maria went back to the seat. However, her duty was to supervise them and make sure the boy wasn't trouble. She had supervised dates before and knew many tricks for stopping an overeager boy.

But Jacob behaved himself. At times, the teens held hands, but that was it. Maria was a little disappointed in that. She liked rebuking the bad ones. One time, a boy had tried to sneak his hand on Iris' breast. Maria had gotten back at him by pinning her paws together in such a way that his hands suddenly went cold and numb. Iris had gotten rid of that boy not long after that.

In the middle of the movie, Maria did spot a couple a few rows ahead who were smooching in the dark. They were trying to be discreet, but when the movie characters quieted, they could be heard. And according to Mr. Price, that was a public display of affection, which should not happen. Well if she couldn't punish Jacob, she could at least punish them.

Unseen by the humans, the Banette reached back to her crooked tail and pulled out two long pins. She rubbed them both between her paws, looking at the kissing couple to make an unseen connection with them. Then with great care, she took one pin and gently poked it along her zipper mouth. It had to be in the right spot. Once she had it, she pushed the pin in.

She had done so with such expertise that she didn't feel a thing from the pin. However, there was an audible "Ow," from the woman a few rows down. Maria's curse had struck. The couple made some hushed argument, only to be shushed by someone in front of them. For good measure, Maria then stuck the second pin into her chin. She gave the curse a few minutes to sink in, then removed the pins and replaced them to her tail. That couple wouldn't be interrupting this movie now.

At the end of the movie, Jacob took Iris out to a small sit-down restaurant. It wasn't as classy as some past boys had tried, but it had a kindly relaxed atmosphere, like a family dining room. Several potted plants were placed strategically to give each table a private feel. Of course, Maria was brought along even if she didn't eat like most creatures.

"Sometimes I think I should get a small and well-behaved Pokemon too," Jacob said. "It's nice when you can bring one along wherever you are. All of mine are either too big or too wild to let free in a place like this."

"It's fun to have a companion Pokemon," Iris said. "It's like always having a good friend at your side. Isn't that right, Maria?"

The Banette cooed and clasped her paws together. It didn't bother her to be just a companion Pokemon, not a competitor or fighter. In exchange for love and attention, all she had to do was return the same. Besides, at this point she couldn't imagine being without Iris. They had been together constantly for several years now. Maria could easily resist the Ghostly temptation to lay a curse on anyone who provoked her. Most of the time.

"I'm trying to get mine to be friendlier." He picked up the menu. "So, order whatever you like. I'll cover it."

As the dinner went along at a lazy pace, the two teens chatted happily on whatever subject they came across. Maria watched and listened silently. But then she came upon her own problem. Jacob and Iris were getting along really well. The warmth of their exchanges touched her, even if it was on silly subjects. Maybe this time, there really was love. At any rate, they both seemed happy just to be with each other.

But the Banette was used to solving problems. She could curse boys who made Iris uncomfortable, or tried to take things too far too fast. She could enact revenge against careless or thoughtless boys. However, what did she do to a boy who genuinely liked Iris? What kind of curse could be used to encourage love?

Try as she might, Maria couldn't think of any. She watched and listened for anything that she could object to, as a spy for the parents. But nothing came up. Indeed, all the signs showed that it would be very bad if she tried to curse Jacob at all. Then Iris would be spiteful towards her.

So what could a Banette do about love?

...

Ruby entry: Banette generates energy for laying strong curses by sticking pins into its own body. This Pokemon was originally a pitiful plush doll that was thrown away.


	136. Drowzee, Darkrai

He was in a bad situation. His Psychic powers were being damped by something that he couldn't identify, or locate. Due to the foggy moonless night, neither he nor his Trainer could tell what was coming up along the forest path. And this island wasn't large. If they weren't careful, they could walk off into the ocean and not know it until they hit the water. But then, how were they to find their way back to the boat?

Gripping his Trainer's arm tighter, the Drowzee said, "Dan, you should give up so we can get out of here alive."

"Don't be so nervous, Baku," the teenager said. He kept looking in the trees for some sign of activity. "If we're patient, one might show."

What came from the trees, though, was a deep and menacing voice. "You should not have come here," he said. Then the night came alive and tore Dan out of Baku's grip. Before he could run after his Trainer, the Drowzee was drowned in the darkness as well. But he didn't die. He simply woke up.

Baku opened his eyes wide and sat up. Immediately, the brightness of the sun against the ocean waves caused him to cringe. He spent a moment looking at the white paint of the boat and the yellowness of his skin to soothe his eyes. He felt Dan's presence nearby, so his Trainer was fine. At the moment, the teen seemed to be happy and excited. But, was this dream a premonition?

When he could look out across the water comfortably, Baku got up and went to the control panel, where Dan was driving the boat. "Hey, you finally woke up," the teen said, tweaking the Drowzee's ear. "This boat is pretty easy, once I figured it out. We should be there soon."

He took the human's arm and shook his head. "This may be a bad idea," he said. His telepathy wasn't strong enough to work on an awake human yet, but he had been with Dan for several years. Usually, the teen knew what he was saying.

"What're you nervous about now? We're just hunting down another Pokemon for the team. And to show up that jerk." Dan smiled. "He made a mistake in telling us there were rare Pokemon at new Moon Island. It'll be another step up for us."

Baku had been excited about the prospect earlier. His current teammates were good friends, and a new one would be welcomed as one of the group. However, he'd never had a dark premonition before other captures. What was so different about this one?

A few minutes later, an island came into view. It seemed like any of the other islands around Sinnoh, a small patch of land bearing a great many tall leafy trees. It wasn't civilized, though, as there wasn't even a dock. As they approached, they saw that the beaches were rocky. Dan slowed the boat and circled around the island, careful to watch the map radar for underwater snags. At one point, they found a large black rock that jutted out into the ocean. They brought the boat up there to get on the island.

Dan checked his GPS. "This is the right coordinates. Odd though, that this named island hasn't been built on yet. Full Moon Isle even has a dock, and it's hardly bigger than this place."

"There's something creepy about this place," Baku noted. Sure, it looked like any other forested island, but there was something off here. For one thing, his mental senses were stopped dead right at the tree line. And the undergrowth was lush, grasses and shrubs that apparently had little to check their growth here. He couldn't even hear the little buzzes and hums of micro-bugs. There was just the steady ocean tide.

However, the teen wasn't worried. "Let's go check things out. I've got my walking stick to clear the brush out."

Baku tried one last time, grabbing Dan's shirt and looking at him seriously. "There's something wrong with this place."

"Something bugging you?" He looked into the trees quietly, his expression losing some of the excitement. "There is something weird about those trees. Maybe it's Ghost Pokemon, or Dark ones, that are freaking you out. Or Bugs. Well don't worry; I'll recall you if something you can't handle comes up. Like always, right?"

"I suppose," Baku relented, rubbing his snout. His Trainer could be stubborn at times. "Let's be careful."

"You keep close to me, and warn me if anything's gonna jump at us." Dan then led him into the woods of New Moon Isle.

The trees provided an almost total leaf canopy, letting only fragments of sunlight hit the forest floor. Due to this, dark tolerant plants grew in abundance. Baku watched, but never saw anything. The total lack of activity came to be a worry, though. Anywhere else, there would be micro-bugs and other lesser animals scrounging about, wary of humans and Pokemon. There would also be wild Pokemon around, calling to each other or coming up in curiosity. But there was nothing here.

No. Not quite. Baku sensed one being here. He didn't so much sense it as sense the absence in the aura he could feel. That had to be some Pokemon of the Dark type. And immensely powerful at that, if the space of that absence was a clue to that. At first, he tried to keep Dan from entering that absence space.

After circling the edge of the isle twice, Dan looked over their boat. "This is really weird," he said. "We should have run into something. But night's falling, and nothing has appeared. Have we checked the middle of the island?"

"You don't want to check the middle of the island," Baku said, although he figured his Trainer wouldn't listen.

"Let's go check. We could camp on the boat if we had to, but I'd rather not, or set back out to Canalave this close to evening."

Feeling a sense of dread, Baku followed his Trainer nevertheless. He entered the Dark aura expecting to be repelled by something painful. But that didn't happen. It simply slid around him like oil, all around the Drowzee yet not enough to disorient him. Why? No Dark Pokemon that he had ever met was so generous with others. None had ever had this degree of control over their power either. So was this one being welcoming? Or, was it all one of their infamous tricks?

In the center of the isle, there was an open meadow. The grasses here were more controlled, not growing everywhere like a savage's hair. It was just a quiet place. No mystical monuments, no mysterious signs, no shrines, no sign of human hands. Just a quiet, peaceful meadow which was almost entirely barren of life forms from the animal kingdom.

"This would be a nice place to set up camp," Dan said. "But there's just… something creepy going on. Normally you hear the calls of the Starly family everywhere, or even Hoothoots. But there's none of that here. And I'm not sure about setting up a campfire anywhere with all this grass." He turned around, looking.

A feeling of panic welled up in Baku. "No, no!" he called, crossing his arms. "Camping here is a bad idea."

"What's up with you today?" Dan asked, patting him. "If there's nothing here, there isn't anything dangerous. We'll leave tomorrow. Looks like this trip was a waste. Still, we might be able to drop by another island. Oh, look, there's a hole in the ground. It would be useful for a fire."

Baku turned around. He had been certain that the meadow was all grass. However, there was now a nice shallow pit near where they had come in. And the grasses seemed even shorter. How could he have missed that? Or was it another trick?

Alarmed by all the strangeness, the Drowzee remained alert while helping to set up a campfire and a tent. He remained alert while they ate some simple dinner under the darkened sky. And he remained alert when Dan went to sleep. As the minutes drifted by, there was only the wind stirring up the leaves and the distant rhythm of the tide.

Nothing happened for the first hour. Then, his sensitive snout picked up on something. Dan was fully asleep now, and entering the phase where he dreamed. The scent of it drifted from the human's nose. It was always the nose, although other Pokemon thought that specific dream scent was non-existent. To a Drowzee or Hypno, that scent told many things. Usually, Baku would take a bit of Dan's dream energy to consume every night. It never hurt him, so there was nothing wrong with it.

But this night the dreams had a bitter tinge of nightmares. It wasn't very strong, but it was enough to make his stomach queasy. Nightmares always disagreed with him later, and there were tales that a Drowzee that ate too many nightmares would fall horribly sick and die. That was a theory that he didn't want to put to the test.

Instinctively, he knew that the Dark Pokemon residing here was causing this. Baku crept into the tent and tried some things to stop it: making significant signs on his Trainer's forehead, trying to unsettle the dream stage of sleep, blocking off all of Dan's senses temporarily. But his efforts seemed to do nothing to the dense aura.

Baku then left the tent and looked around the meadow. He couldn't see any strange movements in the grass. Aside from the bitter nightmare, he smelled nothing out of the ordinary. He couldn't feel anything in the aura because he could not feel the Dark aura. It had to be out here. But where?

"Come out of hiding, you," Baku called into the meadow. "I know you're hurting my human, and I won't allow that."

"You should not have come here," a deep voice replied from behind him.

He turned and saw the stranger by the campfire. Only a foot taller than the Drowzee, the Dark Pokemon was some kind of black phantom with long white hair and leathery wings. Although Baku couldn't read its thoughts or feelings, it didn't seem aggressive. Still, Baku felt defensive, if only for Dan's sake. "Why not? And who are you to forbid anyone from doing something?"

It switched from human speech to the language all Pokemon shared. "I am Darkrai, of the new moon. I came here to be alone many centuries ago. No one is to disturb me here."

"We haven't heard anything like that," Baku replied. Although he felt cautious (any Pokemon that could claim it had been alive for centuries had to be strong and talented), he would still stand up for his Trainer. "And you didn't give any warnings, so you have no right to be hurting him like you are. I know it's you! Don't deny it."

"I won't. But I am holding back; I do not wish your human any true harm. I do not wish you harm either, so do not try to battle me. It would be fruitless for both of us."

Although puzzled by Darkrai's words, Baku could see that it was being honest. It showed no signs of aggression as it floated by the fire. It turned its eyes to the fire now, as if watching something unusual and curious. Still, the situation unnerved Baku. Dan was still emitting a bitter dream scent.

"But if you won't deny giving him nightmares, and you don't wish to harm us, then why is he having nightmares due to your power?" the Drowzee challenged. Even if it would be tough, even fruitless, he wouldn't stand down and do nothing.

"That is why I came to be alone," Darkrai said, still watching the fire. "My power is to control nightmares. There have been those who abused my power for evil purposes, causing war, despair, fear, tragedy. Others hated me for it, even though it was not under my control and I had no desire to be evil. So I forsook the society of everyone. He came looking to capture a Pokemon, didn't he? I am the only one here."

Baku looked back to the tent. "He's not evil," he defended for his sleeping Trainer. "He just wants to be a strong Trainer, like many others."

"Even if his intents are not evil, he would still be bringing my power back into civilization, where it would hurt everyone around him, including you. I want you both to leave tomorrow. But I watched you today. I have seen that he can be stubborn and ignore the signs that gave you fear. I will hold back for him, but I will also make certain that you leave in the morning."

"Can't you just leave a clear message then? Or do nothing; he's planning on leaving anyhow because he didn't find any Pokemon today."

Darkrai moved its hand forward, barely keeping its fingers out of the sinking flames. "People are more likely to avoid fire if they've been burned touching the flames. At least, that is the philosophy that I have followed. I managed to keep up a good rumor that this island was cursed. Perhaps I've been neglecting that as of late. More people have come the past few years, even as I dissuade them. Still, I will not allow myself to be captured and used again."

Baku clenched his hands. "I still don't like this."

"I understand. But he will be able to sleep tonight, or else he won't be able to pilot the boat back to the mainland." It looked back at him finally. "You are not entirely convinced of my intentions, it seems."

"You're hurting my Trainer and friend," he retorted. "Of course I'm not fine with that." He could put this strange Pokemon to sleep; that wasn't an ability it could block. Then he could eat its dreams, so that its power over dreams would be broken. If he took all the dream energy from someone, that person or Pokemon would not be able to concentrate.

Raising its hand up, Darkrai wove a strange pattern in the air with its fingers. At that, its aura ceased to be like oil and came to be like water, like the energy usually was. It overwhelmed Baku's mind, giving him a flashback to his own nightmare during the day. With his psychic senses being drowned in the Dark aura, the Drowzee could hardly tell up from down, left from right. He looked at his five-fingered hands and felt disconnected with them.

It only lasted a second, though, as Darkrai retracted the aura so that it acted as oil again. Then it looked back into the fire and was silent. From that, Baku felt like it had been reluctant to do that. He didn't want to bother the Dark Pokemon now. Instead, he stayed by the tent and made sure Dan was okay, besides the nightmares.

In the morning, Dan seemed nervous as he cleaned up the campsite. "I think you were right to be nervous about this place," he told Baku. "I had some weird dreams. Maybe there's some Pokemon here, but it doesn't want us to be here. We'd better leave it alone."

"That's for the best," the Drowzee replied. He hadn't seen Darkrai since the sun came up, but he knew it was out there, somewhere under the dark canopy.

...

Drowzee Leaf Green entry: Puts enemies to sleep, then eats their dreams. Occasionally gets sick from eating only bad dreams.

Darkrai Platinum entry: To protect itself, it afflicts those around it with nightmares. However, it means no harm.


	137. Ekans, Koffing

The ground was becoming warmer as spring took hold of the grassy plain east of Vermillion City. Elliot the Ekans was finding it easier to get around, now that the winter cold was no longer freezing his blood, and motivation. Today, he wasn't looking for a meal; he'd caught something days ago, when it had been groggy from post-hibernation weakness. Those around him were still struggling to find food, but he wouldn't need to eat again for a few days more.

Instead, he was checking out his territory for any changes that had occurred. With his tongue flicking in and out, he could learn invisible information that hung in the air. A nearby rival had been patrolling lately too, as his scent lingered on some grasses. Elliot would probably be out fighting him again when it was closer to summer. At the dirt path the humans used, he found signs of winter damage which the humans hadn't gotten around to fixing yet. They probably would fix it soon, so he'd need to stay out of their way. They brought in machines to do that, machines that could crush an Ekans' body on accident. Although he noted other signs, they weren't quite as worrisome as his rival and the humans.

While he slithered back into the tall grass, he felt vibrations in the ground that had to be human footsteps. Elliot took a moment to carefully examine this human's scent. It was a female, one of those 'teenagers', wearing a Leppa scented hand lotion, carrying a scent of two Pokemon (Kadabra and Gloom), although neither of those two Pokemon were around. From that, it was safe to assume this was a Trainer. Feeling no desire to be captured, he slipped further into the grasses and out of her path.

"I wonder if Kevin is around," he thought aloud. He took a careful taste of the air. As Kevin was a Koffing, he was impossible for a scent sensitive Pokemon like an Ekans to miss. There was a slight tinge of his sour scent; he had been here a few hours ago. Elliot slithered around until he figured out which direction Kevin had gone, then went after him.

His search took him away from the dirt paths and into the dense woods where the humans never went. He occasionally thought of moving back here instead of staying out near the paths. If he did so, he wouldn't have to deal with humans. But, doing that would require fighting other Ekans, or even other Pokemon. After all, it wasn't like territory was something his kind traded.

After avoiding potential confrontations, he came to a small clearing where a horrid stench kept others away. Elliot was always careful to not taste the air around places Kevin was staying. It could take hours to get rid of the nasty bitter taste of poison if he got a strong taste. However, the Koffing was his friend. The odd friendship helped, in that others were less likely to challenge Elliot, in case Kevin was around.

Kevin was in the middle of the clearing, resting on the ground enough to put a flat area on his normally spherical bubble body. It was unusual; he normally floated, just off the ground if he was dealing with Elliot. With his eyes looking down and half-closed, he looked sad. As the Ekans came closer, he could see that the poison gas buildup in his body was dense. It was normally a mass of swirling colored particles, but not today.

"Are you feeling ill?" Elliot asked. "You don't look well."

"Huh?" He opened his eyes fully and looked over at him. "Oh, hi Elliot."

He smiled a bit. "You're getting good at identifying me."

"Well you're the only Ekans who'll come up to me willingly, so even though your kind is over common, I know you now."

"But you haven't answered my questions. Are you sick? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," he replied, looking back at the ground. "I've just felt lousy the past couple of days."

Elliot brought his front half up off the ground, to be more on eye-level with the Koffing. "Is that why you came looking for me?"

"Looking for you?" His attention was back at the Ekans as some visible vapors curled off the top of his body. The yellow markings on his front brightened, something he did when embarrassed or frightened. "What makes you think that?"

"Well you say you've felt lousy the past few days," he pointed out. "But I caught your scent only hours old in my territory. And you're the only one of your kind around Vermillion as far as I know, so it couldn't have been anyone else. So, it seems you were looking for me."

"Huh. Guess I can't fool you on that. I felt like talking to somebody and you're the first one I thought of." He got quiet.

"What do you want to talk about?" Elliot finally said after a while of awkward silence.

"You know why I'm the only Koffing around here? My Trainer kicked me off his team. Over the winter, I've been looking for a new Trainer."

"It's not going well then?" While Elliot didn't care to join the humans, he knew a lot of his peers wanted to. He wouldn't argue against them. Although, he would miss Kevin if he was captured.

"Not exactly," Kevin replied oddly. "I was caught quite a few times. However, every single time, I was immediately released."

That didn't seem right. Humans were capturing Pokemon just to let them go? "Why? That doesn't make sense."

"I didn't understand it myself, but the last time, a week ago, I found out a reason. The boy who caught me was excited that he had a new entry for something he called a Pokedex and ignored me completely at first. Then he said that he didn't need me any more and released me. Apparently they just want some information and nothing else."

"That doesn't seem like humans I've met before," Elliot said. "Maybe this Pokedex is some new fad thing. Humans like fads, but they never last long." He knew about fads because he'd once been trapped unwittingly near a group of female humans having a picnic. While he hid under a bush to avoid notice, they talked continually about how important it was to keep up with the latest fad. As he'd listened to the conversation, the whole concept of fads had struck Elliot as dumb. Why change yourself constantly to keep up with some vague far away fad leader?

"Maybe. Or maybe I am just a lousy Pokemon."

"You aren't lousy," he replied. "You're nicer than most Pokemon I know."

"I might seem that way to you, but nobody else will stay around me. You're the nice one."

"I wouldn't worry about what the humans say and do. They're so hard to predict as it is." He dropped down and slithered around. "Why don't you blow yourself up? You always say there's nothing like a good explosion to cheer you up. And it looks like you could use it."

Kevin gave a negative sign, shaking back and forth slightly. "I don't feel like blowing up today."

"Are you sure about that? You look like you're stuffed, or dense, whatever your kind says about it. It probably would help."

"I don't think so. If I'm not a good Koffing, then I shouldn't have the right to self destruct."

Normally, he'd flick his tongue out as a sign of challenge. But Elliot managed to hold back his regular responses. "If you won't make yourself explode, then you're definitely not a good Koffing. Come on, do it. Or are you that weak?"

"I am not weak," Kevin countered, finally showing some of his usual pride.

"Well then prove it. Make an explosion loud enough to get the attention of the human Trainer you want."

"Okay, I will. But you'd better back off."

Nodding, Elliot slithered to the edge of the clearing. He turned in time to see the Koffing's body condense, then release all his stored gasses in a clamorous explosion. A cloud of dark violet hung in the air for a minute; it would have knocked the Ekans right out if he had been in range. Right under the toxic cloud, grasses went into shock trying not to be killed by the poisons. As the breeze started to clear the area, Elliot came back in to find Kevin deflated. His body looked odd like that, a collapsed gel-like sack that was almost fully see-through.

It only took a minute for him to breathe back in enough air to fully inflate himself again. "Phew. I guess I was holding a lot in."

"You feel better now?"

"Yeah, I shouldn't be worrying too much about the humans. Thanks Elliot. If there's anything I can do for you, just ask."

"I'm just helping you as a friend, Kevin." The Ekans lifted his violet scaled body off the ground again. "Although, if you could help me stake a good claim around this forest, that would be a great thing."

The Koffing lifted himself an inch off the ground and grinned. "Sure thing. What kind of place do you have in mind?"

...

Ekans Fire Red entry: A common sight in grassland, etc. It flicks its tongue in and out to sense danger in its surroundings.

Emerald entry: Getting up close to a Koffing will give you a chance to observe, through its thin skin, the toxic gases swirling inside. It blows up at the slightest stimulation.

 


	138. Mewtwo, Mew

The night was filled with lights, enough to drown out the stars. They were on long strands, in paper lanterns, from small torches, in many colors, in many forms. Illuminated in those lights, there were strands of paper flags, streamers, ribbons, balloons, paper dolls, and many other shows of festivity. It was a midsummer fair for a rich town, and no expense had been spared.

There was even a graceful Ferris Wheel in the center of the festivity, taking earthbound riders up to see the brilliant lights and decorations from high above. But up there, they missed something. Behind some brightly colored tents, someone hid and watched the Ferris Wheel in action. Mewtwo was tall and bipedal like the humans, but he was clearly a Pokemon and would have been noticed if he were out with the crowd. Not that he would have joined the noisy crowd for any reason. His temper wasn't feeling very generous with them tonight.

As he watched the Ferris Wheel in action, he made motions with his fingers, corresponding with thoughts and calculations going on in his mind. "taking out by Extrasensory…" he mumbled.

"That won't work unless you Meditate a bunch of times first," a voice on his left commented.

Jerking away from the voice, Mewtwo went to glare at… nothing. There was no one behind the tents with him. Or so it seemed. A poke at his right shoulder and a girlish giggle gave it away, though. "Don't do that to me, Mew," he hissed.

"Awww, but why not?" she asked, still not showing herself.

"I thought I told you not to bug me anymore," he grumbled.

"I don't know if I was listening then or not, so I couldn't say." As she spoke, she began to resolve from her invisible state. First her round blue eyes and small smile, then her small pink body and long slender tail. Also appearing was a large puff of bright orange cotton candy that was as big as Mew's body. Holding the white stick in her tail, she offered it to him. "Want some cotton candy?"

"No," he said flatly.

"More for me then," she replied cheerily, tearing off a strand to eat. But she didn't float away.

"And you wouldn't know what I'm doing now," Mewtwo stated.

"Yes I do," she said. "You're trying to sabotage the Ferris Wheel and cause a great big ruckus. But it won't work with just Extrasensory on the bolts."

"You don't know that," he said, trying to hide his surprise that she had guessed right.

"Oh puh-lease," she said indignantly, putting her hands on her hips (more or less). "I play tested the whole entire universe, so I know how every single move works. At your current power level, considering the forces in Extrasensory, considering the welding strength of the material in the Ferris Wheel, you're not going to remove those bolts unless you Meditate a bunch of times. And when you do get them out, the Wheel's not going to go rolling off in a violently comical fashion. Its structure isn't that sturdy on its own, so it will probably collapse in the middle of the fair."

"I knew that part," he insisted, brushing off that she had guessed his plan. "But that works just as well."

"Why are you trying to break it down?" she asked, tearing off another gossamer strand of orange candy. "I haven't figured out that yet."

"They're making so much light and noise that I can't sleep," Mewtwo complained. "All this fuss over nothing."

Mew laughed and clasped her hands together. "Aw, why be such a grumpy Grumpig? It's a fair. Have fun, like me." She then stuck her cotton candy against her face, getting orange sugar sparkles all over.

"No thanks." He tried to get back into his previous train of thought and wound up recalling something she'd just said. "And what do you mean that you play tested the whole universe? We don't live in a video game."

Putting on mock wide eyes of shock, she asked, "We don't?"

"You can't test a universe. It just… runs on its own."

"Well that's because I tested it first. I was given every possible move and every possible Pokemon that could be, and then told to try breaking the system. I was given all of time in a fraction of a second to do it in, so I remember bits and I remember the whole thing. During that testing phase, I had loads of fun and crashed the universe fifty jillion times. We were able to figure out who should or shouldn't get which moves, why, and what glitches were about. Ninety-nine point nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine nine percent were fixed." She paused her talk to eat some more candy.

"There aren't universal glitches," Mewtwo said. However, the idea did intrigue him. If there was one that he could exploit, that would be helpful.

"There's a few minor ones still about," Mew said, then licked some sugar off her paws. "But they require such odd sequences of actions that it's highly unlikely that they would be set off by accident. Like this one crazy one: at a certain time of morning, if you talk to someone seven times older than you, like a ten year old talking to a seventy year old, and then immediately use Fly to go north or south a certain amount of space, and then immediately use Surf but stay really close to an island, you'll trigger the appearance of a Pokemon that should not exist. That Pokemon… hooo boy, that one caused so many crashes and glitches just by its existence that we decided that it couldn't be allowed life. It's kind of sad, but then good since the universe is stable without its presence. But since it was an idea, there is that slim chance it can come into the world still. We couldn't fix it without causing bigger problems."

It was strange. But should Mewtwo try that, he was fairly certain that the others would catch him at it. As she said, it was too specific of a circumstance to claim as accidental. "So you had the idea of every Pokemon to ever exist to work with, huh?"

"Yup," she said cheerily. "Including you! I still do, actually, as I kept copies of the DNA of every single one of them in my body. And I can still access all but the forbidden powers, although not all at once anymore. Oh, but the most fun was when I was trying out the powers of Giratina!" She pulled off some more cotton candy and twirled it.

"Dimensional powers?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I wound up skipping out of the young universe and winding up in others. Some were such fun. And on this one jump, I wound up at a concert of the greatest band of all the universes ever ever ever! The Beatles!" She squealed so loudly that it made Mewtwo's ears ring.

"Aren't they…?" Mewtwo started to ask, rubbing his head.

But Mew started prattling excitedly. "They were so awesome and their music was so great! I used the combined powers of Dialga and Palkia to stalk them to bunches more concerts, to buy all their records, tapes, CDs, videos, and such, and I even got the autographs of all four on the White Album record. Oh my gosh, they were so amazing that I almost didn't want to return back home, but I had to, so I bought a few devices to play my collection on and brought them all back to let all the others hear."

"They're a band in our world, though," he finally said when she stopped in a happy smile.

"I know," she said. "And I saw to that, although I didn't have to help it that much. Great music just is, you know? Like great candy!"

Mewtwo crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I've been thinking about that. That cotton candy was as big as you are. Do you really intend to eat the whole thing?"

"Well I offered to share it," she said sweetly, taking another strand to eat. "But you didn't take it. Might as well not let it go to waste, you know."

"You're an idiot," he said sharply. "I don't care about your past health, but if you put that much sugar into that little body, you're going to suffer for it. And that particular color of orange, it looks like artificial coloring at work, one that is believed to make some children and Pokemon sick. If you have the DNA of every Pokemon, that coloring agent might make you sick."

"But I might also be immune to it," she pointed out. "And cotton candy is sooooo good. You sure you don't want any?"

"I'm sure, but I'm also sure that you shouldn't eat that whole thing."

Mew laughed. "What, are you concerned about me? Mewtwo, I'm touched."

"I'm not," he scowled. "But I don't want to see you get captured again. That caused enough problems the last time you did."

"I wouldn't worry about that. Not everybody is an evil mad scientist." She ate another strand, looking thoughtful. Then her body went transparent, leaving her eyes and smile bright. "He-ey, somebody's coming this way. You might want to be careful." She was gone to just her blue eyes and broad smile again, then completely went invisible. Including her cotton candy.

Annoyed, Mewtwo flew up to the top of the tent and hovered there while some groundskeeper used the area to shortcut his work path. He moved carefully to find a better hiding spot, a tricky task since he didn't know how to go invisible like Mew. He considered again just going out and flinging fireballs and anything else in his arsenal at the disruptive humans. Although he'd ignored them for several months, this flashy and noisy fair was just too much. But destroying the Ferris Wheel, the biggest thing in the fair, would be so satisfying that Mewtwo decided to keep trying.

In the next hour, he considered a dozen ways, but discounted all of them. The best one seemed to be the Extrasensory method, but he didn't want to use it because Mew had suggested how it would work properly. He didn't want her to be gloating to it about him afterwards. But then, why had she suggested it? She usually tried to block him from hurting humans. Maybe the sugar had gotten to her already.

Mewtwo had come upon a new plan that seemed promising when, without any warning, he was warped from the spot he was hiding to the middle of the largest path in the fair. He tensed as he realized that the area was filled with humans who were looking at him in puzzlement and curiosity. Clenching his fist, he considered an attack, but a loud cheery laugh stopped him. Mew glided in front of him, still holding onto the cotton candy stick, even though the candy was now gone.

"Mew," he hissed angrily.

"I told you," she crowed in a sing-song voice. "I told you there were still glitches in the universe. I just caused one to bring you here!" She laughed and twirled around. When she stopped, he could see that her limbs and tail were shaking.

Just to see, he mentally checked her vital signs. She had eaten that entire piece of cotton candy, and now her body was going frantic in trying to deal with all that sugar in her system. She was rather close to the point of collapse. Sighing, he said, "One would think that if you've lived as long as you've claimed, you would have some sense in that pink head of yours."

"Sense?" She laughed, then clapped her paws. "Banish all sense! Let it be!" A bright flash emerged from her body and struck all of the witnesses who could see the pair.

But it wasn't a standard blinding Flash, Mewtwo noticed. It seemed to dazzle the witnesses so much that they immediately forgot what was happening in front of them. "I didn't mean that exactly."

"All you need is love, love," she sang, then floated shakily over and bopped him on the head with the cotton candy stick. "You shouldn't be so mean all the time. It's not nice, not nice. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you. Whatever, whenever… and all the lonely people…" her mental signs grew fainter as she spoke, and then she passed out.

"You are absolutely crazy," he muttered. He had half a mind to just leave her there. She had brought this suffering on herself, after all.

But then, a lot of his troubles and suffering had started when she had foolishly let herself be captured. Not everyone was an evil mad scientist, but they were out there. Not wanting another disaster coming from a repeat of that, Mewtwo took Mew and teleported miles from the fairgrounds, to find some distant place to keep her safe.

...

Mewtwo DPP entry: A Pokemon created by recombining Mew's genes. It's said to have the most savage heart among Pokemon.

Emerald entry: A Mew is said to possess the genes of all Pokemon. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the point when I had covered 50% of all Pokemon! Wheee! And then they announced the release of Black and White…


	139. Dratini

Two men and a Pokemon walked between a group of small ponds scattered in a grassy field, stirring up autumn leaves as they went along. The younger one, much younger, probably around twenty, wore a dark blue cape that was always worn by the ancient Dragon Tamers Clan. "We were worried initially about your plans for this Safari Zone," Lance said. "But I do see that you have taken special efforts to support natural conservation through this organization."

The older one, the Safari Warden who went by the nickname of Slowpoke, gestured out to the ponds. "I think the modernization of our nation needs to pause for a bit and take steps to ensure that we do not overrun the wild. No good will come out of killing Mother Nature."

"Right." His attention was distracted for a moment as his Pokemon, a white and blue Dratini that was longer than his Trainer was tall, rubbed against his leg. Lance rubbed the Dragon's head, smiling.

Warden Slowpoke chuckled at this. "You know, they say that Dratini used to live in these parts. Their eggs would hatch underwater and the young ones would keep together for safety. But then Fuchsia was founded and more and more humans came into the area. The Dragons became cautious, eventually abandoning this area altogether."

"So I've heard. And other factors have killed them, so that none in the wild remain. There's only the ones raised by the Clan left."

"It's a shame. We don't want any more Pokemon getting into that state of near-extinction."

A ripple in the water sounded by them, but the three paid it no heed. If they had, they might have noticed that a female Dragonair had come up briefly to look at them. She and two other females had been deterred from their previous spawning place, but the ancestral memory of this one remained. They had found a way here and would shortly find a way back to the ocean.

Nature was stronger than mankind realized.

* * *

 

After a winter of being frozen in the small pond, the Dratini eggs hatched. There were nine of them, all white and blue, all around two feet long, with rounded noses and no ornamental frills. They soon went out to explore their home, finding underground tunnels to other ponds and perhaps even the ocean. But when the days were over, they all came back to the pond where they were hatched, to sleep together as a group.

It had to be a group, with no clear-cut leader. They were weak and relied on numbers to survive. Unfortunately, it didn't always work; one of their pack got dragged out of the water screaming as a predator managed to get a hold of her. The Dratini had to remain equals, until they were strong enough to stand up for themselves and to take claim to true leadership.

As the Safari Zone staff made sure that there were plenty of eatables in the ponds for the other Pokemon, the Dratini pack never went truly hungry. And so they grew quickly, getting to five feet and beyond as autumn came again. Growing meant shedding, however, as their developing bodies pushed out against the rigid scales that were their main means of defense. One male fell to another predator just after he had shed, before he had time to solidify a new skin.

So a different male was cautious as he swam just below the water's surface. His scales were cracking and his body felt the stress as mild but widespread pain. But there had been a human walking about some time ago. Was it gone?

When he looked again, he saw no humans. Only a Heracross, who wasn't interested in eating a young Dragon. So the Dratini came out of the safety of the pond and quickly found a rough rock to rub against. He used that to peel the oppressive old skin off his body. It was tough work, considering that he had five and a half feet of body to free. After some time, he had managed to get rid of the dead scales.

But as always, it wore him out. The Dratini lay down by the rock for a while, trying to rest but also trying to be wary of any predators. A ripple from the pond showed that one of his pack mates was watching out for him. However, none of them wanted to come out of the water if they didn't have to. It was too dangerous and they still didn't have sufficient strength to move quickly without the support of the water.

There was another ripple from the pond. This time, his peer poked his head out of the water and made a quiet call. Humans were approaching. The other Dratini then dove back underwater to safety.

The recently shed Dratini felt alarmed. He had not encountered a human directly, but ancestral memory told him that he did not want to encounter one directly. Still feeling sluggish, he slithered into a patch of tall grass. He was too tired to make it back into the pond right away. Instead, he would have to hide here and hope.

What came down the path then was a middle-aged man and two boys. They were on the other side of the pond, thankfully. One of them asked, "Gramps, can't I have a Safari Ball to catch something? At least to try?"

"No Red, neither of you has your Trainer's license yet. You came along as observers, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. So when can we get our licenses?"

"Don't be so impatient," the grandfather said, in a warm but patronizing tone. "You'll both get your licenses in the spring when you both are ten. And I'll keep my promise about the starter Pokemon for you both."

Red looked disappointed. "Aw, but I turn ten in a couple of weeks. It's your fault for having such a late birthday, Blue."

"It is not," Blue retorted.

"Calm down, boys. I want things to be fair for you both."

"Sure enough, Professor Oak."

Although he crossed his arms over his chest in a grumpy manner, Red said, "All right, Gramps." Then he muttered something under his breath.

The Dratini felt collected enough that he could reach the pond now. He slithered into the waters, grateful for their cool feel on his tender skin. After some resting on the bottom, he would have a full set of scales again. His peer clicked an assurance that he would be closer this time, more protective.

Above the water, Blue stopped by the small pond. "Hey, was that a Dratini?"

"Don't be an idiot," Red said. "They don't have any Dragon types here."

"But there was something like that going into the water."

The other boy waved dismissively. "It was probably some Tentacruel or a mirage. Sheesh, you need to get your eyes checked."

However, Blue did find the shed skin that the male Dratini had left behind. As the Professor's volunteer observer, he made notes on it and took a small scrap of it as proof. Red was still mad at him, though, for making him wait to get his Trainer's license; he made sure that Blue's notes and samples got conveniently but accidentally damaged.

* * *

 

The summer was hot. The Dratini pack was over a year old now. As they were now old and strong enough to fight off the predators, they were now old and strong enough to fight amongst each other to find out who would be the pack leader.

At least, the three males were. The four females still thought of each other as equals, and they would as they would go off into the ocean. The males were learning their ritualized battle for earning mates and power later on in the ocean. As it was, the genders had already separated to give each other space.

Today, though, the skirmishes were over something else. There was a tantalizing smell coming from the land above the pond. It wasn't like anything the Dratinis had encountered before. However, the scent made their tongues eager and their stomachs wanting. It was some kind of very desirable food. As it came from above the pond with the males, they squabbled with each other as to who would get first claim at the food.

The shortest male realized, after a few rounds, that he was unlikely to get first claim, or any claim, to that food. That is, if he were to rely on only his strength to get it. He swam out of the way of his peers and curled around so that the tip of his tail touched his nose. It was a sign of passiveness, of acknowledging his peers' strength. The two of them lightly thwacked him with their tails, in a normally humiliating gesture.

But he remained in a passive posture. He gave the other two praise calls. However, he was only supposed to give a praise call to one of them. Giving out two caused them to glare at each other in a spiteful manner. They both claimed the praise and soon were battling each other to decide once and for all who was the superior Dragon.

Pleased that his ploy had worked, the short male swam upwards and came out to check out the food scent. It looked unfamiliar too, a pack of rice with fish meats and kelp leaves. The Dratini gave it an experimental sniff and lick. Nothing warned him of poison or other badness, so he ate the rice thing.

He missed a Safari Ball being thrown at him.

* * *

 

The shortest Dratini was inside a building with no open source of water and a heavy scent of humans. He curled up against a wall and watched warily. Oddly enough, he remembered the boy who had captured him. It was that one from last autumn, when he had been nearly seen after shedding.

"I knew that I had seen one out here before," Blue explained. "And those shed skins aren't the same as an Arbok's. So when I read this recipe that the Dratini line loves, I used one as bait, and finally got my proof."

"It is amazing," Warden Slowpoke said. "But I hope you have enough time to give him the attention and training he needs. This one seems truly wild, uncertain of humans."

"I can do it," the boy said with a confident smile.

The Dratini didn't know what was going on, but he knew that his life would never be the same.

...

Dratini DPP entry: It is called the 'Mirage Pokemon' because so few have seen it. Its shed skin has been found.


	140. Drifblim

It was a gray dreary day, at least by most opinions. Small raindrops pattered down through the leaves, on the benches, across the lake, off the Drifblim's elastic skin. Although a steady wind pushed him around, his large purple ribbons were wrapped around a secure wooden sign that warned human hikers of wild Pokemon on the pathways. Although it was dim and dreary, it was still daytime. The Drifblim dozed, not entirely asleep.

The various patters of rain could have lulled him to sleep, he considered. There were the plops of the drops hitting leaves, the plips of drops hitting the lake water, the pluffs of the drops hitting his skin and echoing through his balloon body interior. Even though the raindrops were cool, it was soothing too, running down his sides and off his ribbons. And since he wasn't resting near a city, the water had a clean scent, washing away anything that had stuck to him in his travels. He wasn't a ghost of eternal rest, but he could get a temporary rest given by the rain.

Unfortunately, a shrill voice broke the serenity of the rain. "Mom, there's another one!"

Drifblim came alert to that. He caused his body to vanish. When he opened his eyes to look around, there was a pair of humans, a boy and a woman. Even with his limited encounters with humans, he could tell that this pair was overdressed for a walk in the park. Most humans in the wild areas he spent the days in wore simple clothing, maybe layers if it were cold. This pair had fancy shirts, fancy jackets, fancy pants, fancy shoes, fancy hats, and even fancy matching umbrellas. The woman was a great deal frillier than the boy, but his outfit had several different stripe patterns. And despite the rain and mud, they seemed perfectly clean and bright.

The woman looked at Drifblim, where the boy was pointing. "What is it? A Water Pokemon?"

"No, it was another one of those balloon Pokemon," the boy said, glaring at where he had seen Driflblim. "I want one."

"If I knew what these balloon Pokemon were, I'd give you one," the woman said, giving him a reassuring pat on the hand. "But why don't you get an Eevee? I know a breeder, so we can get one easily."

"I don't want an Eevee; I want one of those weird balloons that disappear."

"Or a Magby," she tried. It seemed like she was trying to humor him, but couldn't give him the vanishing Drifblims. "I hear Fire-types are quite popular with boys your age."

"But I want a unique Pokemon! Can't I have a Pokeball to capture one with? I'm sure yours could make them appear. That one was right on that sign there."

"You should get a real Pokemon," the woman said, but she immediately winced as she realized that had been the wrong thing to say.

"You never do what I want!" the boy shrieked, starting to bawl noisily. It was of the precise tone to be as annoying as possible with no real hurt involved.

Feeling the shriek shake his skin, Drifblim winced and tried to pull himself to behind the sign. Although it blocked his sight of them, it didn't block the noise that well. The woman tried to calm him down, but had no authority to her voice. "That's not true," she told him, sounding flustered. "We'll get you whatever Pokemon you want, but I've never heard of this balloon one you've been talking about."

Drifblim hummed to himself, trying to block them out. Eventually, the woman managed to drag the child away. He focused on the raindrops for a while, in order to forget the interruption. When things had calmed down, he became visible again and dozed off.

* * *

 

As the clouds blocked out the entire sky, the only sign of sundown was an increase in darkness. Drifblim knew it instinctively, though. He opened his eyes and focused his mind. While he did so, he noticed the spoiled boy had come back, this time with a Growlithe. They were trying to sneak up on him.

When it became apparent that he saw them, Growlithe nipped at the boy's jacket and tugged. "I don't think this is a good idea, young master," the canine said. "We should leave him be."

"Get down," the boy said, pushing Growlithe away. Then he grinned at Drifblim as if he had already won. "I've got you now! Even if you vanish, you're mine!"

Drifblim vanished anyhow, not quite ready to take off for the evening. The boy ran over and grabbed where he had seen the ribbons. Since the Pokemon could see them, he let go of the sign and let the wind move him towards the pathway. He took great care to avoid brushing against the boy.

"Growlithe, sniff him out," the boy ordered.

"I belong to your mother, not you," the canine replied.

Although humans couldn't understand Pokespeak, the boy figured it out. "Do it or I'll tell Mom about who's been digging up her garden."

"Oh fine." Growlithe sniffed around, then caught the balloon Pokemon's scent. He grabbed one of Drifblim's ribbons in his mouth, wagging his tail.

"Excuse me," Drifblim said, "but I have to be going."

Shaking his head, Growlithe let the boy take the invisible Drifblim's ribbon. "Sorry, but I've got to do as he says, or he'll whine horribly."

"I've got you!" the boy shouted in triumph, jumping up. "Now show yourself."

"That's not a proper reason," Drifblim said, making himself visible again. No point in continuing to hide.

"Everyone does what the young master says, even my real master," Growlithe replied.

"You're coming with me," the boy said, taking out a Pokeball.

"I won't," Drifblim said. Then he began heating up his interior. _You're coming with me,_ he said telepathically. He flicked the Pokeball out of the boy's hand, latched onto his other wrist, then lifted them both off the ground.

Immediately, the boy began struggling. "Hey, let go of me! You're gonna get arrested for this!"

Growlithe barked and hopped up, but Drifblim was already caught by the wind. "What're you doing?"

"Showing him what's it's like to be taken. I'll put him down a ways off; I don't think that I could stand him for long."

He continued warming up, lifting them above the tree line. Below them, Growlithe yelped and followed, getting the woman's attention. The night air was cool and the rain was letting up, letting a mist grow off the lake. It was quite peaceful and beautiful, the kind of place that Drifblim liked.

However, the boy didn't share the same sentiments. He struggled, thrashing about trying to get rid of the ribbons. "LET ME GOoooo!" he ended the last word in a shriek that reverberated through Drifblim's body.

 _Don't do that,_ the balloon Pokemon said. _It bugs me. Anyhow, look down._

"Then I won't stop," he screamed with his face contorted in rage. But then he did open his eyes and look down, only to realize just how high up they were.

 _That fall could kill you. Do you want to be let go right now?_ He related his thoughts calmly, giving no hint that he wouldn't actually drop the boy to his death.

The boy quieted down to a whimper. He gripped the ribbons tighter and tried to make himself more secure. "You're an evil Pokemon," he grumbled.

_What for?_

"Taking me away without warning. You're going to be in deep trouble for this."

_Weren't you trying to take me away without warning? Without permission?_

"That's not the same," the boy said, starting to go into a whine.

_How so?_

"People capture Pokemon all the time."

_We Pokemon allow you to capture us, if we want to. I do not want to be captured._

Over the rustle of the trees, Drifblim heard a call. There was another violet Drifblim rising into the air. Further along, there were a number of Drifloons and Drifblims, all rising up into the night sky. The nearest Drifblim called out telepathically, _Aren't you a little old to be kidnapping children?_

 _I'm giving him an object lesson,_ he replied. _Do you think we should take him along?_

 _Ooo, yes!_ one of the Drifloons called out happily. _We might get this one to cross the barrier._

The boy pulled the ribbons close in; he was turning tense in fright. "Where are you going? What barrier?"

 _We are going to the realm of the dead,_ the Drifblim holding him said. _Sometimes we can cross the barrier between realms with humans in tow. Would you like to see the River Lethe, where the dead come to forget about life and leave it all behind?_

He shook his head hard. "Noooo! I'm not dead!"

 _I told you not to scream, or I'll drop you,_ Drifblim reminded him. _At any rate, I'm a Ghost Pokemon. I can take the living to the realm of the dead if I want._  
_  
You can't cross the barrier with an unwilling person,_ the other Drifblim pointed out.  
  
_Right. I suppose I'd better let this one go._

"Don't drop me," the boy said, turning quiet in fright.

Instead of doing that, Drifblim cooled his interior down, letting them drop gently to the ground. They came to the parking lot and were met by Growlithe and the boy's mother. Drifblim let the boy go so that he only fell less than a foot. Despite the lack of risk, he still made a fuss and burst into tears.

"When did you sneak off with my Growlithe?" the woman said, closer to scolding but not quite there. "I told you to stay at the cabin."

"I was trying to catch it and it caught me," he wailed.

 _Next time, listen to your mother,_ Drifblim said. He had a suspicion that his attempted lesson might not affect anything. At least he'd tried.

Before the woman could capture him, Drifblim warmed himself up again and rose back up to join his kin on their nightly journey.

...

Drifblim Platinum entry: At dusk, swarms of them are carried aloft on the winds. When noticed, they suddenly vanish.


	141. Girafarig, Ledyba

Jenny stamped her hoof down. "No, I am not going back over there to check out some scent you've picked up," she insisted. "Not after that mess you started with the stinky Gloom the other day. I've had just about enough of trouble from you."

She wasn't answered exactly with words, but it was something like, "Gnash, gnash," in a grumpy annoyed way.

"You're an idiot and we both know it," she retorted.

A Sentret near her fluffed his striped tail and asked, "What did you say about me?"

"It wasn't you I called an idiot," Jenny said. "It was my tail."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Um, your tail?"

She nodded her yellow head. In the meantime, the little black head that was stuck to her tail turned its beady little eyes at the Sentret and showed off its sharp pointed teeth. "Gnash, gnash."

"It's a horribly tempered brutish little beast," the Girafarig said sharply. "And it's got no reason going on in its little bitty brain cell."

"That's too bad," the Sentret said, although his honest thoughts were more along the lines of 'too weird'.

"I know you think it's too weird to grasp," Jenny stated. "Just be glad you don't have to live with a demi-sentient extra brain in your tail."

"Uh-huh," he said, then decided it was a good time to move on. As he went past Jenny, her black head lashed out and got a good chunk of his brown fur.

* * *

"Huuu nmmmm," Sam the Ledyba mumbled, stretching his six legs outward. He felt a good deal better after that restful night's sleep; the previous night, he had been kept awake for all hours of the darkness by a Noctowl that had been looking to make one of his swarm a midnight snack. Last night, they had been left at peace.

He got up and flexed his spotted shell out, to stir wakefulness into his wings. The sun was shining clearly today. Once he was fully alert, he could go look for some dew to drink, then find out where his swarm was thinking of heading. However, there didn't seem to be much dew this morning. The sun was high overhead, so it should be sparkling off the green grasses, and the red shells of his brethren.

No, the sun was too high. It was almost noon. And he didn't see a sign of red anywhere.

Sam froze up in fright. Where was his swarm? Had he overslept enough that they had moved on already? What did he do now? He'd never been separated from his swarm before. Too scared, he stayed right where he was. Maybe they would come back. Some days they did return to where they had slept. Other days, not.

Overhead, a Butterfree flitted around, looking for flowers. A Pidgey flew at it, but missed. The tan bird searched for it, or an easier prey. For a terrifying moment, it looked right at the Ledyba. It either wasn't interested or wanting the Butterfree, as the Pidgey moved on.

Every motion around him caused Sam alarm. The swaying of the grasses could either be the wind or things sneaking towards him. Any sound, even if he knew it, could be an unknown danger. However, he was too scared of being alone to run. A Bug had to be with a swarm, not alone.

A yellow Pokemon with long legs and a long neck walked by. It was snuffling along, chewing grass. It was nothing dangerous to him, but it could be covering for something dangerous. Waiting for it to pass by anxiously, Sam continued to hold perfectly still. But as it was almost past, its tail suddenly grew fearsome jaws and snapped at the Ledyba.

"Eeeee!" Sam squealed, falling off the rock he has slept on.

"Oh, what now?" Jenny asked in annoyance. "Can't you just leave me in peace for a day?"

Sam trembled as it turned to him. Even though the evil tail jaw was away from him, only a terrible Pokemon would have just a terrifying tail. His throat went dry as he wished again that his swarm had not left him alone.

"Oh, it's just a Ledyba," Jenny said. She brought her head down and sniffed. "A scared one at that. You shouldn't be spooking little Bugs like him."

"Gnash, gnash," the tail replied.

"You can't just chomp at any smell you think is interesting." She smiled at him. "Sorry, Ledyba. I'm Jenny, a Girafarig. Your name's…" she tilted her head in question.

"Krrruuu," he said softly.

"So you're Sam, huh? Yeah, I can understand you Bugs. Comes in handy, even for me. I'm sorry about my tail. I know it's crude and scary, but I'm kind of stuck with it. So what're you doing?"

Feeling that the front half of this Girafarig was friendly enough, Sam rubbed two of his forelegs together and shifted his pheromones. He was alone, having overslept on accident. He didn't know where his brethren in the swarm were and he was too scared to leave this spot.

"Oh dear," Jenny replied. "It must be dreadfully disorienting to be without your swarm. I thought it was odd seeing one of you by yourself. Do you want some help in finding your swarm? You're small enough, so I should be able to carry you on my back."

Sam tensed again. Wouldn't that put him close to that evil tail again? No way he was going to travel near that thing.

Disappointed, the Girafarig lifted her head. "Well, I don't blame you for not trusting my tail. I don't trust it most of the time."

"Gnash, gnash," the tail retorted.

"If you had some real brains, maybe I would," she taunted back. "I'll take a look around anyhow. Maybe I can tell them you're still here." Jenny trotted off, careful to not let her tail too close to Sam the Ledyba.

He hid in the grass and stayed there.

* * *

Despite giving her word to try, Jenny knew she was facing a daunting task. A swarm of Bugs didn't seem hard to miss. Then again, their minds were simple, so simple that her telepathic searches didn't always recognize them. Sure, maybe a stronger Psychic, or one that wasn't dual-typed, could have located the swarm faster. But a pure Psychic would have more reason to stay away.

She supplemented her mental searches with pauses to listen and sniff around. Ledybas had a strong language of scent, so one could often smell them before seeing them. Also, there were certain habits to the swarm's movements. If Jenny had actually paid them more attention before, she might have figured it out herself.

"Gnash, gnash, gnash, gnash," the tail said eagerly.

"What do you smell now?" She thought about it, then focused on her tail's mind. It too was a simple thing, so she couldn't always tell what it was thinking. "The swarm?"

"Gnash." It seemed to be giving an affirmative response.

"Well good. Where are they?"

"Gnash!"

Jenny sighed. Of course it was going to be difficult. But she wanted to help the lost one. "Okay, okay… would you please lead me to them?"

"Gnash." It gave her some mental proddings to head up the slope to her right.

Following its directions, she picked up on the swarm's scent herself. She tracked them down to a small stream. The Ledybas were split between those who were keeping watch and those who were eating, bathing, or drinking. As she approached, the guards became alert.

Jenny lowered her head, hoping not to completely spook the timid Pokemon. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I wanted to tell you that one of your brethren got separated from you this morning. Sam is back where you slept last night. You ought to go pick him up; he's scared witless without you."

The swarm was indecisive for a moment. Some were concerned about Sam; their scent clearly referred to him. But then, others weren't about to trust a stranger, especially not one that wasn't one of them.

"I'm not trying to trick you," she insisted. "I was just worried about Sam. A little guy like him, and the rest of you, ought not be alone."

That convinced them. A small group of five separated from the main group to go looking. To Jenny's surprise, her black tail did not snap at them when they went by.

She turned around to follow the group, just in case they got in trouble. "Well, I suppose you can restrain yourself from time to time. Have you learned to be polite now?"

"Gnash!" It was giving a negative response. It had just decided to be restrained this one time.

"I suppose some things never change." She trotted after the group of Ledyba, to make sure Sam got back with his swarm.

...

Girafarig Heart Gold entry: Its tail has a small brain of its own. Beware! If you get too close, it may react to your scent by biting.

Ledyba DPP entry: It is so timid, it can't move if it isn't in a swarm with others. It conveys its feelings with scent.


	142. Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Bellsprout, Weepinbell

The sunshine was perfect, casting golden light over the forests, brightening all the spring colors, and warming the lands back to life. Benny the Bulbasaur was so happy about it that he was sprawled out in the front yard, drooling slightly through his smile as he slept. With spring finally here, he could spend all day soaking up sunshine into the pale green seed on his back. The more energy he absorbed, the sooner the seed would turn into a bud, then a flower. When he had his flower, he would be fully evolved and powerful enough to rule the whole town. And then he would use that rule to sprawl out in the yard and soak up more sunshine.

Aaahhhh…. Life was good.

Hours passed and eventually the sun began to go down. Benny woke up and stretched his short legs. On his back, his seed felt warm and energetic. He felt energetic as well. Once he'd gotten all stretched up, he broke into a run across the yard. He rushed right into the neighbor's yard, then the next neighbor's yard, all the way to the end of the block. When he got there, he tore around in a wide curve and zoomed back to his yard and into the next yard over when he ran into her.

She was much like him, a squat four-legged Pokemon with spotted blue-green skin. While he had a small pale green seed on his back, she had a large dark green bud growing there. His older sister, Eva the Ivysaur, watched quietly as Benny tried to stop, tripped over his front paws, and tumbled several times to land at her side. "Playing superhero again, are we?" she asked dryly.

"Not playing," Benny insisted. "I am a superhero! The Green Flash, rushing off to the rescue! When there's trouble, I'm there on the double."

"Except when it's sunny," Eva pointed out.

"Trouble doesn't come when it's sunny out," he said, scratching behind his ear. When an idea came to him, he stopped to stand up on his hind legs excitedly. "Oh, oh, and I'm going to go off on a rescue soon. I'll be back by nightfall, maybe. If the trouble's bad, I might be late. So don't worry unless I'm still gone tomorrow."

"What kind of rescue are you doing?" Considering the trouble caused by his past capers, she didn't want to be involved, but knew she'd better be. Someone had to keep this young 'hero' from wrecking the neighborhood.

"It's a big one, my biggest yet! I saw it on a news report this morning. You know that tower in town? I heard that there's a Pokemon princess trapped on top of that tower. She's said to be beautiful and graceful, but she's kept in the tower by a Pokemon monster who eats the heroes who come to rescue her by chopping them into little pieces. So I'm off to climb the tower and rescue the princess."

"What about the monster? Won't it chop you up too?"

Benny shook his head, then extended it back along his body. "Nah. I'm a superhero, so I'd be too tough to eat."

"If you say so." She doubted he was telling the truth, but her little brother probably wouldn't recognize it as a lie. He let his imagination run away with the barest of suggestions into wild and crazy adventures. "And this was on the news?"

"Yup, and if it was on TV, then it must be true." He spoke with a foolish certainty.

And that foolishness was sure to cause trouble. "And while you may be a superhero, you're just a kid. How are you going to beat a monster Pokemon that has a habit of eating heroes?"

"Because the Green Flash is the most awesome unbeatable superhero of all! You just watch; I'll come right back with a princess at my side."

Before Benny could rush off, Eva took a step into his path. "Hold on. I think I might go with you, just in case."

He jumped and landed on all fours. "Really? Awesome! Then you'll be my trusty sidekick, the, um… we'll think of a good super name for you. Come on, let's go."

"I'm older than you," she said as she started along the path to Sprout Tower (the only tower in Violet City). "I can't be your sidekick."

"But I'm the superhero," Benny pointed out, skipping alongside her. He wouldn't stoop to walking, not as the hyperactive and energetic Green Flash. "I can't be a sidekick."

"Well then I'll have to be your mentor. I am coming to watch out for you, after all."

The Bulbasaur grinned. "Cool, I have a mentor now! What're you gonna teach me, huh? A hero's honor or how to kick bad guy butt?"

"No. Today, we will learn how to observe and assess a situation."

His grin vanished. "Aw, but that doesn't sound heroic. The Green Flash rushes in and saves the day before the evil one can take root. He doesn't have time to observe."

"Well then he might make a mistake, which could cost lives or make him look bad."

"Oh." He slowed a bit, thinking on that. "But superheroes don't make mistake. That's why they're super. They can do whatever they have to in order to beat the bad guys."

"But who are the bad guys? Have you considered that?"

"Well, they're…" he thought it through. "They're the bad guys. They do bad stuff."

"But if you're always rushing about, how do you know they're bad guys? That is why you must learn to observe."

"I guess," he relented. "But then we can rush in after the bad guys, right?"

"If that's what's needed, then yes."

"Cool. But can we hurry up now so we can get there to observe before night falls?"

"We're at a good pace," the Ivysaur said. "Besides, wait until you have a bud on your back instead of a seed. It weighs more than it looks."

"I'll still be super fast when I evolve," Benny boasted. "And the Green Flash will only grow stronger, never slower!"

During that talk, they had walked through Violet City to arrive at Sprout Tower. It was a large wooden building that was taller than any other in town, even the Flying-type Gym. There were humans in and around the building, but they were respectful to the pair of Pokemon, greeting them kindly. One even got the front door for them when they showed intent on entering.

"Well these people are polite and kind," Eva noted. "They show no intent on harming or stopping us."

Benny gasped. "Oooo, so it's a trap? Bad guys are only nice if they're making a trap for the heroes. We ought to be ready to fight at a moment's notice."

"Maybe. Or maybe they're not bad guys, just nice guys."

"But they have a princess held captive at the top of their tower. Nice guys don't do that."

"We must observe and not jump to conclusions. Or else you would be a false hero, and you don't want that. Right?"

"Right." He was starting to sound bored.

As they came to the staircase to the second floor, they came across a different pair of Grass Pokemon. One was a Bellsprout, with an extreme slender body of bare stems and roots holding onto a large flower head. The other was a Weepinbell, who was almost entirely its flower, with just a few leaves and a stem hook. While the former stood at the bottom of the steps, the latter was hanging by its stem hook from a nail on a post.

"What are you strangers doing here?" the Bellsprout asked, crossing its thin arms over its thin chest.

"We're here to defeat you bad guys!" Benny shouted before rushing at the Bellsprout.

Without looking worried, the Bellsprout bent its whole body to the left, so that Benny kept going and crashed into the stairs. "Excuse me? Bad guys?"

"I'm sorry about him," Eva said. "He's a little enthusiastic and needs to learn to be observant instead of jumping to conclusions." After giving him a sharp look to enforce her words, she went on. "He wants to see the princess of the tower. I'm here to keep the damage to a minimum."

"The princess? That's fine so long as you get to the top of the tower before night falls, when we go to sleep. Go on up, but please don't attack anybody on the way."

Benny hopped back over to his sister's side. "Huh? We can just go up?"

"Sure thing. This tower is open for all to visit."

"What do you do here?" Eva asked before he could protest, probably about them going against his exaggerated dreams of rescue and heroism. Or about them setting up a trap.

"We live here with the monks and teach them about our ways," the Weepinbell said from its hanging post. "To enjoy the sun, to relax when there's no danger, to soak in life. Humans are complicated creatures and we teach them to uncomplicate. Thus it has been for many generations of 'sprouts."

"That's good of you," Eva said. "But we'd better get to climbing so we can get to the top."

"May you have many sunny days," the Bellsprout said as he moved aside.

Benny and Eva climbed up the many floors of Sprout Tower, looking for the Pokemon princess. They met with many Pokemon on the way, mostly Bellsprouts, but a few Weepinbells as well. Like the first two, they greeted the Bulbasaur and Ivysaur warmly, not blocking their progress. Benny's puzzlement over this behavior got him to focus on the monster part of his story. "I'm gonna prove my superhero worth by beating that monster."

"If it requires beating," Eva said.

On the top floor, they found another Bellsprout and another Weepinbell. The Bellsprout was noticeably different than the rest. She was green with a darker stem like the rest, but her skin had an almost magical sheen to it. With her eyes bright, she was one of the most beautiful Grass Pokemon that either of the 'saurs had seen. "Are you the princess Pokemon?" Benny asked, awed.

The Bellsprout nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm Princess, the rising star of the new Johto Contest circuit. Surely, you've heard of me? My latest media report was just this morning on the news."

"Yeah, I heard you were stuck up here guarded by a monster Pokemon," Benny said, still holding onto his fantasy.

She put her stem hands to her face. "Stuck here? Certainly not. I love it up here. When the winds blow gently, the southern deck is a wonderful place to soak up the sun. And the sun makes me even more beautiful. I am guarded by a monster, though."

"Really?" The Bulbasaur perked up to this.

"I'm called Monster," the Weepinbell said. "I'm currently the strongest Pokemon here. The monks say that if they can get a hold of the proper stone, they'll chose me to evolve first, so I can better guard Sprout Tower and all the 'sprouts that live here, not just Princess."

"But do you really chop up heroes to eat them?" Benny asked. "I heard that about you."

"I'm not sure where you heard that, but no," Monster answered. "Not heroes, anyhow. Sometimes we chop up food with our leaves, if it's too big. Our mouths don't have any teeth, you see." He smacked his lips, then opened them up briefly. There were no teeth, as he said.

"Aw man, I thought I could follow my superhero duties by rescuing Princess."

"I wouldn't need rescuing if it came down to it," Princess said. "I can fight too, and if I really got stuck somewhere, I can spit acid at the door. Even if it's made of metal, that'll give me a way to escape."

Seeing that Benny looked disappointed, Monster said, "It seems you have much to learn, young hero. Know who is an enemy and who is not. Keep at your lessons and I'm sure you'll save the day in time to come."

That cheered him some. "Yeah, I'm learning good stuff from my mentor here. Well I'm gonna keep training so that I just don't save the day, I save the world! It's the Green Flash!" He then rushed away, fumbled at the top step, then rolled all the way to the next floor down.

"And there he goes again," Eva said affectionately. "Thanks for playing along with my little brother. He may be a pain from time to time, but he means well."

"I know how it is," Monster the Weepinbell said. "And you're welcome. Come back any day you like. It's nice to have visitors."

"Sure thing. Good night." Eva then turned and walked down the stairs. Benny was upside-down, looking dizzy. "Come on, little hero, let's go home."

...

R/S/E entry: Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. There is a seed on its back. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger.

Ivysaur Leaf Green entry: When the bulb on its back grows large, it appears to lose the ability to stand on its hind legs.

Emerald entry: A Bellsprout's thin and flexible body lets it bend and sway to avoid any attack, however strong it may be. From its mouth, it leaks an acid that melts even iron.

Weepinbell Soul Silver entry: If its prey is bigger than its mouth, it slices up the victims with sharp leaves, then eats every last morsel.


	143. Victreebel, Linoone

In the dark deadly depths of the darkest dark jungle of deepest part of the deadly Amazon jungle, there lived a fearsomely dangerous Pokemon that devoured the dimwitted denizens. It hid amongst the lush undergrowth, deviously looking innocent and harmless. It wafted a deceptive but delicious smell of most delectable honey. Drawn in by the drifting fragrance, the dumb victims would come right up to the dark maw of the devious beast, only to be snatched up by darting vines and downed whole to meet their deadly end, where they would melt away like delicate morsels of delightful delicacies. This dramatic deadly Amazon Pokemon was called Victreebel.

But not all Victreebels lived such daring and dashing lives. This one lived a drab and dreary life. In the dowdy suburbs where dozens of houses were directly copied of one another, he lived at a dusk orange house at the end of the drive. Because his Trainer had small children, he was disallowed to eat anything other than premade food packs that looked like dehydrated insects partly digested by a Ditto. This disenchanted Victreebel was called Carl.

Carl's days were invariably exactly the same, save for details. He would get up right before dawn to pester his Trainer into waking up. Once Mr. Grumpy got himself some coffee and got rid of the drowsy bleariness of morning, he opened the door so Carl could go outside. The Victreebell would then drag himself by his vines down the lawn, then over the white picket fence so he could hang near the sidewalk. An hour later, two of the kids would come out all dressed for school to wait for the bus. They would attempt to tease him with prodding and dancing, but he would stoically ignore them. Once they were gone, he had some time to himself.

Not for long, unfortunately. Other Pokemon of the neighborhood would come out to enjoy the day, singing, playing, chatting, dancing. Carl, who was even grumpier than his Trainer, would grumble to himself and daydream about devouring the more annoying ones, savoring the definite meatiness of them. He couldn't actually do that, but it didn't deter him from daydreaming.

And then, about noon, the most annoying and hated member of the suburban neighborhood would come out to destroy everyone's day. Everything would seem all peaceful and hunky-dory, but then he came out of his home. After a decent stretch and a moment of adoration for the sun, he strutted onto the sidewalk and…

ZOOOOOOM!

A white and gray blur would barrel down the sidewalk, heedless of any drifters or pedestrians. Pokemon fell over themselves to get out of the way; unlucky ones were scattered like bowling pins, or trampled underfoot. If it was trash day, empty cans were thrown into the deserted streets with metallic or plastic clamor. If boxes or any debris were on the sidewalk, they too would be scattered to the winds. No one and nothing on the sidewalk was safe.

Carl would hear the chaos first. When the little devil would rush right by his hanging spot, the Victreebel would shout curses and demand respect. However, the runner would keep going past the last house, then make a direct ninety-degree turn to catch the next street. Minutes later, he'd go dashing by again in an endless loop. The other neighbors would have hidden in their garages or lawns by then, but Carl would not be deterred from his sunning spot.

Not even by Goonie the Linoone, menace to a dopey society.

Day after day, the routine continued. Carl cursed and demanded while Goonie dashed on in diligent ignorance. Despite the routine, the Linoone wasn't always like clockwork. He always ran by Carl's house first at the start of his daily run, but then it was unpredictable when Goonie would show up next. Sometimes his route was simply a short loop, while other times his route dared (thankfully) around other suburban streets.

Carl tried to do something about it. He tried to spread poison spikes on the sidewalk. When Goonie dashed by, he somehow missed all of them and blew them away. Carl's Trainer was not happy when he stepped on the spikes in the yard that evening. Another day, he spit acid at the pest. Goonie ignored the damage, what little managed to hit. Carl's Trainer was not happy about the dissolved section of sidewalk.

And then one day, Goonie did not appear.

Carl waited until two, growing dreadfully paranoid of getting rushed. But then it was apparent that the dummy wasn't going to run today. Delighted, Carl dozed off in the sunlight, drooling little drops of honey-scented acid. While his Trainer yelled at him for ruining the paint job on the fence, the Victreebel didn't care. It had been a great day.

And so was the next day, and the day after that. Goonie did not show up to be a running disaster area. It was such a great change that Carl wasn't even disturbed by the neighborhood kids playing Dodgeball and such things on Saturday. If Goonie had died, that was fine. It was more likely that he had moved to Denver, or some such far away place. So long as he was far from Carl, it was perfect.

On Sunday, Carl was dawdling on his fence as usual when a number of little girls came walking down the sidewalk. They were singing some dazzling some about the days of the week while dragging along. He pretended to doze off, so that they didn't bug him. But then he opened his eyes enough to see what they had in their daisy-decorated red wagon: Goonie the Linoone, with his front legs all bandaged up. Someone, probably these girls, had doodled get-well wishes on the casts.

Carl made his top flap ripple, then looked to the girls. "What are you doing with him?"

"We're taking him on his daily route," one of the girls said. "He got in an accident the other day and got double hurt in breaking both legs. Since we didn't see Goonie yesterday, we went to see his Trainer this morning and offered to take him out."

"Oh? What kind of accident did you get into?" It wasn't a deadly one, to Carl's dismay.

Looking glum, Goonie's ears were drooped. "It was that Park Drive that got me," he said in a depressed manner. "All the other roads around here are direct and straight, but not Park. It has a doozy of a double-S curve and it can't be run straight. I kept telling myself, someday, I'll conquer that drifting Park Drive. I thought if I made small zig-zags going down that road, I could make it. On Wednesday, I was ready and raring to give it my best. But, it defeated me and I ran into a parked delivery truck."

"So that's how it is. And here I thought you had moved."

The girls all smiled. "But aren't you glad to see that he's still here?" one asked. "As they say, you never know what you're missing until…"

"No, I am not glad!" Carl declared. "Was that why you decided to drag his sorry hide in front of my home? To teach me some dazzle-eyed heart-shaped goody-two-shoes moral? Well no thank you. I am a displaced old Pokmeon who should be in the deepest darkest parts of the dense Amazon jungle drawing in dimwitted dummies like him for my prey. Bah, Goonie wouldn't even last among the dramatic trees and dim undergrowth of the Amazon. He'd ram his skull being unable to dodge all the trees, and he'd do it so many times that he'd get permanent brain damage. Can't you even think to slow down to take that drunkenly designed road?"

"I don't ever slow down," Goonie grumbled densely. "It would be dishonorable to my ancestors and descendants."

"Bah, I don't care. I don't have to. So scram! Stop desecrating my part of the sidewalk."

The girls started at him for a bit, puzzled. "Wow, such a demanding old dodder," one said, making the others laugh.

"Come on, let's keep going," another said. "We can get chocolate donuts for dessert."

After giving a cheer, the girls moved on, taking Goonie in their wagon with them. Carl grumbled and daydreamed of dissolving that dumb Linoone to an itty bitty dot. "Guess I'll have to appreciate these drowsy days while I've got them," he muttered to himself.

And as soon as Goonie recovered, he went right back to dashing dangerously right by Carl's dozing spot.

...

Victreebel Soul Silver entry: This horrifying plant Pokemon attracts prey with aromatic honey, then melts them in its mouth.

Ruby entry: Linoone always runs at full speed and only in straight lines. If facing an obstacle, it makes a right-angle turn to evade it. This Pokemon is very challenged by gently curving roads


	144. Pineco, Forretress, Spearow

The fourth grade classroom was buzzing with chatter. The students were split into two, each group at their own table. As it wasn't time for class to start up again, three were at the teacher's desk up front, examining a Pokemon sitting there. She was two feet tall and one and a half feet across, with no limbs. She did have large steel growths, some squarish and flat, others long and rounded. Although they had looked around her, they couldn't find her eyes.

"Is she sleeping?" one girl asked, gingerly poking at the center crack.

"Ruuu," the Pokemon muttered, sounding like metal fragments were rustling inside her shell.

"Sounds like she's awake," a boy answered.

"But then why's she shut up like this? Hey Pokemon, I wanna see your face."

"Shunk." It sounded negative, but they weren't sure.

"I know how to get her to open up," the second boy said, pulling a berry out of his pocket. "Pokemon like berries. Here, you can have this if you show us your face."

Their teacher came back to the desk. "I wouldn't offer her that in your hand," she warned.

"Huh? Why not? Pokemon don't hurt people."

"Not on purpose. Toss it gently to her."

"Okay." The boy did as instructed. Somehow sensing it, the Pokemon turned a bit, then snapped open its shell to grab the berry. It happened so fast that the only evidence of it was a sudden movement and a loud metallic smash.

The girl stepped back and brought her hands up to her chest. "Wow. Can she bite off your hand?"

"Probably. She wouldn't mean to, like I said."

"But we were trying to see her face," the first boy said.

"I hardly ever see her face. Go on, back to your seats now." After waving them away, she called to the rest of the kids, "All right, class, we're starting a new project today. Since most of you will be turning ten by next summer, you will likely be getting your first Pokemon at the end of school. But you'll need to know how to take care of them. So for this semester, your group will be taking care of a Pokemon. You will all need to show responsibility in this project, and take turns bringing the Pokemon back to your homes when school is over. Are you ready to do this?"

"Yes Miss Jensen," the class said, although many of the students were too excited to really think about responsibility. They were getting a Pokemon to care for! A few were already trying to figure out ways to make sure that he or she would get to take the Pokemon home more than the rest of the group.

"I hope so. And before you ask, you're not getting my Forretress here." She patted the Steel Pokemon sitting on the desk.

The Forretress made her metal rustling sound again.

"Today you're going to meet your group's Pokemon and we'll be learning about both of them. Whoever shows the best understanding in your group will be able to take the Pokemon home tonight." Miss Jensen then came out from behind her desk with two Pokeballs. "The east group will have Spearow and the west group will have Pineco."

Although she released the two Pokemon onto the two tables, she kept the balls for now. The east table got a small brown and red bird with short wings and a large stubby beak. He looked over the group with keen eyes, then hopped over and pecked at one kid's notebook. Over at the west table, there was a bluish Bug that looked much like a pinecone, only larger that a normal cone. He also looked over the kids, but didn't move from his spot.

"Spearow is a Normal Flying type Pokemon," the teacher said, walking back to the chalkboard and beginning to write these things down. "And Pineco is a Bug type."

"So that means Spearow would beat Pineco in a fight," one of the boys at the east table said, a little excitedly.

"Josh," she reprimanded.

"Oh, sorry," he said quieter, about speaking out of turn.

"Both of these Pokemon can evolve," Miss Jensen stated. "These two are young, so it's unlikely to happen by the end of the semester. Do you know what they evolve into?" She turned to the group and picked one of the raised hands.

"Spearow evolves into Fearow," another boy said.

"That's right. And what about Pineco?"

The hands went down, as the children weren't certain what it turned into. The Forretress on the desk shook a bit and chuckled in her steely way. In imitation, the Pineco shook and chuckled in a way that was more like grass rustling.

"They know," Miss Jensen said. "Pineco evolves into Forretress. You can see this in how Pineco and Forretress are often found in the same trees. Now what do you know about Pineco?"

A few more hands went back into the air, eager to impress. The first girl called on said, "My dad says to never climb a Pineco tree, cause if you disturb them, they'll all fall out and explode."

"That's true. They do this to scare predators away."

"Will this one explode too?" she asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Krrrr?" the Pineco asked.

"He shouldn't," Miss Jensen answered. "If he does learn that kind of skill, you should be careful of what he does with it. Of course, you should be careful with any kind of Pokemon skill. Their abilities are often greater than our own." The Forretress gave a quick clank of her shell halves, as if to remind a certain three of what she could do. "What else?"

"He tries to look like a pinecone with his shell," another girl said. "But he's too big for that."

"That is one way to look at it," the teacher said. "But it's also to defend against bird Pokemon who would peck at him, as the shell is tough."

"Is that how he evolves into that?" a boy asked. "Cause he makes his shell tougher so the birds can't get him no more?"

"Right. Now, what about Spearow over there? What do you know about him?"

The boy who was called on said, "I've seen them out in fields before. They hop around on the ground and flap their wings, but don't fly. I think they were playing some game."

"Maybe. But they also hunt for bugs, mostly the non-Pokemon ones, by stirring up the grass the bugs hide in. So what does that tell us about how to feed a Spearow?"

"Let him scatter it all over the floor?" one boy asked, getting some giggles from his classmates.

"I don't think your parents would approve of that," Miss Jensen said.

"You should let the Spearow hunt in the grass for bugs?" another boy asked.

"That's right. Some Pokemon need to be fed with dishes, while others need to be allowed to hunt. And some others, mostly the Grass Pokemon, take in sunlight more than they eat, so they need to rest in the sun for some time every day without being disturbed. What else do you know about Spearow?"

"They have super sight," a girl said. "You can't fool a Spearow with Sand Attack."

"Correct. That is their innate ability, known as Keen Eye."

The lesson went on and the kids were allowed to interact and examine their group's Pokemon. They didn't know it, but Miss Jensen was watching them for more than just deciding their grades. In this project, she was gathering information on who she should recommend to receive an official starter Pokemon from the region's professor. There were many other factors, and none of the kids in her class might make the final cut. But when most of them would get their first Pokemon from their parents, one of them might just be picked to get the special rare starter of their choice at the beginning of summer.

...

Pineco D/P/P entry: It looks just like a pinecone. Its shell protects it from bird Pokemon that peck it by mistake.

Forretress Emerald entry: It keeps itself inside its steel shell. The shell is opened when it is catching prey, but it is so quick that the shell's insides cannot be seen.

Spearow Heart Gold entry: It flaps its short wings to flush out insects from tall grass. It then plucks them with its stubby beak


	145. Lopunny

It was a big day for the Lopunny. In the past, that usually meant some important Contest, like the Grand Festival. Especially the Grand Festival. He would have spent weeks with his Coordinator practicing moves, dances, flourishes, acting, walking, everything, in order to put on the best show that they could. However, he was retired now. Most days were spent at Floraoma's Flower Shop, charming the customers and showing off available accessories. Today was different. Today was Easter Sunday.

In some ways, it was a bit embarrassing to be playing this silly role for kids. But they liked him for it and he got to dress up again. This year, it was a classy red Cool Scarf tied around his neck with a white lily pinned to the knot. He also had white leather shoes and white gloves, giving him a faithful and purity look. That made up for having to swallow his pride for this event.

After the church service, there was a potluck lunch. The Lopunny ate carefully so as not to get messed up. The salad of early spring greens was very good, although he never understood why humans would ruin something like that by adding creamy or oily dressings. In his opinion, salads just needed lots of vegetables and lots of color. No disgusting dressings or musty meats.

Much of the Floraoma residents and visitors gathered outside the Flower Shop after lunch. Since he was something of a star of the event, the Lopunny stood on a chair right up front. He observed the kids who were restlessly waiting there, eager to set off. A few came up to him out of curiosity; he put on his best smile and played the charmer for them. Although it wasn't quite as important as treating Contest judges nice, he did this out of an honest desire to make them happy. It was fun to be admired and special, even for just one day out of the year.

The owner of the Flower Shop rang a bell for attention. "Hello, and thank you all for coming out to this year's Easter egg hunt! We give you all a warm greeting, especially our master of ceremonies, Peter Cottontail."

"Wuurroop!" he called out, getting a cheer from the crowd. Years ago, he used to feel slightly bitter towards his original Coordinator for giving him such a childish name. It took being traded to someone else, which unfortunately stuck him with the name, to finally be comfortable with evolving to a Lopunny. These days, Peter didn't mind it so much.

"Peter has been up since early this morning hiding gift eggs for all of you to find." Actually, it had been him and the three women who worked in the shop hiding the plastic eggs, but they never took credit for it. "He worked very hard, so there are plenty for all of you to find out in the meadow. Some of them have candy and small toys inside. Others have a slip of paper for which you can receive a bigger prize with. And the grand prize of this year's hunt is a Pokemon egg so your family can have a special Pokemon to love and care for!"

Now that part of this year's hunt, Peter didn't agree with so much. It wasn't his own, as it had come from a generous breeder who lived in another town. Even so, he didn't want the egg to go to just anybody who happened upon the big prize egg. Being a Pokemon, he couldn't really argue that well with his current owner. But he could stage his protest in another manner. For the moment, he called upon his years of competing experience to look upbeat and complacent.

"So kids, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" came an excited chorus. Some kids hopped up while others waved their colorful baskets.

"All right then, when Peter rings the bell, we'll begin." She handed the Lopunny her bronze school bell. "Whenever you're ready, sweetie."

'Ko?" he asked, lifting his ears and giving his best, 'what am I supposed to do with this thing' look.

The owner smiled. "Oh yes. You should all say please so you may begin."

"Please?" the kids asked, looking to him. Some even asked "Please may we look for the eggs, Peter?" A few of the older ones just smiled or looked annoyed to be treated in this way.

"Waarroo," he replied to them, and rang the bell merrily. The kids cheered and ran off into the flower filled meadow to search for the hidden eggs.

"You have such fun with this, don't you?" the owner asked him, patting him gently on the head.

"Koo." He handed the bell back to her and hopped off the chair. Peter had his own agenda today, and for that, he needed to be hunting with the kids. But not for any eggs.

Now, which kid would be suitable for raising a new Pokemon?

Before long, several kids had come up to him asking, "Peter, where's the big prize egg?" He just shook his head or, if the child was particularly stubborn, he pointed by spinning around. Some showed an egg they found and asked, "What's the prize in this egg?" He merely shrugged. They weren't to be opened until after the hunt was done.

He found one teenaged boy who was moving around with a crutch. His left foot was all bound up in a cast. From the smell of it, it had been on for some time. The boy smiled when he came over, but didn't call to him. "Hey sis, Peter's come over to say hi."

"Oh, really?" A young girl appeared out of a bunch of tall flowers, carrying a blue basket. She grinned widely when she saw him. "Hi Peter! You're such a pretty Pokemon." She came over and hugged him.

"Werrro," he replied. Actually, he was master of coolness, but he wouldn't argue with a little kid about it.

"I'm live way over in Solacence," the girl said when she stepped back. "But my big bro came back from his journey and brought me here for the holiday!"

"Yeah, well I'm not making it all the way up to Snowpoint like this," he admitted. "But I was planning on bringing her out this way anyhow."

"Weh." He patted the boy on his right leg. It was a nice deed, indicating a nice person. Maybe this one.

He looked around some more and found a pair of teens, a boy and a girl. "Oh, this is not silly," the girl said. "It's fun. Can't enjoy this kind of thing for much longer, you know."

"I'm only doing it because they have some nice prizes up for the taking," the boy replied.

"And chocolate," the girl added merrily.

Maybe not. About that point, he got grabbed from behind. "I got you!"

Peter squealed and kicked out his right leg to knock the boy down. He then slipped away before he got dragged down too. Years of learning to move with the grace required for Contests made it look effortless. Grumbling, he rubbed his ears where he had been snatched. Out of anything that could bother him, he hated having his long ears roughed up the most.

"Ow… what was that for?" the troublesome boy asked.

"He's probably asking you the same thing," one of the Flower Shop workers said as she helped him up. "You have to be careful with a Lopunny's ears."

Not wanting to bother with this one anymore, Peter hopped along to check on the other kids. There were some he felt were good, while others didn't seem caring. By the time the hour long egg hunt was over, he was back on his chair, waiting for the crowd to come back in. The kids were already opening the colorful eggs, trading candies, and wondering what other big prizes there were.

The Flower Shop owner nodded, so Peter picked up the bell and rang it again. "Okay, now it's time to give out the big prizes," she called. "Who has number 5?"

A young girl raised her hand, holding the slip of paper. "I do!"

"Great, then you get a Silver Glitter body paint, suitable for Contest decorating or your own makeup." She handed the girl a small round container containing the paint. "And who has number 4?"

A boy got a Pokeball cushion for having number four. Number three, a teenaged boy, got a special Easter Flowers backdrop for use in Contests (he took it with a gracious smile, but didn't look so grateful as he went away.) For number two, a teenaged girl got a set of five Great Balls, all with pastel seals for a festive look. Then finally,

"And who has the lucky number 1 and our top prize?"

Nobody raised their hands. Peter put his paws to his mouth to hide a smirk. Of course no one had found that egg. He had to watch out for the little Pokemon. In the crowd, the kids grew puzzled. Some double checked their eggs, just in case one had been left unexamined.

"Oh dear, so no one found that egg?" The shop owner looked down at him. "Peter sweetheart, you've done your job a little too well this year."

"Waawroo!" he declared, then reached under his red scarf to pull out a special gold egg. He held it up for the crowd, and his owner, to see.

"He hid it very well," one of the other workers said with a laugh.

Hopping off his chair again, Peter went into the crowd of kids. He went up to the boy with the broken foot and offered the egg to him. "Koo chah."

"Oh, for me?" he asked, taking it in his right hand. "Thank you." He opened up the egg, which had a chocolate candy egg and a slip of paper that was marked '1'. Out of the whole group, Peter liked this one's attitude best, taking out some time to do something for his little sister. "This has the prize slip."

"That's not fair," another boy declared. "He didn't really find that one."

"To wah choo!" Peter countered.

Fortunately, a Kadabra was with one of the kids there. 'He says that he wanted to make sure that the egg got to a good caretaker,' the psychic translated.

"I suppose we shouldn't argue with the instincts of a Pokemon," the shop owner said as Peter hopped back onto his chair. "So you get our special mystery egg. No one knows what Pokemon will come out of it, but be sure to treat it well, no matter what it is."

"Sure enough," the boy said.

Peter felt confident that he would keep his word.

...

Lopunny Platinum entry: The ears appear to be delicate. If they are touched roughly, it kicks with its graceful legs.


	146. Dusclops, Mime Jr.

In the forest of Gizzagaroo, there lived many Pokemon of many kinds. There were Hoppips that went hop. There were Bellsprouts that went sprout. There were Blastoise that went blast. And there were Wurmples that went wurmp.

When it was night in Gizzagaroo, there was also a tall Dusclops that slunk about in shadows. Dusclops could eat anything. He would turn to smoke, move over the object, and absorb it straight into his body. He ate rocks, bushes, signposts, plates, cars, trash cans, spoons, anything. And when he ate something, it vanished entirely. If you looked into his mouth, you would see nothing but air.

Dusclops also had another power, which was hypnosis. He would wave his hands in a spooky way and look into the other Pokemon's eyes with his single red eye. With that eye, he could see right into a Pokemon's soul. It would startle the Pokemon, but then lull it into a strange sleep. Dusclops could then make the other Pokemon do whatever he asked it to do. If he asked it to jump, it would jump. If he asked it to give up a berry, it would give him the berry. If he asked it to do the Bam-Shazam dance, it would do the Bam-Shazam dance. He chose to use this power to keep other Pokemon from bothering him too much, as he was easily annoyed.

When it was day in Gizzagaroo, there was also a small Mime Jr. that danced about in dandelions. Mime Jr. could dance like no other Pokemon in the forest. She twirled around on one toe, changing directions as she pleased. She could do the splits. She could jump and turn many times. She could dance a waltz, a jazz, a rock, a roll, a disco, and a Charleston. No matter how much she danced, she never got dizzy and she never fell down.

Mime Jr. also had another power, which was mimicry. She would see what a Pokemon would do and copy it right as the other Pokemon was moving. She was like a living mirror, moving exactly in sync without being told so. When she did this, Pokemon were fascinated. They would watch her mimics, amazed that she could do such things. She could hop like the Hoppips and sprout like the Bellsprouts. She could blast like the Blastoise and even wurmp like the Wurmples. When she used this power, she used their moment of awe to run away, as she was a shy creature.

For many days and many nights, Dusclops and Mime Jr. never met. When he stopped slunking, she started dancing. When she stopped dancing, he started slunking. It seemed that they never would met ever. But there came one time when they did meet.

It was morning. Dusclops was trying to find a quiet place to stop slunking and start sleeping. Mime Jr. was waking up and stretching for her daily dances. In the clearing by the great Nimbo tree, the two Pokemon nearly walked into each other.

They both stopped and looked at the strange Pokemon before them. The tall Dusclops thought that he had found an annoying little creature who would keep him awake. The small Mime Jr. thought that she had found a scary big creature who would hurt her badly. Because of this, they both decided to use their powers to drive the other away.

On one side, Dusclops looked down into Mime Jr.'s eyes with his one red eye. He brought his hands up and passed them between their gazes in a strange and spooky way. He focused his power on hypnosis.

On the other side, Mime Jr. looked up into Dusclops' one red eye with her two black eyes. As he did, she brought her hands up and passed them between their gazes in a strange and spooky way. She focused her power on mimicry.

And both Pokemon succeeded.

Dusclops was startled that this small Pokemon could do exactly what he did at exactly the same moment. His startle turned to wonder and he looked down at her in fascination. What would she do next? He wanted to know so he could watch.

Mime Jr. was startled by this tall Pokemon's power, even as she mimicked it. Her startle turned to a lull and she watched up at him in obedience. What did he want her to do? She wanted to know so she could do it.

However, both were caught up by the powers and couldn't do a thing. They were both hypnotized with fascination. They stayed where they were and watched each other.

And watched.

And watched.

And watched.

And watched.

And watched.

And watched.

And watched.

The day went on, but neither of them moved. Other Pokemon in the forest of Gizzagaroo saw the two standing there watching. But none of them could do anything to break the spell. The Hoppips hopped between them, but could not break the gaze. The Bellsprouts sprouted around, but could not get the attention of Dusclops or Mime Jr. Not even the Blastoise blast nor the Wurmple wurmp could do anything. The two Pokemon stayed there, watching each other for their next move.

Finally, the night came and a Kricketune came upon the scene at the great Nimbo tree. "What has happened to these two?" he asked.

"They have been standing like that all day, staring at each other," a Blastoise said.

"Nobody can get them to stop," a Wurmple added.

"We don't know what happened," a Hoppip said.

The Bellsprout might have said something, but it had fallen asleep right as the sun had set. It fell asleep every night, so it had not seen Dusclops before as well. Bellsprout snored.

Kricketune looked over the pair, then nodded. "I shall try something." He put his legs together wrong and rubbed them together.

SKREEEEEEEEEECH!

It was an awful horrible sound. Kricketune could play the most beautiful of melodies with his musical legs, but he did not want to right then. In order to break the spell, he played the most horrible of discords that he could think of.

Every other Pokemon in the area cried and covered their ears from the awful sound. That finally broke the spell between Dusclops and Mime Jr., as they also cried out against the noise. "Make it go away," the small Pokemon said in fright.

"What did you do that for?" the tall Pokemon said in anger.

"You got caught on each other's power," Kricketune told them. "I saved you from being stuck here forever."

They were not very happy with him. Mime Jr. cried such pitiful tears that every Pokeon watching felt sorry for her and angry at Kricketune for making her cry. Dusclops attacked him with such force that the Bug was thrown into the great Nimbo tree. After that, they went their separate ways.

But they knew of each other now. When Dusclops and Mime Jr. meet in the forest of Gizzagaroo, they smiled politely at each other and passed on by. Dusclops knew that she would not annoy him and Mime Jr. knew that he would not hurt her. And so the great stare-off of mimicked hypnosis never happened again.

...

Sapphire entry: Dusclops absorbs everything, however large the object may be. This Pokemon hypnotizes its foe by waving its hands in a macabre manner and by bringing its single eye to bear. The hypnotized foe is made to do Dusclop's bidding.

Mime Jr. Diamond entry: It habitually mimics foes. Once mimicked, the foe cannot take its eyes off this Pokémon.


	147. Trapinch, Vibrava

Trapinch had a very important duty in the village. When spring came, the grounds unfroze and rockslides would block the passage to the main road. Rockslides also happened after summer storms, or natural quakes, or someone's tantrum with Earthquake. When that happened, he got up early to clear the rocks from the road. It was easy for him. He had a great big jaw that was bigger than the rest of his body, and it was strong to boot. He could grip rocks and toss them out of the way. If they were too big, he could simply crunch it to smaller pieces. The road would be cleared and everyone would be happy.

Well, most everyone.

Staraptor and Pidgeot were laughing at him. Just a few moments ago, he had been clearing the road yet again. Then one of this pair, he wasn't sure which one, had dived down at him, grabbed at his body, then flipped him upside-down. Now he was quite stuck. The jaws that made him so proud also made it hard to flip himself back upright.

"Will you two quit doing that?" he asked angrily. "Who's gong to clear the road now?"

"Why should we care about that?" Staraptor asked. "We'll just fly over that bit of rubble."

"What about the rest of us?"

Pidgeot laughed. "Well if you're gonna complain about this, then you're all a bunch of sissies. Sissies!"

"And you're the loser who just does whatever the other sissies tell him," Staraptor hooted. "You're not so mighty and important. You're little and funny looking."

A crack of lightning appeared between the two birds, who flew off with angry calls. Before long, Luxio appeared by Trapinch. "Need some help?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks," he replied. She nudged his jaw to roll him onto his side, from where he could swung his feet back to the ground. "I hate those two jokers. Every single time I come out to do my job, they keep flipping me over."

"They're just bullies," Luxio said. "Nobody in the village likes them, but if you antagonize them, they just get worse."

"Cause you're all sissies!" Pidgeot called from far off, getting a hooting laugh from Staraptor.

"And they don't have much of an imagination," Luxio said under her breath.

"But somebody's got to do something about them," Trapinch said. "Or they'll just keep bullying everybody."

"Don't worry about it. They'll get what's coming to them some day."

"Yeah, like the annihilation of this stupid village!" Staraptor called out, getting a squeaky laugh from Pidgeot.

But Trapinch had had enough of those two. He was going to do something about it and he felt he knew what would work. Once he cleared the road for the others, he went back to his house, cleaned up, packed a few things, then set out on the road.

Progress was slow. His legs were short, forcing him to a small pace. As his jaws and head were so large, it got heavy on his shoulders and he would have to stop for a rest. He had no hands, so getting anything out of his pack meant pulling it off and handling everything gently with his jaws. And while he had digging claws, they were best suited for sandy grounds, not clay-filled earth. It took until nightfall to reach his location, the luminous spring just outside of the small village and along the main road.

Throughout the world, there were these places where natural springs appeared, producing not water, but light. A luminous spring would fill the area around it with a cool light, like that which came from the moon. While it was certainly a place of beauty, a spring like this was important for another larger reason. At a luminous spring, a Pokemon could choose to evolve if it was ready. Trapinch knew that he had been ready for a while, but hadn't yet come. Now he had a good reason to.

Nipping off his pack to set it aside, Trapinch walked into the spring of light. "Oh spirit of the light, I have come for your gift."

He became aware that something was watching him, as if someone invisible had stirred at his words. Nothing around him changed, aside from a knowledge that a greater power was there. "Welcome, Trapinch. Are you looking to evolve?"

"Yes, I am." The spirit of light went through the same questions every time, but every Pokemon had to answer them. Interrupting or insulting the spirit would cause it to refuse to evolve anyone until the offender apologized or some gift made by a local leader. Even then, the offender usually didn't get evolved.

"You are strong enough. Do you need anything in order to evolve?"

"No."

"You are honest. Now close your eyes and relax. Let the light envelop you."

Although it was hard to bite down on his excitement, Trapinch closed his eyes and did his best to be calm. He felt a warm sensation of joy come over him. It was so powerful that it caused his body to break apart into dust. But it left his mind and soul alone.

Then his body came back together, changing its form. He grew larger and longer, but a bit thinner. He lost his oversized jaw and gained a pair of long diamond shaped wings. Even his eyes, they went from small and flat to large and domed. With his body, his abilities and capabilities changed. He could do a lot more, including get revenge on those bullying birds.

Eventually, the joy and light let him go. "It is done," the spirit of light said. "You are no longer Trapinch. You are now Vibrava. You have one more evolution possible, but you are not yet strong enough. You must wait two weeks before you may return."

"Okay, thank you!" Vibrava moved, no, flew out of the spring of light. He was able to pick up his pack with one of his legs and use it easily. And around him, the world looked very different. It seemed sharper, clearer, and more colorful. While it was all so interesting, he had one thing on his mind: getting revenge.

Vibrava flew back to his village in a blink, as opposed to taking hours along the road. While he did so, he reflected on the new powers that had been granted to him. Several stood out as good ones to use against Staraptor and Pidgeot. They might still be stronger than him, but he could outwit them.

After looking around carefully, he found the two bullies perched on the roof on the mayor's house, hooting and cackling at something. Maybe just to disrupt the mayor's peace. Smiling, Vibrava flew down along the ground, twitching his wings in a peculiar manner. This stirred up the dirt until it rose up into a sandstorm. It felt like little more than raindrops to him. At least, how the others describe raindrops. He'd never liked being out in the rain.

Staraptor and Pidgeot weren't so tolerant. They tried to shield their heads with their wings. "Gah! Who *cough* stirred up all *cough* this dirt?"

"Some *cough* fool looking for a *cough* beating!" Pidgeot answered. They flew off the roof.

Vibrava saw them, though. "You're getting just what you deserve," he said in a low voice, then rushed at them twitching his wings extremely rapidly. This made a high-pitched hum. His own ears were guarded against this annoyance. Not them, though.

They squalled in pain. Staraptor cursed loud enough to wake up anyone sleeping in the village. "You jerk! Show yourself, coward! I'll beat you down for making this fool racket." He spotted something and rushed at it.

However, he hit Pidgeot instead. "Watch it, you big dummy! Oh my poor ears. Shut up!" He lashed out at Staraptor.

Laughing, Vibrava kept up the irritating hum. The two birds eventually panicked and began flying this way and that, trying to escape the noise and the sandstorm. The newly made dragon chased them around until they found the way to the main road and flew away, never to be seen in the small village again.

Vibrava was quite pleased with himself and let the sandstorm die off. But as he did, he began hearing shouts from his neighbors. "Who the heck is responsible for this?" somebody called. "I've got a splitting headache now."

"Shut up, the noise is hurting me," another said.

"WHO THREW DIRT ALL OVER MY FURNITURE?"

"My skin hurts…"

Then the mayor chimed in. "ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" An angry Earthquake soon followed, centered on his house.

Oops. He hadn't thought that his revenge against the bullies would affect everyone else in the village. Upset, Vibrava flew off to the trees outside the village. He cried himself to sleep.

By morning, he had decided that because he'd done something awful, he should leave. But he wanted to apologize and at least let someone know he would be gone. He flew back quietly and went to the mayor's house.

No one seemed to be up yet, so he knocked quietly on the frame of the entrance. "Um, excuse me, mayor…"

"Come in," he called, a bit groggy. Mayor Swampert was drinking some coffee. "Who're you?"

"I'm Vibrava, was Trapinch. I wanted to say that I'm leaving the village. And, I'm really sorry about last night. I was responsible for the sandstorm and the painful noise. See, Staraptor and Pidgeot were teasing me all the time. They'd flip me over at any chance they got and I wouldn't be able to get back onto my feet until someone came and flipped me back. And they'd tease and taunt me, making me feel like rubbish. So I thought if I evolved, I could do something to get back at them. I left to do so yesterday morning and when I became this, I was so filled with thoughts of revenge that I didn't think that my actions would hurt anyone in the village. So I did something really stupid, and I'm really sorry about it."

"You've apologized twice now," Swampert pointed out.

"I mean it," Vibrava said, looking down. "I'm not much better than those two guys, I realized. So I'm going to leave and try to become a better Pokemon before I come back."

"You did something they never did, and that was accept responsibility for hurting others. So, on behalf of the village, I accept your apologies, and invite you to stay anyhow. The others will know that Staraptor and Pidgeot were responsible for what happened last night."

"Sir? But that's not what…"

Swampert nodded. "The one who did last night's deeds will never do so again here, am I right?"

"Yes sir," Vibrava said meekly. He was glad to stay, but still felt a bit guilty. He wouldn't do anything like that again, certainly.

"All right then, Vibrava-was-Trapinch. Everything's settled… except for one problem."

"What problem?"

"There was a rockslide last night in response to an earthquake. Shame, those things are blocking the road all the time. Not that Trapinch is no longer here, I'm not sure who can clear the path."

"Um, I think I can still do something." He flew out of the house and to the road. While he had been flying, he hadn't even noticed the roadblock. How careless of him.

With some tries, Vibrava figured out that a burst from his wings could cause the rocks to shatter still. After that, anyone with hands could help clear the much smaller gravel bits out of the way. He just had to make sure that no one was around to get a headache from the hum of his wings.

...

Trapinch Emerald entry: Its big jaws crunch through boulders. Because its head is so big, it has a hard time getting back upright if it tips over onto its back.

Vibrava HG/SS entry: It vibrates its wings vigorously, creating ultrasonic waves that cause serious headaches.


	148. Oddish

The normal quiet of the lab was abruptly shattered one afternoon when the front door banged open. "Professor Arboreal!" called the young boy who had entered. He wore a yellow school bag, dark green school uniform, and dirty shoes. "I'm here!"

"Yes, yes, that's quite obvious," a woman's voice replied, followed by a chuckle at his enthusiasm. The middle-aged woman with long black hair came out of her office and into the front lobby. "Good afternoon, Stan. How was school today?"

"Alright, I guess. We had a spelling test. So do I get to have a starter Pokemon and Pokedex now?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't give you those until the end of the semester. You must finish the school term before you can become one of my field assistants."

His excitement died down some as he stilled. "Oh. Well then why'd you ask me to come in today? Did I not qualify or something?"

"No, you're doing fine so far. The truth is, I've had a friend of mine send out some prototypes that need testing. I've used one myself, but we need a variety of people to try them out. Would you like to test out a device that translates the language Pokemon speak?"

Stan's eyes widened. "What, really? Of course I'd love to try it out! Thank you so much professor!"

She smiled. "You're welcome. But remember, I'm only lending this to you for now. There aren't many of these prototypes out, so you need to be extra careful about not breaking it."

"I promise, I'll be careful. Where is it?"

"Come over here." She brought him to a work table where the prototype was sitting. It looked like a white headband with three wires coming off it. On two, there were curved speakers that hung behind the ear, with the audio coming from a small pad. Attached to the third longer wire was a white box that had a slip for attaching to a pocket or belt loop. "We should be able to adjust this to fit over your head. This box here holds the batteries, so keep track of the charge level."

Holding still, Stan let her adjust the band to his head. "It's kind of heavy."

"Yes, but it's a prototype. The working device should be lighter, but we're not sure. It can't rely solely on vocals, you see. Pokemon have a variety of signals to communicate, which is why only highly attentive and trained psychics have been able to understand them so far. There, that should do it. The power switch is on the box. It should work on any Pokemon, but you probably ought to speak to those you know well."

"Right, but I think I know who I want to talk to first. Thanks again." Stan ran out of the lab.

"Be sure to give me a good report on it!" the professor called as he did so.

Right, he should do that. But reports on such things were soon out of his mind as he thought of all he could do with a device like this. He could get Pokemon friendly to him fast if he knew what their complaints were, and get them to be more obedient and loyal. He could be a detective, interviewing Pokemon witnesses when no one else could. Or he could find and talk with one of the legendary Pokemon and become someone really special. This could be awesome.

But first, he had wished that very morning that he had something he could understand Pokemon with. He headed back for school, but stopped at the town library. Sitting on the steps there was an Oddish, a Grass Pokemon with a blue body, small feet, and dark green leaves. This wasn't so strange, as he saw them hanging around some days. What was strange about this one was that it was playing the harmonica.

It had a little tin harmonica that was painted bright green. Using one large leaf to hold the harmonica and two smaller ones to affect the notes, it was still there, playing its instrument. Pokemon talented like this were very rare, but it had resisted being captured by any other kid in town. With this listening device, he might be able to convince it to be his Pokemon.

"Hey Oddish, look at this!" Stan said, pointing to the headband. "The professor says that I can understand Pokemon like you with it."

It pulled away its harmonica and looked up at him. " _Cool, man,"_ it said. " _That could make you real hip with folks_."

Although the words came to his ears clearly, Stan was startled. For some reason, the translator had set this little Pokemon's voice as a deep gravely man's voice. He wasn't sure why. He'd have to tell the professor about that problem. "Yeah. But there's been this thing bugging me all day and that's, why are you playing the harmonica? When'd you learn to do that, and how? It's weird."

" _Music is my passion. Always been, always will be."_ He flicked his leaves back. " _Some squares think they'll catch me and make me battle, but that ain't my groove. I don't care if I stay as little ol' Oddish forever, I will be a cool cat musician, see? And I'll always be a free bird, never taking no money for myself or any punk that would try controlling me. You can't control passion, or music_."

Either the translation device was put at a really odd setting or this was just an odd Pokemon. "I guess not," Stan replied. He gave up on the idea of catching the Oddish for now and just sat on the stairs with him. "So how did you learn to play?"

" _It was destiny, man. On the day I was hatched, I found this little honey discarded on the side of the route. So I picked it up and played with it, as any new 'mon would, and eventually blew my first note with it. It was a bad one, but that was my first kiss with music and I never looked back. I listened to human music and I practiced my green heart out until I got to be as good as I am. I take my little honey everywhere I go; she's like my soulmate_." He curled his leaf around the harmonica, smiling.

"Oh, I see. But it sounded like you were playing sad music earlier."

The Oddish nodded. " _That's right. I'm playing the blues."_

"Why?"

" _Cause I'm feeling blue right now_." His leaves drooped at the thought.

"What's the matter?"

" _Normally I'd say it was none of your business, cause you ain't like me. But I got a good feeling about you. You're not quite as cool of a cat as me, but you're good. Anyhow, I should be holed up in the dirt right now, snoozing the day away. But I can't. The dirt around here seems real nice too, rich and hearty. But there's this wicked poison scent everywhere that I don't trust_."

Stan crossed his arms over his knees. "Aren't you a Poison type?"

The Oddish swung his little feet off the step. " _I am, but there's my poison and then there's that poison. It's everywhere lately. My poison is stuff I make myself, to keep the birds from taking a chomp outta my leaves. This poison came from humans like you. I don't know what it is, but it's not good. Me and some buddies were bushed from our nightly walks a while back and we slept in the soil despite the rotten scent. For me, I got woke up midday by some idjit Ratatta that tried to steal my baby_." He clenched his harmonica again, but defensively. " _I felt off-color and sick. My buddies didn't wake up and got all yellow leafed_."

"So they died?" Stan shuddered. "That's terrible."

" _It is. So I play the blues now, saying goodbye to my buddies and trying to warn any others I run across to not sleep in soil that stinks. But I'm suffering for it now, see? Look at 'em."_ He spread his leaves.

"They're dark and dull," he said, gently rubbing one. It was like a tree leaf. However, he couldn't tell what was wrong with that.

" _Exactly_ ," the Oddish said. " _I should have a nice glossy set of leaves to show off to the ladies, but I've been sleeping above ground and not getting my proper eats from the soil. But this dirt still has that awful stink, so I can't sleep there. It's bad. I'll be trying to walk further away tonight, to get out of this stuff. Maybe I'll keep away from the towns and farms."_

"The farms? But wouldn't they have good soil?"

" _They do, but they also reek the worst! Like last night, I tried cutting across a bean field out there, but I was gagging just walking there. But look, you understand me now. Can you find out what they're doing over there and tell those squares to cut it out? I'm gonna have to leave this area permanently if it sticks, which I won't like. All my favorite spots are on my usual traveling path."_

Stan got up. "I'll see if I can do that. Oh, and we can talk to the professor if you want. I think she said she has another of these. She's really smart and might know what's going on."

In response, the Oddish got up and hopped down the steps. " _Sure thing. Just remember, I'm a lone wolf and I won't be captured_."

"I'm sure she'll understand that. Come on."

As it turned out, the farmers were using a new pesticide on their fields. It took a long while to convince them that it was working too well and affecting the wild Pokemon. But the professor managed it and government officials made an effort to clean up the pesticides that had been sprayed. And when Stan next encountered the Oddish with the harmonica, he was no longer playing the blues.

...

Ruby entry: During the daytime, Oddish buries itself in the soil to absorb nutrients from the ground using its entire body. The more fertile the soil, the glossier its leaves become.


	149. Seedot, Wailmer

Now most Seedots were known to be quiet and peaceable creatures. Some farmers found them to be pests, as they attached themselves to trees and sapped the energy from them. However, the Seedots themselves never killed a tree and would often protect the ones they lived near from harm.

But there was one Seedot that was a lot of trouble. This little guy seemed to have watched too many cartoons, as he found amusement in hurting others. Along with battling regularly, this Pokemon liked to find trees with branches that overhung sidewalks and other paths. He would position himself above the path, hidden by the leaves, and wait with his kind's signature patience. When someone would walk underneath him, he would quickly detach himself and drop onto the head of the unwary pedestrian. He got the nickname Drops by doing this regularly.

At first, it wasn't much of a problem. Drops started out small and light, doing little more than startling his victims. As he grew older, he grew bigger and heavier. People started getting lumps on their heads from the Seedot's antics. They began to worry that soon someone would have to be hospitalized, or maybe even killed. But being humans, most couldn't tell one Seedot from the next. There was talk of removing all of the Seedots from the area.

Of course, the other Seedots didn't like this idea. There were many grand and strong trees along the Route and in the nearby town. They gathered among the bushes to discuss the issue. "Drops is giving us all a bad name," one said angrily. "Some of the humans think all of us are in on it. We have to do something!"

"But what can we do? I've tried talking to him and he doesn't want to listen. He said I was trying to ruin all his fun and doesn't realize that he could kill somebody by hitting their head."

"We could get him captured."

"He teases the Trainers so much. He gets in a battle and pretends like he's going to come along, but then always breaks out of the Pokeball at the last minute and runs away. I don't think he wants to be caught, so we're stuck with him."

"Maybe we can scare him into behaving," one suggested. "I heard that there's a big Pokemon staying in town this week. We could get the big one to make him stop."

"How can we get a big Pokemon to listen to us?"

The Seedots argued some more amongst themselves, but no one had come up with any better ideas. They had been trying for many days now, so all the good plans seemed to have failed. Since her idea seemed to be the only new one, the Seedot went off to find the big Pokemon. While they might be scary, she had heard that bigger Pokemon were often just as friendly as the smaller ones.

After asking some of the pet Pokemon that lived in yards and houses, she found out that the large visitor was in the larger of the two town ponds. The Seedot went over and looked in the water, but couldn't see if any strangers were down in the dark waters. Reaching out with her foot, she tapped the surface. "Excuse me? I'd like to talk to a particular Pokemon, one who's just visiting this pond. Please?"

There was a ripple on the surface of the water, so the Seedot waited. Then, a rush of blue leapt out of the water and landed on the shore beside her. The Pokemon was enormous to her eyes, taller than a human and completely round. Moving its few small fins, it rolled a bit until its black eyes were aimed downward, where she was. "Oh, hello!" the Pokemon said in a feminine voice. "Nice to get a request to be seen. I'm known as Lady Aquis Serenade, but you can just call me Aquis."

The Seedot smiled, trying not to be nervous. "Hi Aquis. I'm just a wild Pokemon and haven't got a nickname yet. But I came to ask you about something."

"Why certainly. Ask away. I can teach you to completely dazzle a whole audience; you're unpolished right now, but you might just be something."

"It's not about that, sorry. I've got this troublesome neighboring Seedot that's causing lots of problems. See, he likes to drop onto people's heads as they pass by. He might even hit your Coordinator." She had to switch words from Trainer at the last moment; thus far, it seemed like Aquis was competing in Pokemon Contests and those Pokemon could get quite irritated if not recognized as such.

"Oh dear, that could be a problem."

"Yes. So far he's just been giving people nasty lumps, but he's growing bigger and could really hurt somebody soon. But we can't talk sense into Drops. I want to scare him good. Do you think you could help, Aquis?"

"Hmm." She rolled back a bit, then forward to make eye contact again. "So he likes to drop on people's heads?"

"Uh-huh. Attaches himself to branches right over paths and aims himself every time. It's never an accident. I always hang from branches that are away from paths."

"Normally I'm not trying to scare people. But it is a part of stage life, to be able to evoke any emotion you need from an audience. This could be quite the interesting performance. Okay, I have an idea. I need you to get a few of your friends together and tell him something."

That afternoon, Drops was hanging over the human walkways as normal. The tree branch bent under his weight and struggled to hold onto him. However, the Seedot wasn't concerned about the tree. He watched the pathway, waiting for some unsuspecting human to walk under him. They always came by, so he just had to be patient.

Instead, another Seedot walked underneath the tree. "Hi Drops," she said. The leaf on top of her stem twitched nervously.

If she would just walk under him, he would give her reason to be nervous. "What do you want, no name stuck-up? Are you trying to tell me to be 'good' again?"

"Um, not really. See, there's been too many bad Pokemon in the world, so the sky is going to break apart and fall on top of all of us."

Drops stared at her, then laughed. "That? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! The sky can't fall down."

"It's supposed to. I'm getting to a safer place. You might want to get out of that tree." She scurried off into the forest underbrush.

"Bah," he grumbled. Then he kept waiting.

After a few minutes, another Seedot came by. "Hey Drops, did you hear? The sky is going to break apart and fall on top of us. And it's all because of dumb Pokemon like you!"

"Do you believe that stupid story?" Drops asked with a hiss. "The sky can't do that. You're all a bunch of paranoid idiots."

"Suit yourself, if you want to be crushed." He went into the undergrowth as well.

Over the next few moments, he heard from three other Seedots that the sky was going to break apart and fall down. It seemed ludicrous, but why were so many of his kind believing it? How could they all be so stupid? Unless… unless there was truth to it. He looked up at the sky, but it didn't show any signs of moving.

"Hey Drops!" another Seedot called out, angrily. "Thanks a lot! You helped to destroy the world!"

"I did not!" he called back, looking down at him. "This whole rumor about the sky falling down is ridiculous. And what have I done to help 'destroy the world'?" He spoke the last bit with a sneer.

"You've hurt so many people in your selfish antics and…" he stopped, then widened his eyes. "Oh my…" he scurried away.

Drops looked up in time to see a large blue… thing come falling down from above. The… the sky was really falling! Frantic, he dropped out of the tree and tried to scurry away. But it wasn't quite fast enough. Lady Aquis Serenade dropped right on top of him with a flourish of her fins, then bounced away like some giant bouncy ball. Drops was left with his face squashed into the dirt path.

After a second, the other Seedots came out of their hiding places. Aquis rolled back over, careful not to run anyone over. The youngest Seedot crouched down by Drops. "Did you squish him to death?"

"I should hope not," Aquis said, tilting herself down so she could see the smaller Pokemon. "It's all water weight to make my bounces more effective, though, so it might have been a bit much."

An older Seedot examined him, then nudged him out of the dent he had made in dropping. "He's alive, just unconscious. You might want to move away before he wakes back up, Aquis."

"Sure enough. I hope this helped you." She rolled away down the path back to the pond she was staying in.

They waited a while until Drops woke back up. "What happened to you?" one asked. "Someone get mad at you for dropping on top of them?"

"Huh?" His mind cleared, then his eyes widened in panic. "No, you guys were right! The sky really is falling!"

Going by the original plan, they all gave him quizzical looks. "How can the sky fall down?" the youngest one asked. "The sky is always up."

"But it broke off a piece and dropped it right on top of me!" he insisted. "You guys said it was because…" he stopped as he recalled the reason given, because bad Pokemon like himself were hurting people. But he didn't want to admit that just yet. "We've got to warn everybody! This threat is real." Drops then ran off into the forest, telling any Pokemon he met that the sky was going to completely break apart and fall down.

While no one is sure what ultimately happened to Drops, no pedestrians got hit by a falling Seedot for many years after. On the other hand, Lady Aquis Serenade continued on her magnificent career, eventually becoming one of the most beloved Pokemon actresses. And she had a female Seedot as a stage partner and best friend.

...

Seedot Emerald entry: It hangs off branches and absorbs nutrients. When it finishes eating, its body becomes so heavy that it drops to the ground with a thump.

Sapphire entry: Wailmer can store water inside its body to transform itself into a ball for bouncing around on the ground. By filling itself with more water, this Pokemon can elevate the height of its bounces.


	150. Missingno, Chatot

I was first called into a stone room, lit by torches. There was a great howling wind and constant patter of raindrops on a glass window. Every now and then, the air was broken by a clamorous burst of thunder. There were many computers around us, me and the one who had brought me to life.

He was a strange man; somehow I knew that even before I knew anyone else. He had gray and white hair that was all bushy and disorganized. Wearing black rimmed glasses, he did not seem old, but the dark circles under his eyes showed that he worked long. His pale skin showed that he worked long without seeing the sun. And he was looking over me with a wide toothy grin.

As for me… I'm still not sure what I am. I'm almost twice the height of my creator and I didn't fit into the room with the nine foot ceiling well. I've never really had much of a substantial look. I'm a sort of black and white speckled mess kind of shaped like a lowercase 'd', if that makes any sense. And at certain parts, you can see right through me.

My creator finally spoke by saying, "Igor, do you see this? We've done it!"

There was a squawk from somewhere, followed by a "Yes Master!"

"We have created an entirely new Pokemon simply by manipulating the Pokeball!" He then broke into this maniacal crazed laughter that did startle me at first.

I backed off and looked around. " _Igor?"_

Off to the side, I finally spotted Igor. He was a small bird Pokemon at one foot high, with black and blue plumage. His head was topped off with a crest shaped like a musical note. Whistling, he replied, " _What?"_

" _Is, um, this normal?"_

The bird nodded. " _Yup. Give it eight… seven… six…"_ I noticed that his black tail was twitching out in time with his counting backwards.

On the twitch after one, the door burst open. There was a large woman there wearing a baggy blue dress. "Craig!"

He stopped laughing. "Mrs. Pedrow, what is it now?"

"Would you cut out that stormy soundtrack and that idiotic laughter? You're disrupting the band upstairs."

"But it's for atmosphere…" he complained.

"No buts. And what's with that silly wig you've got on?"

Sighing, he took off the gray hair, revealing that he actually was a dark blond guy. "I'm just getting into character. Fine." He went over to one of the computers and shut off the music program. At that point, I could hear a mariachi band playing upstairs. Now I have nothing against mariachi music, but I will agree with Craig that it wasn't exactly appropriate to the occasion.

Over on his perch, Igor cawed softly. " _Mrs. Pedrow never fails to interrupt our coolest moments. But what can we do? She's the landlady_."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" the landlady asked, giving me a suspicious look. "I don't mind your Chatot, but that is… is that a Pokemon?"

"Yes it is!" Craig said, spinning around and standing up straighter. A proud gleam was in his eyes. "This is the result of my latest experiment. Now the Pokeball stores Pokemon as electronic data, right? And people have made Porygon with purely electronic data. So I hacked into the Pokeball's programming and figured out how it categorizes the Pokemon it captures. By manipulating those numbers, I have managed to fool the Pokeball into think it held an entirely new Pokemon. And when I released it, I got one! Isn't it magnificent?"

She didn't look as impressed. "What is it?"

"Uhhh…" he stalled out for a moment. "To be frank, I don't know. But I aim to study it."

" _What's he mean by he wants to study me?"_ I asked Igor.

" _Oh, it's no big deal,"_ he reassured me. " _He'll want to see what you can do and what you're like. He might have a few screws loose, but he's a pretty cool guy."_

" _I see."_

" _He'll take good care of you, like me. He teaches me stuff, like things to say. Wanna hear my favorite?"_ He fluttered his wings and said, "I want your brains!" After he settled down, he added, " _Cool, huh?"_

Mrs. Pedrow was leaning on the doorframe now. "So what are you going to call it, Mr. Big Shot Scientist? You're going to have to use something for your papers, if you even write those."

"I will!" Craig insisted, his ears turning red in embarrassment. "I'm calling it the missing numbers experiment, so I'll just call it Missingno."

"Well it'd better not be destructive," the landlady said, then left us alone.

On seeing that, I knew I wanted to help Craig. He did create me from nothing, after all. As it turned out, I didn't have to do much for the actual study. Craig did most of the work, examining what I was doing and what the Pokeball said about me. Igor fluttered about with us. Apparently he's Craig's assistant, but he doesn't do much beyond saying 'Yes Master' and occasionally fetching some small item when the scientist is busy. But he seems proud of his position, so I never really tease him about it.

Early on, he brought me out to a place by the main highway. It weighed large trucks, but Craig talked them into weighing me in an off moment. "The Pokeball says that she's thirty-five hundred pounds," he told the station manager. "But she's a Normal and Flying type, so I can't easily confirm this."

"That thing weighs over a ton?" the manager said, looking at me. "She doesn't look like much."

"That's what the data says. I'm not sure what it means, so I just want a confirmation."

The manager thought, then added, "Well the weighing plate does use electrical currents to help with accuracy. Won't that hurt her?"

Craig shook his head. "No. Even accounting for the fact that we'll be using Roost, her weakness chart comes up identical to a straight Normal Pokemon. I'm not sure why, unless it's some unknown ability that I haven't identified yet."

" _Lucky you_ ," Igor said sarcastically. " _You don't get hurt as bad by stuff that really hurts me_." He paused, then yelled down at a passing worker, "I want your brains!"

The worker jumped at that, then stared at the Chatot. He was chuckling to himself while hopping along a wire.

"We don't have any trucks in at the moment, so let's give it a go," the manager said. "Have her land over in the marked area."

Nodding, Craig came over to me. "Okay Missingno, you heard that. Go into that marked off area and use Roost."

"We're ready," the manager called.

Now I don't have a normal body like they do, being without a definable head. And for some reason, I've never managed to make an audible sound. I can communicate with other Pokemon just fine with some form of telepathy, but not humans. So I floated over to the marked area and used the resting skill to land on the ground.

My form condensed then so instead of a scattered mess, I became a concentrated mass. The weighing plate reacted to that. "Your data's right!" the manager called out. "3501.4 pounds."

" _Yowch_ ," Igor said, flying over near me. " _I hope you're not sensitive about your weight like most chicks."_

" _Should I be?"_ I asked him.

" _If you want. Just tell me so I don't make any fat jokes around you_."

" _Well we decided that I'm only female because the data says so_ ," I told him as I floated back off the weighing plate. " _If the data says that I should weigh that much, it is no problem_."

But then what am I? Craig tried getting a tissue sample off me once. That was quite the ordeal. All the little black and white bits that make up my body, more or less, keep moving around constantly. They seem to pick up speed and randomness when I'm nervous or agitated. And having heard that he meant to take a scraping of the material making up my body, I had been quite nervous. Then Igor has squawked something about being calm and I fainted.

That is a problem I've been having. Apparently most Pokemon fight each other to get stronger. Craig has tried to battle me against other novice Pokemon. But every time he brings me out in battle, I get so nervous that my body becomes a blur and I faint before either me or my opponent can do anything. We thought maybe I should try taking Contest classes to build up my courage. But no, those make me faint too.

I was worried for a while that this meant that I was unnatural and that Craig should have never made me. But he seemed to notice my worry and told me it was okay. As I was alive and it was obvious that I was thinking and communicating with others, I deserved a chance to live like any other. He just wants to know what I am and what about the Pokeball's technology made me this way.

On the other hand, Igor joked about everything, teasing me that someday the townsfolk would come for us with torches and pitchforks, like every other mad scientist, mad assistant, and mad scientist's experiment ever. But I know that he's my friend too. If other Pokemon ever tried to hassle me, he would intervene before I got worked up enough to faint again. He just says to make sure that I'm still floating before I faint, or else I'll collapse onto somebody and crush them to death. I hope he's just exaggerating about that.

Well they never came after us with torches and pitchforks. But one day, the police came to Craig's apartment. The guy who lives above us, the one in the mariachi band, he complained that we were a public nuisance. They eventually decided that Craig's experiments were dangerous, immoral, and illegal. With that, they arrested him and confiscated both me and Igor.

So here I am in a prison cell of my own. They don't know what I can do or what I am, so they decided to be safe and hold me here. Still, I miss Craig and Igor. I want to protect them, even if I'm not very good at it. But on looking around, I think I can break the bars holding me in. If I hold onto them and use Roost, I'm pretty sure I can crush them. I won't be able to fight the guard Pokemon, but if I can locate Igor, we might be able to get out and figure out where they're holding Craig. I'm sure the Chatot is around. I hear him taunting the guards every now and then from down the hall.

I'm not too sure this will work, though. If I make a mistake, I'll just faint and be recaptured. But I want to try, for my friends… family, sort of. I got worried that I might be destroyed if I fail, so I wrote down this short record. That way, I've left something of me behind to prove that I existed.

I'm going to try breaking out of jail now. Wish me luck.

...

Missingno/(ten question marks) Emerald entry: This is a newly discovered Pokemon. It is currently under investigation. No detailed information is available at this time.

Chatot Pearl entry: It keeps rhythm by flicking its tail feathers like a metronome. It imitates human speech.


	151. Chimecho

Chim, ching.

It was a blustery day at the peak of Mount Pyre. The sun shone in a pale blue sky, but the winds rushed right over the mountain. Under the rippling tall grasses, the smaller Pokemon hid to avoid being blown away. The trees were leaning over, but not breaking. Under these conditions, anyone downwind of the peak would have heard a clear bell-like chiming from the top.

Up at the very peak, there was a shrine created of white marble. Two glistening orbs sat on either side of the shrine. One was a deep marine blue, while the other was a vibrant volcanic red. Beside the shrine, there was a pair of small mountain trees. A Chimecho hung from the branches of the left tree. The yellow sucker on top of her head clung tight to the branch so that she didn't get blown away.

On a day like this, most of her kin would be hiding out in the small caves, or even in the catacombs within the mountain. But someone always had to be here, no matter what. Her ribbon-like tail was whipped about into the rough branches, causing her to ring without trying. If she lost grip of the branch, the gusts could easily grab hold of her and toss her down to rocky slopes. She had to stay strong.

Ding, ding, ching.

A pebble had gotten caught up in the wind. The Chimecho watched warily as it skipped across the shrine. Thankfully, it missed hitting the orbs. The orbs were to remain as undisturbed as possible. Nature wasn't always agreeable, so there were thunderstorms, blizzards, and, like today, windstorms. Even the odd earthquake sometimes. No matter what happened, this shrine had to stay calm and peaceful.

Those orbs had been created by Rayquaza, or so it was said. They contained certain vital powers of two other Pokemon gods, the red one Groudon and the blue one Kyogre. As long as the powers were contained within these two orbs, then the two gods would remain locked in slumber. That was important. They were fierce rivals, tearing up the earth and the sea in their arguments.

Even if they slept, they were still connected to the orbs. One or the other could become alert enough to break one of the orbs, awakening the other. Thus, the two rival gods had to be pacified even if they couldn't acknowledge it. There was always a small group of humans around who did that.

And there were the Chimechoes. In her family, tradition dictated that the females would stay in these trees during the day. They would sing quiet songs in their language to help keep the two entities connected to the orbs asleep. At night, the males would do the same. Normally there would be two or three others with her. But on this bad day, she was the only one who decided to remain out.

Ting, dong, ching.

It was tough to keep singing under these conditions. At some parts, she had to just deal with her random rings when the gusts were high. She sang whenever there was a moment of quiet. Thankfully, the orbs seemed quiet today. The wind wasn't affecting the two gods as much as it was her.

Her language really only had seven different kinds of chimes, but by altering the length, tone, and pitch, it was possible to communicate complex ideas. Like the tales of Groudon and Kyogre's battles, and why the Chimechoes had to remain on Mount Pyre, despite the vast number of Ghost Pokemon who lived here too.

There were still those that left. The rise of Pokeballs made it even more difficult to remain. Thankfully, the humans who took care of the shrine realized this. To help them out, they had given the shrine's Pokemon keepers a special green clip that was attached to their small feet. This marked them as uncatchable.

Ring, ting, ching.

"Keeping up on your duty, shrine maiden?" a voice asked.

She opened her eyes (having closed them against a bad series of gusts) and saw an elderly male human standing near her tree. "Tawn ting," she replied.

The current human keepers of the shrine had learned some of their language. He gently patted her. "I know it's tough. But your dedication is admirable."

"There's some folks coming up here despite the wind," the woman said, walking over to them. "They seem to be causing trouble in the catacombs."

"Chim ding," the Chimecho replied. She hoped they weren't looking to cause trouble up here.

"We do too," the woman said.

But then those people, dressed in red sweatshirts and dark pants, came right up to the shrine. "You have no right to be keeping the god Pokemon slumbering like this," the man in charge said.

"It was another god who sealed them away," the old man said.

"It is for the good of everyone that they remain sleeping," the old woman said.

The Chimecho let go of her branch to join them. The winds had relented just enough that she could float around without getting blown away. "Ting ching chim chime tawn," she said.

Beside the strange man, a Mightyena growled, then rushed forward and attacked the shrine maiden Pokemon. She was young, so she didn't stand a chance.

Later on, she found herself at a Pokecenter, fully healed. That was one good thing about technology; generations ago, that attack would have kept her in agony for weeks. With her was the old woman. "Do not blame yourself, maiden," she said. "You were not trained to fight like that one."

"Ding?" She floated over to the window.

The sunlight was incredibly bright. Heat made the air hazy and dry. As this was a power of the earth, it could only mean one thing. Groudon was awake. And he would not be pleased with awakening after centuries of being forced asleep.

"They're both awake," the old woman said, coming over to the window. "But there was someone else there. I think there is hope, if they can get Rayquaza awakened in time."

"Chim," the Chimecho said sadly. It was still terrible, and she hadn't been much help.

...

Chimecho HG/SS entry: It uses the sucker on its head to hang from a tree or from eaves. It can produce seven different tones.


	152. Doduo, Arceus

It was a stifling hot day. Most every Pokemon in the prairie was keeping in the shade or near a watering hole. While some just tried to keep cool, others slept to wait for the afternoon heat to pass. He was doing both. His round head stayed above the tall grasses, watching for danger. While kneeling down under the shade of an oak tree, his other head was curled up with his long beak under his brown wing. Even with this heat, the Doduo knew that some predators would still be hunting.

The two heads always took turns with this duty. They thought exactly alike, so they were more a single Pokemon instead of a two heads on one body. In a short while, he would take a nap as his other head kept watch. Thus far, it was a boring day.

It wouldn't be boring for long.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement of white. He turned around to check and there was a Pokemon he had never seen before. It had four legs, a short head, and a long neck. Although it had thick white scruffy fur, it didn't seem bothered by the heat. Strangest of all, it had branched growths around its waist in an odd pattern. It radiated a strong sense of power.

Okay. An unknown Pokemon had snuck up on him. It was extremely strong and he had no clue what its intentions were. How should he react? Easy. Jerk his body up and run away through the tall grass.

As his other mind came awake at the sudden jostling, Doduo lowered his alert head, so he didn't stick out too much. Although he had wings, he could more easily outpace any Pokemon of this prairie by running. His more alert head stayed focused ahead, on another oak tree that offered shade. The other head eventually looked back to check on the strange Pokemon.

It was galloping through the grass after him. And it was keeping up easily, even though its waist growths should have caught on the grass and slowed it down. When Doduo got close to the tree, it abruptly rushed ahead and got to the shade before him. "Pardon me, but don't be afraid," it said in a feminine voice.

Doduo stumbled to a stop. "What? What do you want with me?"

"I want to talk with you," she said. "I'm not going to eat you."

"Is that it?" He clawed at the ground, still nervous. "Then why'd you sneak up on me? And chase me?"

"Did I sneak up on you? I didn't realize that. Sorry. So can we talk?"

He went into the shade and knelt down there. "I guess. What about?"

"What about?" She paused for a long while. "I don't know. Something."

One of his beaks gawked for a moment. "You chased me down and you don't know what to talk about?"

"That's right. I don't talk to others much. But I just felt like it and you seemed interesting, Doduo."

"Okay…" she was strange. "Well who or what are you first? I've never seen you or any Pokemon like you before."

She nodded. "That is a good question. I am Arceus."

His other beak gawked. "What? You're Arceus? The Pokemon who created everything?"

"Mmmm…" she closed her eyes briefly. "That's what they say about me."

Giving a quick ruffle of his feathers, he said, "Well then what are you doing here, just talking with me? You're the goddess of creation, and I'm just a Doduo, running around this prairie."

"That's right. I got bored."

"Bored?"

She nodded. "I do have the power of creation. But, everything's been created. It's in the hands of others to maintain it. So," she stretched, folded her waist growths back, then lay down in the oak's shade, "I don't have much to do these days."

"I guess not."

"If I talk with anybody, it's usually the other gods or really brave and curious humans. Those kinds of things are always the same conversations. It gets old after a few eons. So, I decided to just talk with somebody else. You seemed interesting."

His second head came up to his other. "Really? How so?"

After another long pause, she replied, "You just seem that way."

So it was more or less at random that she had chosen him? That was disappointing. Then again, he was talking to the goddess of creation. Nobody else in the prairie could claim that kind of memory. "Um, all right. So what kind of food do you like? I like the little black flies and thistle seeds myself."

"I like all foods," she said. "Mostly berries."

"What kind of berries? There's hundreds of them!"

"Tens of thousands of kinds, I know, in a whole spectrum of flavors. I like berries."

"I see. Berries are nice. I like the Leppas the most."

"Yes, the most apple-y of all berries, from its mimicking blossoms to its multicolored skins. Did you know that there are differences between the Red, Green, Yellow, Racb, Tiny, Giant, Striped, and Mottled Leppas? I made sure of that."

He tilted one head. "Really, is that so? There's only Yellow Leppas around here. Although, I guess there are some bushes of Racb Leppas over near the forest."

"Bug Pokemon don't like Racb Leppa Berries," Arceus said. "But that's okay. They like plenty of other berries. I really like berries, so I spent a lot of time making them. I'm glad others like them too."

At that point, one of Doduo's heads came up with a thought. Why was he talking about food? He was here talking to the goddess of creation and they were just talking about berries! Then his other head thought, well food is good and that's one subject he knew would interest even a goddess among Pokemon.

"Are you close to evolving?" she asked out of the blue.

"I think I might be," he replied. "I'm getting enough conflicting thoughts that I might be. But no third party thoughts, so not quite."

"Does it bother you?" She appeared interested to know his thoughts.

"Not really. I mean, it's confusing sometimes, but it's normal. I don't meet any Dodrios that complain about having three different minds. At least, not seriously complain. Many of them will joke about it."

"Hmm… so long as everyone is happy."

"I don't like predators," he tried.

"Happy within reason, considering the natural way of things," she corrected.

"Ah." He chuckled at himself. "It was worth a try."

"Yes, that is so."

Then, he came up with something. "Actually, there is something that only you would be able to answer that I've thought of."

"Go on."

"I heard about you from my mother and other older Pokemon. The story says that an egg appeared and you were hatched from that egg. Then you created everything in the world. But then, who created your egg?"

"I did," she replied, this time without hesitation.

"You did? But you weren't even hatched."

"Right, I hatched from that egg."

"Which you created too."

"Right."

He shook his heads. "But that doesn't make sense. How can you create your own egg when you haven't even hatched?"

"I managed."

"But how?"

Then she shook her head. "Sorry, I can't tell you certain things. I doubt that you'd use that knowledge against me. But there are others who would. That kind of knowledge is dangerous in the wrong head. Thus, there are some things that are so dangerous that I simply keep them to myself. I know that I'm not going to abuse those ideas and cause ruin to that which I have created. That would be counterproductive."

"Oh. Well, I guess that could be true."

"Would you mind telling me more about yourself?"

"How can that be interesting to someone like you?"

"I am interesting to you because I live a life unlike yours," Arceus pointed out. "And the same, you are interesting to me because you live a life unlike mine. So would you, please?"

"I guess it'd be all right," Doduo said. And they ended up talking well into the night.

...

Doduo Emerald entry: Even while eating or sleeping, one of the heads remains always vigilant for any sign of danger. When threatened, it flees at over 60 miles per hour.

HG/SS Arceus entry: According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokemon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world.


	153. Roselia, Machamp

Two Pokemon walked along the dirt path. One was a Roselia. His red and blue roses were close to his sides as he walked along with his arms crossed. Impatient to get where they were going, he hurried along. Behind him was a Machamp. He was large even for his kind, to where his companion was barely at his ankle height. Careful not to step on him, he walked at a slower pace.

"Do you want me to carry you, Inigo?" the Machamp asked kindly.

The Roselia waved his red rose. "I'm fine, Fezzik. I don't want to be seen as helpless."

"Nobody would mistake you for helpless. Not unless they were witless."

"There's a lot more witless people in the world than there are witty ones, you know."

"Ah, right."

The landscape around them grew rockier, with tougher and scragglier plants. "This seems like a nice ambush spot," Inigo noted, but kept moving.

Looking around, Fezzik agreed with him. Most Pokemon considered his kind to be slow-witted, and thus he, being even bigger than usual, had to be even dumber than usual. He had gotten used to that until Inigo told him that he was actually quite sharp and intelligent. Still, the Roselia was even more so. If he said something was so, he was probably right.

Deciding to dissuade any would be bandits, Fezzik said, "So those guys we're going after. Do you think that I should use a Western style of pummeling them to paste or an Eastern style of kicking them to near-death?"

He usually wasn't so gruesome with his plans. Fezzik was one of the gentlest Fight-types that Inigo had ever known. But he also knew that this was all a bluff. "It all ends the same; you never get to finish your moves because the opponents never last that long. Why don't you just use that Karate Chop decapitation instead?"

"That was just an accident," he countered. "Blunt force decapitation does not work normally. It's messy and nasty."

"Whatever puts them down fast. Just leave the leader to me."

"Will do."

The highwaymen Pokemon that had been observing them wisely decided to not attack this pair.

Another group later on the trail was not as lucky. A group of six bandits jumped out of hiding. "Hold it right there," the leader Magmar ordered, holding his hand out. "If you don't want to get roughed up by the Rainbow of Evil, then fork over your dough."

The Roselia raised his eyebrow. "Seriously? If you wanted to scare people, you'd take a less obvious jump point. Oh, and a better name."

"What's wrong with our name?" the Magmar snarled.

"Everything."

"Rainbows are pretty," Fezzik said. "I don't think there's such a thing as an evil rainbow."

"But that's what we are," the Magmar stated. "See, I'm red, the Numel is orange, the Minun is yellow, the Bellsprout is green, the Wailmer is blue, and the Purugly is purple. We just haven't found anybody for indigo."

"It's still dumb," Inigo retorted. "Besides, you're way under us. Get out of the way if you know better."

"You think awfully highly of yourselves." The Magmar punched his wings together. "I think we ought to teach you a lesson."

The Roselia groaned and shook his blue rose at him. "We don't have time for this. But if you must fight, it will be one on one, you against me. You're a chump if you won't do that for your own weakling group."

Smirking, the Magmar nodded. "Sure enough, you against me. We would have been nice and left you with some apples, but now all of your stuff is ours."

"Yeah right."

Fezzik and the others stepped back as the two began to battle. Looking for an easy win, the Magmar surrounded his fist with fire energy and rushed at the Roselia. Inigo easily sidestepped and fired several poisonous thorns at the bandit. The Magmar then whirled around, whipping up a whirl of fire around himself before launching it. While it was an impressive move, Inigo got out of that too and kept firing thorns into the Fire Pokemon.

Furious that his moves were getting dodged, the Magmar began spitting fireballs instead. To no avail; Inigo was able to keep away from all of them. He claimed it was due to a special charm that his father had made, although Fezzik often thought his friend was just that good. Thinking he'd get ahead of that, the Magmar shot another fireball, then darted over and grabbed Inigo's blue rose, crushing it. "Let's see you fight now, Mr. Flower."

"Oo, that was a mistake," the Machamp commented to the Purugly, who happened to be next to him. "He's very proud of his flowers."

And Inigo did have a death glare in his eyes as he brought his red rose to the Magmar and gave him a face full of poison thorns. "Never Touch My Flowers, chump!" he shouted, angry enough that his flowers were shaking. Some blue petals fell to the ground.

The Magmar shrieked. "What the hey was that?"

"I'm not left-flowered," Inigo said dangerously.

Then Fezzik leaned over and snatched the Magmar with all four of his hands. "Sorry buddy, but we do have to get a move on." He then picked the bandit leader up, spun around a full turn, then launched him over the land. In short time, he seemed to fly right over the horizon and vanish.

Gawking, the other five bandits seemed at a loss of what to do. "I thought that was a one on one fight?" the Wailmer asked.

Still angry, the Roselia turned to him and brandished his thorned flowers. "You wanna pick a fight with us over that?" he sneered.

"Uuhhh," the bandits looked to each other.

"No," the Bellsprout said, then bolted. The others followed not long after.

"Common bandits are such scum," Inigo said, waving them off. "We're above them."

"Right. You okay?"

He looked over his blue rose, concerned. "There's some damage, missing or torn petals. It'll grow back in a couple of days. It is late though. Can I take you up on that offer of a ride? We shouldn't waste any more time."

"Of course," Fezzik said, bending down and holding his lower right arm out. Inigo hopped onto the Machamp's head himself; the giant had some trouble handling small objects or Pokemon. They then set back down the path to their next adventure.

...

Sapphire entry: Machamp is known as the Pokemon that has mastered every kind of martial arts. If it grabs hold of the foe with its four arms, the battle is all but over. The hapless foe is then thrown far over the horizon.

Roselia Pearl entry: The beautiful flowers on its arms have toxic thorns. Don't even think of picking those flowers.


	154. Sandslash

It was a day like any other day: hot, dry, and still. Among the cacti and tough scrub bush, most of the Pokemon were inactive. When the night cooled the air down, they would be moving about.

Near a group of prickly pear bushes, a Sandslash was quietly guarding her nest. She had an egg to watch over; it'd be a couple more weeks before it was ready to hatch. She dozed in and out of sleep, stirring any time there was movement or strange noises nearby. If it was like any other day, it'd be a lot of nothing going on. Her tan body blended in with the ground well and her spikes and claws usually deterred anything that spotted her. But today would be different.

She stirred once to a sound she had never heard before. It was a blend of a whir and a hum. Coming alert, the Sandslash looked in the direction of the noise. There was a strange being there. Made of white metal, it hovered over the ground, moving its one pale green eye to examine everything in its path. It seemed to be nothing more than a sphere with that oversized eye and eyelid, plus a rim on the bottom. The sand underneath it stirred slightly.

As it came close, she got up and gave a snarl of warning. The metal creature stopped, turning its eye to her. It made no more sound than the hum, made no movement. Hoping to scare it off, the Sandslash moved towards it, raising a clawed paw and swiping it through the air. The metal creature then decided to move along its former path. Unfortunately for it, that happened to be right by her nest.

She wasn't going to take that. The Sandslash backed up, then bounded forward, curling her body tightly into a sphere like it was. Colliding with the creature, her spikes pierced its skin. Giving an unearthly wail, it fired back at her with a strange energy. It was blisteringly hot, more than anything the desert could produce. And it was powerful, lashing across her back and melting her spikes. She screamed in pain.

Without warning, a disorienting feeling struck her. She couldn't quite name it; it was like she didn't exist for a tiny amount of time. But, that was impossible. And when it passed, she was no longer in the desert heat. Instead, she was in a moderately warm place, with air that was neither too dry nor too humid.

"What is going on?" a human voice asked. Footsteps thumped on a hard surface.

"Sorry doctor, but this native creature attacked one of the planet explorer drones," another answered. "It managed to get through its armor and cause its weapon to malfunction."

"I'd say." The metal creature, the drone, was pulled off her spikes and tossed aside. "More like it shredded that drone. What kind of weapon does it have? Computer, scan its DNA and synthesize an appropriate painkiller."

"It has no weapon; it's an animal. Do your best with it."

In a great deal of pain, the Sandslash wasn't sure if she'd die. She also wasn't sure what was going on, aside from the fact that she was no longer near her egg. She snarled at the human as he came close. How had she been taken away from her nest? Was her egg safe? What if there was another of those drone things in the area? Or even just an egg hunting Pokemon? It was midday, but some would take advantage of an unguarded nest.

There was a beep. Shortly after, the human doctor pricked her with a needle. The Sandslash's body abruptly went limp and numb. What was he going to do with her? She looked up at him and gave a faint squeal. He wore strange black clothes with a band of yellow across the shoulders. And he now had an odd machine in his hands.

After looking over her, he activated the machine. "Just an animal, huh? You're pretty powerful and intelligent for being just an animal. Self-aware, but only on the threshold of being sentient. I wonder what else this planet is going to surprise us with."

She murmured. This man had a kind voice at least. Was he trying to help? She couldn't really feel her body to tell.

The doctor patted her snout. "You seem comfortable with me. That's good." He put the machine down, then moved a shell over her. "Fortunately for you, we can repair those spikes of yours. Keep still for a bit longer." Then the shell began to hum.

Closing her eyes, she could feel that it was a great healing power this machine had. She had heard that humans had marvelous healing potions and devices. Was this one of them?

"Doctor?"

"Yes captain?" the man said.

"On a preliminary review of the drone's data, it seems that it drifted too close to her nest. She was guarding an egg, so the sooner you can get her out, the better."

The Sandslash opened her eyes and cooed a question.

"Egg layer? I was fairly certain that the data read her as mammalian. Huh. Might be more common here." He came back into her view. "You seem oddly aware of what we're talking about."

"When can we send her back?"

"In a short while; need to counteract the painkiller first." The hum stopped. "I'll contact you when she's ready."

"Good."

The doctor removed the shell, then injected her again. "Okay, just relax here. We'll get you back home soon."

The Sandslash began to regain feeling quickly. She pushed herself up and tried to shake the last bit of numbness off. To her surprise, the spikes that the drone had melted had grown back already. It was bewildering. Humans had this kind of power? She looked around her new location. It was strange and foreign, all silver and white. There were symbols hanging in the air near her, and large screens on a wall to her right. From her vantage point on the shelled table, she could see a seating area with a table, couch, and chairs, a few doors that seemed to have no knobs, and windows that showed a black sky.

After looking over the floating symbols, the doctor looked back to her. "Your planet's main sentient race has started exploring their star system. We're a scientific vessel that's been sent to do a survey to see if they're ready for contact from the Galactic Federation. The drone was part of the initial scanning. It wasn't supposed to interfere with anything. So on behalf of our ship, I apologize." He offered a hand to her.

The Sandslash sniffed him, then retracted her claws and put her paw on his hand. She then cooed a thanks for the healing. Although she wasn't sure of the specifics going on here, she knew kindness should be acknowledged.

He smiled. "Very social and intelligent, I see. Well maybe this mission won't affect you any more past this day. Or maybe it will. It all depends on the hominoids that we've come to watch. I would consider this a sign that your planet must be fairly peaceful." He tapped a badge that was on his shirt. "Bridge, I've got the patient healed up. You may return her when ready."

"Roger."

"Goodbye, for now," the doctor said. Then that disorienting feeling came back over her.

When it disappeared, she was back in her hot and dry desert home. She sniffed around, making sure that this was her territory. Finding her scent, she turned to see she was indeed right where she had been taken from. And her egg was still hidden.

It had been a strange thing. But in a way, also a good thing. The Sandslash settled back into place and was soon asleep again.

...

Sandslash DPP entry: It curls up, then rolls into foes with its back. Its sharp spines inflict serious damage.


	155. Carnivine, Pidgey, Pidgeotto

Patience was rewarded. And he was vastly patient, hanging off a tree like a thoughtless vine, keeping his mouth open for hours at a time. Other Pokemon would mistake him for a dumb plant and come over to check on the delicious scent wafting around him. What they didn't know was that it was his saliva, baiting them to their doom. Carnivine was patient.

The marsh he lived in was a sluggish place. The water blended with the earth, making thick beds of mud underneath the grasses and weeds. All around, there were stately slow-growing trees that slowed the progress of wind and further slowed progress of those passing through. Some Pokemon around here, like himself, were quick in a pinch, but mostly lived slow lives of patience. The mud glurgled and the leaves rustled. There was never any need for rush.

Apparently, somebody hadn't told that to the Pidgey rushing through the marsh. Every so often, he would see him rushing across the marsh in a flurry of wings in on direction. He would appear a day or two later rushing the other way. Carnivine wondered what for. There was no real reason to rush. Espeically if he was coming right back once he arrived.

One day, the Pidgey arrived and landed on a branch of Carnivine's home tree. The little tan bird was breathing heavily, shifting his black eyes about as if expecting an ambush. Now that he was sitting still, Carnivine could see that the bird wore a red band around its neck, with a metal sleeve over one leg. It was probably working for the humans then. Carnivine didn't care about that, though. He waited patiently, as always, for his next meal.

The bird rested for a while, then became interested in the sweet scent around him. Pidgey hopped along the branch, finding that the scent came from the strange looking flower on the vine nearby. Finding himself hungry now, Pidgey fluttered down and started to land on the edge of the flower, so as to search for the berry or whatever making the scent. Just in time, he noticed the flower move. Pidgey fluttered off right as the jaws of Carnivine snapped shut. If he hadn't have moved, his neck could have easily been broken.

"Ack!" Pidgey shrieked. "Enemy spy found!" The bird rushed off, escaping the marsh.

Carnivine grumbled at the loss of a good meal, but soon had his jaws open and waiting again. All his life, he had been patient. One loss meant nothing. If he was patient, there would be a meal.

The next day, Carnivine was at his usual tree, hanging down and waiting. He had eaten a nice Wormadam the last evening, so he wasn't too watchful. He should have been, as a large tan and red streak dove out of the sky and slashed sharp claws at him.

This was a situation that called for quickness. Carnivine lashed out his vines and let go of the tree, causing himself to wrap around the neck of the Pidgeotto who was attacking him. "You try to make me your meal and I'll make you my meal," he growled.

Pidgeotto slashed her claws at him. "Fool. We will win."

Outpowered and desperate, Carnivine attempted to bite her head. If he could make her pass out and fall into the mud, he could hide in the grasses and get away from whoever else she meant in 'we'. He tried his hardest, but Pidgeotto prevailed and knocked him out.

Carnivine woke up later inside a brown canvas tent. He was tied down with sturdy nylon ropes attached to a container of heavy ammunition. With that weight, there was no way he was getting out of this tent. The ground was hard-packed, not loose and muddy like his marsh home. Where was he?

He was alone, but patient waiting eventually solved that. Pidgey and Pidgeotto both came into the tent. Around their necks, both of them wore the red band that signified something. The smaller bird fluttered up to a crate. "He's awake!"

"What am I doing in here?" Carnivine asked. "Why did you two tie me down?"

Pidgeotto ruffled her red crest feathers. "Because you're a prisoner of war, that's why," she told him. "We're making arrangements to hold you more securely."

Snapping his vine on the floor, Carnivine growled. "Prisoner of war? What kind of nonsense is that? I'm not involved in any war!"

"You're lying," Pidgey accused.

"You're assisting our enemies by baiting our messenger," Pidgeotto said. "So who's in charge of you? Who put you along the path back to the main base?"

"Nobody put me there," he insisted. "I live in that marsh; I was born in that marsh. I don't care about some stupid war the humans are having. I just wanted some lunch and he happened to be there."

"But you weren't there before," Pidgey said.

"I was. You've been rushing through that area too fast to notice me anyhow. And what's the big deal about rushing so much? There's nothing so important that you have to be constantly between one place and the next."

Angered, he puffed his feathers up. "It is so important! I carry lots of important messages. It doesn't matter where they move this base; I'll always find my nests back home and here."

"Hush," Pidgeotto reprimanded her junior. Then she looked to Carnivine. "You must be involved in the war. Everyone, human and Pokemon, are in this war. So are you with us or against us?"

"I told you, I don't care about some stupid war." He flicked his red leaves, which looked peculiarly like a cape around his 'neck'. "Until you goofs came and disrupted my quiet life, I was just something silly Pokemon talked about. It's just humans bickering over what they think of as land ownership or something. Just take me back to my home marsh and nothing will change."

"Nothing?" she asked skeptically. "Are you sure of that? What about the weapons? What about the bombings, the airplanes, the armies? You aren't that isolated in that marsh, you see. Even if we take you back, the war will affect you whether you want it to or not."

"But he's a spy," Pidgey said, looking to Pidgeotto.

"No, I think he's really just some civilian," she replied.

"That's right," Carnivine said. "So just let me go and take me back home."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," she said. "You're at our base, so you know where it is. You could tell our enemies. And I'm not about to fly out fifty miles again to return somebody to a disputed territory. No, I'm drafting you into our army."

"What? That's ridiculous! As I said, I don't care about what humans think. I just want to live life as I always have."

"I'm afraid that you can't do that," she repeated. "This is war, Carnivine. I am thinking of your best interests, whether you realize it or not. We'll leave you here until the humans are free to get you in a Pokeball. Come on, messenger, I think you need a rest before heading back out."

"Right, thanks." The two birds left the tent.

Carnivine grumbled but from that day forward, he was a part of the army.

...

Carnivine Platinum entry: It binds itself to trees in marshes. It attracts prey with its sweet-smelling drool and gulps them down.

Pidgey Emerald entry: It has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It can unerringly return home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings.

Pidgeotto Soul Silver entry: It renders its prey immobile using well-developed claws, then carries the prey more than 60 miles to its nest.


	156. Azurill, Wynaut

As it was midday, not much was happening. The pond was still, save for a ripple that followed a blue orb. It floated on the surface, heading straight for the shore. When it got to the edge, a small blue mouse Pokemon emerged from the water. He shook himself once he got onto the land, flicking his oil-filled orb tail to dry it too. "Phew, that was a good swim. But now I'm hungry. Hmm."

There was a nice berry patch nearby that he knew of. So the where was obvious. The how though… he could just walk, but that was boring. He could hop on his tail ball and bounce all the way there. That was fun sometimes. Or he could…

Azurill grinned, picking up the thin tail that connected his body to the oil orb. Although it was heavier than his body, he had the strength to lift it up, then swing it over his head. Five times, he swung the orb around, moving it faster and faster. Then, he flung the tail orb with as much strength as he could muster.

And it went flying. His body got yanked into the air after it. There was a slight pain, but it was thrilling enough that he ignored it. As he came down, he shifted himself around so that he gripped the orb. It hit the ground, flattened some, then bounced back into the air, flipping him around. Azurill laughed cheerily as his orb kept bouncing along the ground. Eventually, it lacked the energy to go back into the air and caused him to tumble along the ground. Loose dirt clung to his damp skin, but he didn't care. This was too much fun.

When he stopped, he chucked himself over for any scratches or bruises. Nothing yet. He knew that someday, he would evolve, and then he wouldn't be able to launch himself around like this anymore. "Might as well enjoy it while it lasts," he said with a grin, picking his tail back up for another throw.

After his third throw, he was reasonably close to the berry patch. In order to make sure that he landed in the patch, Azurill was going to have to aim for a high arc. He threw his tail orb hard, sending himself flying over a large bush. As he got back upright to prepare for the landing bounce, he saw that he was heading straight for another Pokemon. This one was light blue, with long ears and a poof of hair coming off its head. He called out to get the other Pokemon's attention, but it didn't turn up to see him.

He crashed right into the stranger, but something curious happened. She didn't budge from her spot, despite how hard he had come flying at her. After a half-second of contact, she straightened up and flung him backwards. Azurill tumbled along the dirt path, squealing as he went right into the thick bush that he had just thrown himself over. It wasn't a thorn bush, thankfully. However, it was harboring a bunch of stickler plants, which covered him with their flat seeds.

He hopped out of the bush to get away from the stickler plants. "Ooo, I'm sorry," he called over. "I couldn't see you, so I didn't mean to land on you."

"No worries. Are you okay?" She turned around, wearing the biggest grin he had ever seen on a Pokemon. It curled up around her eyes and showed off a bright red tongue.

"I'm fine, just covered in stickies," he replied. "I'm Azurill." He made a bow, then started taking the stickies off.

"Good. I'm Wynaut." She scooted over to him, still grinning. "I can help." Curling her ears up, she reached over with them and showed off hidden fingers. With that, she plucked off stickies from his back and flicked them away.

"Thanks."

"What were you flying about for anyhow? You don't look like a Flying type." She was still grinning.

"I'm not. I was just having fun, coming over here for lunch." Once he had the stickies off his front, he brought his orb around the clean that. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but could you stop grinning like that? It's creepy."

"Sorry, but I can't help that. I'm always grinning." She swished her tail. "But I'm not crazy or anything. That's just how we Wynauts are."

"Oh, okay. So what are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you, getting lunch. Okay, that gets all the ones you can't see. I know they don't hurt, but they're annoying." She scooted around him, waddling with her paws.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help."

"This place smelled nice," she said, flipping her ears… arms, whatever they were. They hung from her head, but had fingers, so Azurill wasn't sure what to make of it. "I go from berry patch to berry patch most of the time, following the scent. But I am supposed to be going somewhere now. Do you live around here? Mind giving me directions?"

"I live in the pond over that way," he said, pointing back to the west. "But I know this area pretty well. What're you looking for?"

Wynaut tapped her tail against the ground. "I'm supposed to meet with a bunch of my kin for a counter tournament. I was told to come to a peach orchard with a yellow windmill."

He thought. "Oh, that place. I haven't been there myself, but I've seen the windmill. Go to my pond, then head south to a tall hill. You can see the windmill from there in the distance."

"I see. Thanks, that ought to help."

"And what's a counter tournament? Are you counting stuff?"

Giving a barking laugh, she replied, "No, but that would be fun too! You know how I bounced you back without moving? That's a counter. I need to perfect countering in all forms before I evolve, so I take every chance I get to practice. Me and the others are going to compete to see who can counter the most counters. Want to come see? We don't mind visitors."

Go to a place where there were lots of the creepy grinning Pokemon? She seemed nice, but Azurill didn't think he could handle a group of them without getting nightmares. "Oh, no thanks. I've got my own training to focus on."

"I see. Well good luck with that, and don't go in the stickler plants again."

He chuckled. "Right. And good luck with your tournament."

She gave him a wave with her ear-hand limb, then waddled off towards the pond. After reflecting on the oddities of other Pokemon, Azurill went to gather berries for his lunch. He supposed that he was strange to others at times.

...

Ruby entry: Azurill spins its tail as if it were a lasso, then hurls it far. The momentum of its throw sends its body flying, too. Using this unique action, one of these Pokemon managed to hurl itself a record 33 feet.

Emerald entry: A Wynaut loves to eat sweet fruits. It cleverly picks fruits using its earlike arms. They gather in fruit gardens, drawn by the fragrance.


	157. Rapidash, Luxray

The stadium was crowded, noisy, and rowdy. People shouted, held up signs, and barely waited for the next match to begin. In the staging area, floor workers were busy setting up obstacles and boundary markers. An announcer and his guest tried to entertain everyone with a joke routine, but the laughter was sporadic. Most of the audience must have heard it before.

On the north end of the stadium seats, a newcomer to this kind of match was fidgeted in his seat. It was a simple wooden bench with a back, so it was hard to find a comfortable sitting position. Around him, most of the audience seemed too caught up in the matches or gossip to notice. "How long are they gonna take?"

"Not much longer," his friend answered. "They've almost got things set up and they're getting to the end of that Pikachu gag. How're you liking the Pokemon Xtreme League?"

He looked around the oval stadium. "I still think it's all rigged beforehand. They use lots of fancy moves, but nothing real."

"Nothing real?" he echoed mockingly. "This isn't theater, you know. This is real! And way more exciting than those kiddie Gym Leagues. You'll see in this upcoming match; it doesn't get any more real than it does here."

"So they say." He looked down at the concrete floor and noticed a shiny spot. How well did they clean things around here?

There was a forced laugh from the announcer (which almost convinced one that it was real) as the stadium workers cleared the field. "All right, thanks Mark. And now, the time has come for the day's first grudge race! Our Pokemon contenders will have to race each other through a harrowing track with straight-a-ways, hills, and obstacles in order to have the chance to race against the stadium champion! And here come the up and coming Pokemon stars now!"

"It doesn't look very harrowing," the newcomer said, looking over the hay bale and wood obstacles. "Any decent racing Pokemon could get through that."

"You're not on the ground to see just how tough it is," the fan replied. "They specially design everything to be rough on the Pokemon. Some of them even get hurt."

"I see safety systems in place."

"Stop analyzing and enjoy the show."

"Our first contender comes from the fields of Kanto," the announcer called out, turning to the entrance to his right. "Said to be born one of the fastest animals on land, he will burn up the track today in order to make a blazing start to this year's rankings. Able to run both sprints and marathons, he has the highest rated acceleration of all the contenders in our League! Here he is folks, the grand and fiery Alfonzo the Rapidash!"

After the announcer flung his arm out to the right entrance, the red curtain was burned aside as a tall white equestrian Pokemon pranced through. Alfonzo shook his mane out to stir up the bright red fires and show off his shining horn to the crowd. They responded with loud cheers and whistles. Many chanted his name as the Rapidash took his time walking up to the starting line, seemingly proud enough that he didn't have a worry in the world.

"GO ALFONZO!" the fan shouted. He grinned as he turned to his friend again. "Alfonzo is awesome! He almost made it as last year's champion Pokemon, only to be beat out by a cheating Gabite. But I'm betting on him! He will make it this year!"

"Isn't it risky to be betting on events like this?" the newcomer asked. Especially since this probably was rigged, he thought but didn't say. The Xtreme League had always come off as a bloated money-making spectacle to him.

"Not with the right smarts."

The announcer than turned to the entrance to his left. "Daring to take on one of the most popular contenders of the Xtreme League, we have a dark and mysterious newcomer! Known to race about during the dead of night without alerting a soul to her presence, no one is quite sure what she is fully capable of, or even what she is. Here she is, The Mysterious One!"

When the lights went onto the left entrance, nothing happened.

Murmurs spread through the crowd. The announcer scratched his head. "Okay, the mystery is where… oh there she is, right at the starting line! Eager to race, are we?"

Sitting quietly by Alfonzo was the so-called Mysterious One, startling him into snorting and flaring his fire mane. Her feline body was covered in black and dark blue fur, while her long tail was tipped by a yellow star. For some reason, there was a brown burlap sack put over her head. The large screen showed that the sack had a slit it in near her nose, so she could breathe. But it had no eye holes. Some people cheered, others laughed, while yet others were confused.

The newcomer shook his head. "That's a Luxray."

"How can you tell?" the fan asked. "The League officials can't even tell what she is."

"It's obvious," he replied, trying not to sound irritated. "She looks like a Luxray with a burlap sack over her head. That color, fur, and especially the star-tipped tail. That's a Luxray."

His friend smirked. "Well you've got to be wrong. There's no eyeholes! Luxray is an Electric Pokemon, not a Psychic, so it wouldn't see with a sack over its head."

The announcer was giving the rundown of how the race worked, so the newcomer kept talking. "They can see through things. My neighbor has one for a house guard Pokemon and he blasted a thief who was trying to get in the basement window, although the Luxray couldn't see the thief through the living room wall. A burlap sack is nothing. It has to do with their electrical sense…"

"Hush, it's going to start," the fan said, with his eyes on the track.

At the starting line, the Rapidash stamped his hoof down, eager to run. The 'mystery' Luxray stretched her front paws out, then the back, then waited on the signal. The announcer grabbed the air horn by him. "All right, ready…"

Alfonso whinnied impatiently, but stayed behind the line drumming his hooves in preparation.

"Get set…"

The Mysterious One twitched her starry tail and sent twin arcs of electricity snapping over between her legs.

"GO!" The air horn blasted, soon drowned out by the crowd's roar.

Within a few steps, the Rapidash overtook the Luxray, tearing down the first straight way. The dust that was kicked up behind Alfonzo flashed with fire as it was incinerated by his tail flames. Behind him, the Luxray built up speed, quick but not as quick as him. She didn't run entirely straight like he did, weaving about instead to dodge the dust flames.

At the first turn, Alfonzo has to slow just as quickly as he had sped up. It was a wide 180 right turn that was blocked by some vertical poles. In order to turn and avoid the poles, he couldn't go at top speed. As he was getting past the last of the poles, the Luxray had started them. She took them at full speed, nimbly dodging them with uncanny accuracy. This closed the gap.

It got maintained down a short straight path, but then there was a 90 left turn that lead to some hay bale blocks that had to be jumped. Both managed well. Alfonso set fire to one of his hay bales while audible sparks were heard as The Mysterious One used her Electric powers to increase her jumping height. Behind them, a crewman came out to put out the fire.

There was another 90 left turn leading quickly to a 90 right turn. The Rapidash had to go slower to make both turns, so the more agile Luxray managed to close the distance. As they got side-by-side, they faced another set of vertical poles to dodge. Still not bothered by the sack over her head, The Mysterious One managed to get a lead heading into a 90 right turn.

On the next stretch, there was a series of dirt covered ramps. It gave them both some trouble, so the positions didn't change. After another 90 right, they were faced with the starting line again, now the goal line. But it was some distance away and there was one more obstacle to face. A number of poles and ropes lead into a multiple path break. All led eventually to the final stretch, but some curved, some zig-zagged, and others had ramps.

Alfonzo chose to go through a path with a long gentle curve. He could almost take it at full speed. Beside him, The Mysterious One chose a zig-zag path, darting through each sharp turn without hesitation. She pulled ahead and headed into the final stretch while he was trying to navigate that gentle curve.

When he finally got onto the main track, Alfonso gave a loud whinny and began rushing to catch up. the Luxray continued on as he closed the gap. That gap grew smaller and smaller, until both reached the goal line and…

The crowd was going wild. "Just amazing!" the announcer called out. "Which Pokemon won the race? They were so close they could have touched each other. Let's turn to the technical crew and see if they can answer the big question: who won this race?"

"ALFONZO!" the fan shouted, jumping out of his seat. He dropped back down immediately, grinning at his friend. "And how can you say that was faked?"

"Easy," the newcomer said. "Neither one of them were racing at their full capacity. If they were, we couldn't watch them on this small track. You are right about one thing, though: the concessions at this place are really good."

...

Rapidash Pearl entry: It has astounding acceleration. From a standstill, it can reach top speed in 10 steps.

HG/SS entry: Luxray's ability to see through objects comes in handy when it's scouting for danger.


	158. Gliscor, Uxie

It was quiet this high off the ground. The air was moving to the east, but there was little for it to vibrate against. While Gliscor was gliding, the wind passed over him without remark. It was frigid with winter, but he forced himself to keep moving. The dark night skies were fading and soon his dark blue skin would be easily seen. For now, other Pokemon would be lucky to spot him.

Below him, the sea had given way to land. It was thickly forested with evergreens, which were all covered in cold snow. There was a chance that more snow was on the way. As he disliked the cold, it would be wise for him to head southward, find a warmer place. But the winds had pulled him steadily north and while crossing the ocean, it was unwise of him to come out of his glide. He could glide forever, but he could only fly for so long.

He spotted a movement of black in the trees and decided to break the glide then. He dove at the creature, which turned out to be a Starly. When it realized he was coming, the Starly yelped, alerting others to danger. But a strike from his poisonous tail quieted it and he went off to eat his meal elsewhere.

When finished, he went back up and looked around the area. There was a lake in the distance and curiously enough, there was an island cave in the center of it. It would give him shelter from the wind and any upcoming snow. Before the dawn fully came, Gliscor flew over to the lake and went inside the cave.

It wasn't as cold inside. Not warm as he would like it, but tolerable if he curled in tight. On the floor were strange shallow grooves filled with water. The sign seemed to have some significance, but he didn't know it. Was this someplace special? It seemed to be. But there also seemed to be no one there. Finding a spot against the wall, Gliscor hung on the ceiling and went to sleep.

Sometime in the day, he was awoken by a shock of pain. But he didn't seem to be hurt. Wary, he opened his eyes and saw an unusual Pokemon in the cave with him. It had a large head and two thin tails. It seemed exhausted and upset. If it were a Psychic, it was probably emitting a sense of its pain without realizing it.

Gliscor considered if it were edible. It was part of his usual judgment upon meeting a strange Pokemon. But he had a feeling he'd better not. Since it wasn't prey, he stretched his wings out and uttered a soft call.

It tensed, startled. Then it looked up to him. Although it didn't open its eyes, he knew it was observing him. So it was a Psychic. It replied in a musical voice with an ethereal echo. But much of its meaning came from sent images, flashes of memory. And not just the Psychic's.

Somewhere here, there was a group of humans who wore strange costumes and nearly all had blue hair. They took young and growing Pokemon from wherever they were to be found; he got several images from a Gligar stolen from his Trainer. The humans then stole the power the young Pokemon stored for evolution, in ways that Gliscor couldn't comprehend, but this one, Uxie, he seemed to understand fully.

Those Pokemon suffered. The lucky ones got depressed and gave up on evolving entirely. Others endured weakness and pain. Dozens had died out of thousands that had been taken. The Gligar had lived thus far, but his wings had become sensitive and painful. And of them, not one of them knew why it was done to them. It seemed to be mere chance provided the Pokemon could evolve.

The reason it had been done was because someone wanted to capture Uxie and his two siblings, who had been hibernating away from the world. And they had been captured because that someone wanted to drain their powers, more immense of that then mortal Pokemon, then use that to enslave something far more dangerous, from the very beginnings of the universe. Although Uxie had gone through this awful draining progress, he did not seem to care about his pain. When thinking on the other Pokemon, he was gravely upset, accounting for most of his distress.

Gliscor was just patient watching those images flash across his mind. It didn't mean much to him, except maybe in his younger peer who was in trouble. But there wasn't any risk in letting Uxie more or less babble at him psychically. He seemed to calm down with the exchange: his tails stopped flipping about and his posture loosened. When he stopped, he finally noticed that he was shaking. Clasping his paws together, Uxie made one last note, that he felt certain someone was going to do something against this madman. If this someone could follow in time, then he and his siblings would be able to prevent danger.

After that, he lowered his head and sighed. Then he dropped onto the floor and was soon asleep.

On the ceiling of the small cave, Gliscor curled himself back up in his wings. It was a troubling tale. But the important place now seemed to be atop the grand mountain he had seen in coming in. If it were summer, he wouldn't mind trying. In winter, he didn't feel he could make it through the icy winds and snowy fog. It was still his intention to take off to someplace warmer later on.

He went back to sleep himself and woke up shortly after sundown. Looking down, he noticed that Uxie was having a troubled sleep. He had managed to get himself into one of the shallow grooves of water. It had to be very cold water and the Psychic seemed to still be weak. That couldn't be good for him. But he was just an acquaintance, someone whose cave he was borrowing.

On the other hand, Gliscor thought, he had slept in here without asking permission. He hadn't known who had claimed it. Some he'd fight, but not this Pokemon. He ought to get Uxie out of that cold water. But even if he was a deep sleeper, how would Gliscor move Uxie without waking him? Or more importantly, without poisoning him? He wasn't a poison Pokemon, but he had enough venom to hunt in that fashion.

Gliscor knew he wasn't clever, so it was surprising when he began thinking of ways to solve the problem. If he were a Fire-type, he could make a fire to warm the cave. But if he could do that, he would have done so when he arrived. He could take the water out of the groove, since Uxie then couldn't get out of it in his turning. But maybe the symbol was intentional and he wasn't really sure how to drain it out. He could just wake Uxie up, but that felt rude. While he could pick the other Pokemon up, his claws were made for snatching and crushing, not handling carefully.

On looking over the symbol, there was a dip that had no water in it. Gliscor decided on a plan that required great care. He landed by Uxie, outside of the water groove. Keeping his claws shut, he supported the Psychic's head with them, then wound his tail around the body. He had to be careful not to brush with his stinger, but it worked.

The water was just as he thought, almost but not quite ice. He lifted Uxie out, then placed him on rocky ground. Since Gliscor couldn't move well on the ground, he couldn't very well carry him to the safer spot. But he could move around him, then move him another bit closer. It took four more rounds, but then he was able to place Uxie in the dry dip.

It was still cool in here, so Gliscor flew outside and climbed into the air. In the early night, he could see lights from a human town. The wind was headed southwest, so he had to fly partly against that to get there. But they would have things that would help.

When he got there, he saw no humans about. They were all keeping out of the night's chill. Gliscor did spot a snow sculpture of an Ampharos. Who knew why it was an Ampharos, but the important thing to him was that it wore a hat and scarf, both loose. He flew down and snatched the two items away. As he had a better use for them, they were as good as his. They were a little damp, but if he flew in the winter wind, that water would freeze and he might be able to hit them against the rocky cave surfaces to get rid of it.

As he beat the ice out of the scarf, Gliscor wondered again at the strange ideas. He normally concerned himself with survival of himself: finding food, finding shelter, finding a good wind to ride. Doing all this for the sake of someone else, someone he'd only met that day, it was different. Aside from laziness, there was no reason not to.

It took some time, but he felt it had worked. Uxie was still in that dip, so Gliscor glided over the water to him. First, he easily got the scarf to cover the Psychic's body. As for the hat… he didn't think his claws could work a hat. But he could put it by Uxie's head, near where the door was as to catch any stray chill coming in.

When he came back out, snow was falling. The air felt like it was building into a storm. Gliscor didn't want to fly on a night like this. He did spend some time before he got bad hunting for food. And again, a strange thought came to him. Uxie probably wasn't a meat-eater like he was. But there were some hardy berries that were growing around the lake, so Gliscor snipped off a branch of those and returned to the cave with them. He spent much of that night doing a thorough job of grooming, something he didn't get many chances for. Although he watched Uxie, his companion didn't awaken.

Another day passed that Gliscor slept through, but Uxie still hadn't awoken as the bat checked around for signs of a promising wind to the south. He wasn't giving off that aura of weakness, so that had improved. Since the winds didn't seem favorable, Gliscor flew along the lake.

About midnight, he spotted Uxie hovering about inside. He called a friendly greeting, to which Uxie responded in kind. Then there were those images again. In the next day, or maybe the one after that, he expected to be gone to the sacred mountain to meet with his siblings. They would stop the major problems from starting. He also thanked Gliscor for his care and watch.

He even guessed at Gliscor's strange ideas, for he also said that he was a muse, which apparently was a Pokemon that inspired others simply by his presence. In particular, he was a muse of intelligence and cleverness. That inspiration would continue for the rest of Gliscor's life, as a gift of thanks. Then Uxie instructed him on where and at what height to catch a wind to the south. And if he would like to continue helping, Uxie also gave him the location that the young Gligar was currently at, recovering from his ordeal.

That seemed like a good plan. Gliscor and Uxie said goodbye to each other in their native tons, then went their separate ways.

...

Gliscor Platinum entry: If it succeeds in catching even a faint breeze properly, it can circle the globe without flapping once.

Uxie HG/SS entry: According to some sources, this Pokemon provided people with the intelligence necessary to solve various problems.


	159. Relicanth

The ocean waters were dark blue, contrasting the light blue skies above. Both were still. Below, small ripples showed the ocean remained active, but undisturbed. Above, there were no clouds, just a slow breeze that kept things from being stifling. The sun kept at a lazy pace in crossing the sky. Pokemon of the area were quiet. All in all, it was a sleepy passive day.

Near a small sandy island, a rough brown and tan fish Pokemon stayed at the surface of the water. The Relicanth was usually found at the bottom of the seas, but this one, named Dusty, was living under a human Trainer. He had grown accustomed to living at the surface of the water. As he ate microscopic plankton, food was no problem. It was a different kind of plankton, but just as edible. It didn't bother him.

Not much bothered him at all. Dusty knew that his kind was ancient. as long as the seas had been here, so had the Relicanths. At least, that's what his kind always said. And in all that time, they had never changed. They had never evolved, until some hyped up Pokemon that changed forms repeatedly for very short lives. A Relicanth could live a long time, and it would never change. They had never changed.

And thus, nothing was a surprise. Dusty could always know that if anything happened, some member of his race had probably seen it before. They had existed for a hundred million years, or so it was said. Because of that, some member of the Relicanth kind had to have seen some strange thing. In all, they had probably seen everything under the sun. Nothing should be a surprise and Dusty lived by that philosophy.

Like right now. Dusty's Trainer was kicking back in a reclining lawn chair, taking a nap. Said lawn chair was on top of the sea's waters. Attached to the bottom and sides of the chair were metal pipes, which made a support structure. That structure was attached to a harness, which the Relicanth was wearing around his body. With Dusty holding onto the lawn chair in this manner, the human could be there safely for hours at a time. Dusty did not mind. He simply stayed at the surface, lazily filtering plankton into his mouth.

The human was currently fishing, which meant he was leaving a line in the water as an excuse to take a long nap. An umbrella attached to the lawn chair helped shade his head from the sun. On this quiet sleepy day, it was the perfect opportunity for such kinds of fishing. They might catch something, or they might catch nothing. It didn't really matter. Restful days like this were necessary.

A splash interrupted the quiet day. The Relicanth opened his small eyes to see a bright blue Chinchou floating next to him. With its antenna bulbs flickering, she smiled. 'Hi there! Can I ask you something, huh, huh?"

Taking a deep breath, Dusty replied, "What is it?"

"So I've seen this line and hook hanging in the water for a long long time and I just wanted to know, what're you fishing for? Are you fishing for a partner? Cause I think I'd be good in battles! I'm looking for a Trainer. Is yours looking for a Chinchou like me?" she looked over hopefully, turning disappointed when the man was still sleeping.

"Hmmm… nope. We're fishing for dinner."

The Chinchou's eyes went wide. "What? You're looking to eat somebody? That's terrible, awful… you evil predators!" She dove back underwater in a fright.

Dusty just closed his eyes again. There was nothing to get worked up about in that exchange. Even discounting the fact that he couldn't eat anything he could see, predators were a natural part of life. It had happened since the beginning of time, since the Relicanth kind had been about. So, what was surprising about fishing for a meal? He quietly ignored the short chat.

Overhead, a Wingull flew by and landed on the man's umbrella. He squawked. "Oh my. Long flight. May I rest here, buddy?"

"I've got no problems with that," Dusty replied slowly.

A group of Magikarp then came swimming by. They were leaping out of the water, laughing and cheering. "That was awesome! We did great!"

"Yeah!" another called. "We'll be super-powered Magikarps in no time now!"

"I doubt that," the Wingull muttered.

Dusty watched the red fish swim on. It was nothing new. After all, everyone wanted to be more powerful in one way or another. He was just more concerned about relaxing today. His Trainer kept sleeping.

Time passed. A Coast Guard ship went by on its daily patrol. An actual fishing boat, this one carrying an impressive Wailord, passed them by. A party boat passed a short time later, all decorated with streamers, balloons, and signs congratulating someone's birthday. Ignoring anyone else who might be nearby, they shot off noisy bottle rockets and roman candles.

The Wingull covered his head with his wings. "Ugh. What's up with that racket? Some of us are sleeping here!"

Wondering, Dusty looked back at his Trainer. The man was still asleep. Grumbling a bit, but he wasn't letting the noise bother him. "It's nothing new," the Relicanth said. "Such things pass by often."

"With fireworks?" the Wingull grumbled.

"Not always. But it has happened before."

A short time later, someone's voice broke the quiet. "Row, row, row our boat… come on, we need to get to the meeting location!"

Dusty opened his eyes to see a wooden rowboat with three people in it. They were all wearing distinctive blue hoodies. Of the three, only two were actually rowing. "Can't you take a turn?" one of the rowers complained.

"Yeah, we've been at this since Lilycove," the other added.

"Can't," the third said. "I hurt my elbow pretty bad back there, so I don't want to break it. And since I'm the most important member of our trio, I must be exempt."

"So you say. Did you hurt it intentionally?"

"Of course not! Why would I hurt myself like that? And quit slacking. We've got more sea to cover."

Strange. But nothing new, Dusty considered. People were like that, both human and Pokemon.

"What're those twits thinking, crossing the Hoenn sea in a rowboat?" the Wingull asked. "They're going to get stranded."

"People do dumb things, it's not surprising," Dusty replied.

A minute later, while the rowboat was still struggling onward, a blaring siren of the Coast Guard ships pierced the air. The trio in the rowboat stopped, then tried to rush on in a panic. Then the party boat came back by, going at its full speed. No fireworks were being shot this time. Just behind them was the Coast Guard boat, screaming at them through a loudspeaker to stop in the name of Hoenn marine law. The two large boats passed by Dusty with his lawn-chair harness and the smaller rowboat without stopping.

"What's that about?" the Wingull grumbled. "I don't see how your human is getting any sleep."

"He does," Dusty said. "They probably got in trouble because of the fireworks."

After some time, the Coast Guard boat, the party boat, and even the rowboat moved on (the last to continued complaints from the 'leader' and the rowers). Dusty stayed where he was. The fishing line hadn't been tugged on at all during that afternoon, but there was no order to move. As the day quieted, it seemed like all was well.

Then a strange green and violet Pokemon crashed out of the ocean, looking back in a fright. The Wingull squawked in surprise. "Oh my gosh, is that the new immortal Pokemon Deoxys?"

"That's no big deal," Dusty said.

"No big deal?" the Wingull asked. "But it's a new immortal. Only the most powerful of Pokemon can become immortal."

"My kind has been around for a hundred million years," Dusty told him. "We've seen immortals come and go. It's nothing new."

Then a second immortal Pokemon, the small blue Manaphy, popped out of the water. "Aw come on!" she cried. "It's only for one day."

"No, absolutely not!" Deoxys stated, drawing back. "I'm not doing it."

"But it's for a good cause," she added, making her antenna orb flicker with disappointment.

He twitched in response. "I am not wearing a ball gown! You won't talk me into this one." He then vanished from the scene.

"Aw phooey." Manaphy dove back underwater.

There was a moment of silence. "What the fudge was that about?" the Wingull asked, his beak agape.

"It's got nothing to do with us," Dusty said calmly. "So don't worry."

The Wingull flew off the umbrella and came to circle over him. "Does anything surprise you?"

"Not much," he answered, shaking himself.

At that movement, his Trainer finally woke up. "Hmm? Is somethin' on the line?" He reeled back in and looked at the bait on the hook. "Bah."

"Honey!" A woman came down the beach from the house on the small sandy island nearby. "Are you going to have supper in tonight?"

"Mimi, your cooking is so bad, I can't even use it as fishing bait," the man called back.

Dusty's eyes popped open. "What? Did he seriously just say that?"

Back on shore, the woman got angry and yelled back at them. Apparently they were stuck outdoors tonight until they caught a new meal.

...

Ruby entry: Relicanth is a Pokemon species that existed for a hundred million years without ever changing its form. This ancient Pokemon feeds on microscopic organisms with its toothless mouth.


	160. Espeon, Castform

Watching the rain coat the window, Sarah the Espeon twitched her tail. She disliked rainy days, as it meant she wouldn't be going outside for a walk. Thankfully, she lived inside the building she worked at. She didn't have to go out in the rain. She still didn't like it.

As the playing song started on its ending, she turned from the window and hopped back onto a chair, then to the desk. The radio station's program was blinking, so she tapped the screen to let it know she was there. Soon, a Castform drifted to her side. "Warooo?"

"Yes, it's almost your turn," she told him.

He gurgled in excitement and twisted the top of his water droplet form around. As it was raining, he was blue with his rainy form. He liked the rain much better than her, since it was an opportunity to use this form.

However, she didn't have time to reply just then. She turned to the seat where a black box was sitting. This was an artificial human voice, something a local inventor wanted tested. While the radio station had meant to use it as a joke, Sarah found it to have immense potential. With her psychic powers, she could manipulate the voice box. She couldn't telepath over radio waves. But she now had a human voice to use.

As the station screen started showing its broadcast warning, Sarah focused on the voice box. "And that was The Spinda Twist by the Reynolds Brothers Band," the box stated in what seemed to be a normal human woman's voice. "A good wake-up call to any of you sleepyheads still snoozing, right? This is Sarah's Morning Sun Morning Show on 99.4 FM from our studio in Vermillion City, Kanto region. For those of you getting ready to head out, here's your traffic report with Cindy. How's it looking out there?"

By memory, Sarah tapped the screen with one tip of her forked tail, letting the line open up to their traffic correspondent. Cindy was one of the morning show's human workers, although only the two Pokemon were in the studio. "Well the rain has many roads and routes slick, so be careful heading out. Visibility is cut in the heaviest sections of the storm, so take a few extra minutes to get to work or school safely. Car traffic is slow around the bypass, while foot traffic is down to a minimum. But if you Trainers are determined, you may find rain and mud loving Pokemon along the unpaved routes. Just bring your mud boots and umbrellas."

Sarah then hit the screen button again to cut off that line. "All right, thank you Cindy. Sounds like a good day to go fishing for Water Pokemon! Next, we have our weather forecast with our weather Castform Ray. What've we got in store for the rest of the day, Ray?"

"Waaarra!" The Castform drifted over to another screen, which gave them forecasts from a weather station. But it was only a guideline. Between the two of them, the given forecast was modified to something more accurate. Ray felt weather in his every watery molecule, while Sarah could sense it with her powers, gem, and whiskers. "Weh do raaa oo rasaa wrep wess weddo wraah."

She knew what he was saying, but the human listeners wouldn't. "It seems the rain will continue through the morning, tapering off into scattered showers for the rest of the day. Western parts of Kanto should start seeing clear skies by noon, while eastern Kanto will remain mostly cloudy until evening."

"Waadda!" Ray exclaimed, then chattered on.

"Ah, and Cinnibar, Fuschia, and the sea routes surrounding them are under a fog advisory until eleven in the morning. You residents know this already, but anyone planning to travel to these areas may wish to hold off until the fog clears. As you know, a fog advisory means that you may be able to clear a certain area with Defog, but the moisture content is too high to fully clear visibility. So don't be reckless even if you have a defogging Pokemon with you."

Ray then went on. He liked the radio business too. Then again, he just liked being given an excuse to talk. Sarah took advantage of that to give him his own comedy segment of the morning show. The Castform was familiar enough with buttons and touch screen computers that she could give him a variety of sound clips, bites, and samples to spice up his talks with. While humans found it a positive and endearing part of the show, Pokemon listeners found him hilarious. She never translated his chats, but few listeners made serious complaints about that.

Sarah did translate all of his weather forecast segments. "Tomorrow and Friday should be partly cloudy with mild temperatures, but the rains will return on the weekend. Ray says if you have any plans for then, you'd better have rain gear or alternate plans then."

"Weez whe ran ah."

"Oh yes, and if you have any rain loving Pokemon like our Ray, you might want to let them outside today to enjoy the wet weather. Any who dislike the wet would rather stay indoors."

Sarah's whiskers then twitched. Something was up. Listening to her psychic senses, she could tell that a competitor at another morning show was trying to steal their audience and was trying to call them in order to discredit them. If she wanted to keep her (and Ray's) job, they needed to address this competitor directly.

She felt confident that she could do so. 'We have trouble on the line," she warned her partner. 'Don't lose your temper.'

Ray bobbed in the air, showing his agreement.

Taking control of the voice box, she stated over the air, "Okay, and let's take a call from one of our listeners. We'll take… this line." She flicked her tail to choose the line the competitor was on. "Good morning, this is Sarah and Ray..."

"Warroooo!"

"…of 99.4 FM. Who is this?"

"Hey, this is Bub," a man's voice replied, using a fake name. "I gotta question for ya."

"Ask away," she replied politely.

"Is it true that you've got no humans working for your show?"

"That is false," Sarah replied. After all, Cindy was human so the Espeon wasn't completely lying. "What makes you think that?"

"Well you've got that chatty Castform and you translate what he says. It takes a Pokemon to understand Pokemon speech."

"Whe ba do," Ray commented, making a dismissive gesture with his rainy frill.

"I'm a trained psychic," she stated. "And, as he said, I am familiar enough with him that I know exactly what he's saying. Besides, if all of us were humans, how would any of our human listeners understand us?"

"Well there's talking Pokemon; I bet you're a trained Kadabra."

"Fizzzzit.'

"The powers of a Kadabra tend to mess with electronics, so they can't work in a radio station," Sarah pointed out. "You should know that, Larry."

He was startled for a bit, then said, "I'm Bob."

"Actually, you said you were Bub. But you're really Larry of the morning show over at 102.9 FM, right?" After a moment of silence, the Espeon smugly added, "I did say I was a trained psychic."

"You're still a Pokemon," he said, getting mad.

"Now think about that. We know there are Pokemon trained to speak the human language. However, to become fluent in that language, Pokemon often must sacrifice a good portion of their natural powers. If I were a Pokemon, in order to speak the language as a native speaker, I shouldn't have the ability to tell who you really are over the telephone." That did not take into account the advanced speaking box, but few people knew about that.

"You've got some trickery going on," he muttered. "And I'll prove it someday!" He hung up.

"Pbbbbbbt," Ray blew a raspberry.

Sarah smiled. "That's about what I think of that call too. Anyhow, shall we have a song to cheer everyone up after that troublemaker's call? How about Combee Boogie?"

On the voice command, the computer would automatically bring up that song. After a chirp of approval from Ray, Sarah tapped the screen to play that song.

...

Castform D/P/P entry: Its appearance changes with the weather. Recently, its molecules were found to be just like water.

Espeon Fire Red entry: By reading air currents, it can predict things like the weather or its foe's next move.


	161. Absol, Blaziken

Many years ago, a terrible tragedy was overlooked. A family of Absols had come into the city, to warn the citizens of a great earthquake that was coming. They had done such things before, but since they always appeared before disaster struck, humans did not trust them. And that time, a criminal that was looking to gain a façade of public support decided to take advantage of them. Claiming that the Absols were the ones to blame for the disasters, he and his thugs ambushed the three and killed the two parents. They thought they had killed the young male, but he had somehow survived. Such was the cruelty of humans.

The young Absol managed to struggle away. He fled back to their mountain home, at first cursing the humans and declaring that he would no longer go into the city. To him, it didn't matter if there were more disasters. The death of his parents was the greatest disaster to him. as he was weakened, he was unable to make it back to his family's den and collapsed on the side of the road. A human family found and took pity on him. They brought him back to their home and nursed him back to health. Such was the kindness of humans.

The young Absol still went into the mountains, but was now conflicted. Were humans kind or cruel? He watched them for many years, coming to the conclusion that they were both. Pokemon were the same way; some were exceptionally kind and some were exceptionally cruel. It never matter what they were, a being could be either way.

In that time, he found the criminal who had murdered his parents. He was still a cruel man, so the Absol fought and killed him in revenge. And he decided on what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to protect the kind and innocent ones from those who were cruel, the criminals who did not care for the sacredness of life. However, people were still superstitious of his kind, so the Absol hunted at night, when he could hide in the shadows and ambush the criminals.

He would be a silent hero, the dark knight.

* * *

-+-

Some beings were exceptionally cruel. And then there were the mad ones. There were those who made cruelty a game, who liked to see others in pain. He was one of those, the most insane of them all. Some who saw him would think he was a hero among Pokemon: strong, tall, quite handsome. But this Blaziken was no hero.

There he was on the streets, juggling five balls to the amusement of a few pedestrians. He was amused by the way most were drawn to him, thinking he must be friendly because he was a Blaziken. But did they not know, his kind had developed to be blood fighters, those who gave no quarter, no mercy? True, much of his kin had calmed down from that state. It was a pity. But he wasn't like them.

He had made his way to the front of an apparel store, having gathered a decent following. He pressed a hidden button on one of his juggling balls, flipped it into the air, caught it, then tossed it out to one of his audience members. The man caught it, then noticed it had a blinking red light. The ball exploded in his hands, injuring him and several others.

The crowd gathered froze, not understanding why a simple juggling act had turned into a dangerous explosion. The Blaziken caught the four other balls and pressed their buttons, causing all four to start blinking red. Understanding that, the crowd screamed and tried to run away from him. He tossed two of the grenades after the fleeing pedestrians, then the other two at the apparel store. Within seconds of each other, the four grenade balls exploded, causing even more mayhem.

Did he have anything against this particular store? Not really. He just wanted to spread the fear, the panic. It gave him a delicious sensation of power and chaos. With him around as the destructive joker of the city, nothing would be dull. Everyone would move, holding inside a fear that this twisted Blaziken could strike anytime, anywhere.

He stepped into the wrecked store, deciding to set the clothes on fire and take what money they had here. It probably wasn't the most efficient way to perform a robbery, or the most profitable. However, it was a great show, he told himself. Entertainment was important too.

A slam in the back caught him by surprise. The Blaziken spun about, throwing his arm out to attack his attacker. But he dodged; it was an Absol, landing gracefully after his dodging hop. "Oh it's you again," the Blaziken said with a sneer. "The dark knight, as the newspapers call you."

Without responding, the Absol rushed at him, dark energy glowing about his scythe horn. The Blaziken caught it and attempted a counter strike with a blazing kick. But the Absol once again skipped right out of his range.

"You know you don't stand a chance against me," the Blaziken taunted. "Your attempts are amusing in being doomed to failure. So why don't we make this a game, huh?" He pulled out more off his ball grenades and tossed them at the Absol. He was a four-paw walker, so there was no way he could juggle like him.

Or so he thought. The dark knight Pokemon lowered his stance, then caught a grenade ball on the bottom of his scythe, then snapped his head around to roll it along the horn and launch it right back at the Blaziken, causing it to explode on him. He then nimbly dodged the rest of the grenades.

He was furious… but he laughed. "Nice one," he said harshly. "Why don't we ramp it up some?" He brought his fists up, but instead of punching, he caused flaming sparks to gather at his wrists. Bringing his fists together, he launched a wide stream of fire at the Absol. A number of clothing racks went up in flames. But the Absol did not.

Instead, the cunning creature rolled under the rush of fire, then put himself under a round clothing rack and stood up sharply, tossing the rack off him. It seemed to have no purpose. That is, until it landed on Blaziken, catching him in the blazing metal ring. By this point, the store's fire alarms were wailing along with the burglary alarms, setting off the overhead sprinklers. The water hissed and steamed as it hit around him, making his feathers damp and giving him great discomfort. Growling, the Blaziken looked around. But the Absol was nowhere to be found in the burning store.

Then there was a click behind him. He spun around in time to see the Absol with a specialty fire extinguisher in his grasp. It had been made so that assistant Pokemon, even four-paw walkers like him, could wield them against unexpected fires. Turning it on, the Absol sprayed him down with white foam.

Shrieking in horror, the Blaziken attempted to flee. Normally he'd stand his ground, but not against the foam. If it got onto his arms where some of his fire-making organs were, it would seep under his skin and get right into those specialty organs. He wouldn't be able to produce flames for weeks in that condition. And it made Fire Pokemon terribly ill too. Most heroes would avoid using such methods. But not the dark knight here.

By the time he fought the clothing rack off him and fled the store, three police cars had arrived. The Blaziken was coated in the white foam; he could feel it trying to get under his skin. Under normal circumstances, he could leap clear to the roof of this clothing store and run away. But not with the foam coating him like this. Knowing that he wouldn't find a sympathetic Pokecenter otherwise, he allowed the police Pokemon to zap him into paralysis and take him into custody. They would, in their misguided form of courtesy, clean up the foam and heal its inflammations. Then he would escape and be ready to cause more havoc.

The Absol came out of the store, having dropped the fire extinguisher inside. He made sure that the criminal was captured. When the commanding officer on the scene started to come his way, the Absol instead fled into the night. Modest as always, he let them take care of things from there.

The dark knight had other disasters to stop.

...

Blaziken FR/LG entry: When facing a tough foe, it looses flames from its wrists. Its powerful legs let it jump clear over buildings.

Absol Platinum entry: Rumored to sense disasters with its horn, it became a target. It fled deep into the mountains.


	162. Azelf, Slakoth

Sometimes, being a muse was a bad thing.

Azelf certainly felt that way. His body felt heavy and his head was pounding. Was he angry? No, he told himself, I can't get angry. He struggled against losing his temper, knowing that if he did, he would sap the willpower of those around him instead of boosting it. That was the sort of thing that made him glad that he, a Pokemon whose temper was very hard to provoke, was the one with this power and not some high-strung creature who might misuse or abuse it.

And he had found someone he wanted to inspire. Since he had been awakened from his long hibernation by Galactic, he had been curious about how the world had changed. Thus, he went on a trek to various lands, seeing how things were. A couple of days ago, he had come upon this city. It was massive, with steel and glass skyscrapers all around. Traveling invisibly so no one knew of his presence directly, Azelf had explored the city in a sense of wonder. Human willpower had certainly not faded in the time that he had slept.

Not that long ago, he had come across this young man who intrigued him. Being the Psychic he was, Azelf saw that although he worked a mundane job, this guy was also a writer and wanted to write and publish a great novel. Or even more than that. The trouble was, he would start off strong with a fresh idea, but eventually run out of steam and lose the will to continue. He had lots of partial works, but he was stuck on every single one of them.

Azelf had always stirred the willpower to those around him. It didn't take long for him to decide to tag along after this writer for the weekend. Thus far, he had not been noticed. But his inspiration was there, pushing the writer into finishing something. If the immortal Pokemon just stayed near him, then he would be able to do so. He would also find his inner willpower to finish any other uncompleted projects.

This had the side effect of inspiring everyone in the building that the writer lived in. That in itself wasn't bad. In fact, it would be good for most of them. One teenager got the will to ask a girl out when he had been uncertain before. A woman got the will to ask about a promotion, which she seemed to deserve. Another man got the nerve to start his own business.

However, the muse of willpower had also inspired the man who owned the metal shop downstairs to get to work on his dream motorcycle project instead of putting off yet again. The building did not have a good soundproofing system, so the buzz of his saws, the whine of metals, the slamming of machines, it all drifted up to the writer's apartment, only one floor above the metal shop's work floor. The writer merely blocked the noise out with a pair of sound-canceling headphones so he could keep working while his inspiration was strong.

How did that machinist below get away with putting apartments over his metal shop? Azelf gritted his teeth as another sharp sound of the power tools broke through, causing the pain in his head to pulse. He had strong willpower himself, of course. But even willpower wasn't always strong enough to combat fatigue. Thus far on his explorations, he had been too excited to really sleep. It was taking its toll on his body, which was pleading to be allowed some sleep. But his spirit was also drained; being a muse to so many people took a lot of energy from him, but he'd forgotten that after years of hibernation. And then his mind had to add into his misery by getting too sensitive and shouting out messages of pain at every loud noise.

For Azelf, this was a very bad day.

He tried hiding under a pillow, but that hadn't helped much. Azelf grumbled, but left the bed to try to think of some way to stop that noise without breaking up everyone's inspiration. Don't get angry. His psychic senses finally gave him notice of something. Another Pokemon on this floor was stirring. Knowing that the writer would still be in range of his inspiriting affect, Azelf teleported into another apartment to find that Pokemon.

In that apartment, he found a Slakoth. A tan and brown Pokemon with sleepy brown eyes, she was shuffling over to her food dish, not even bothering to fully get up on all fours. Azelf normally was frustrated by these Pokemon. They didn't do much of anything most of their days. Even their hyper stage of being a Vigoroth rarely had the willpower to do anything productive with their vast energy. But something about this one got his attention. Floating over to her, he said, "Hello."

She stopped to turn her head up at him. "Oh, hello. Are you a robber?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just visiting. I'm Azelf."

"Oh. Good. I'm a Slakoth, called Lazy Daizy." She pushed herself forward the last couple of feet.

"I see. Hey, I was wondering… I felt you asleep earlier." Another high-pitched metal whine caused him to wince. "How on earth can you sleep with that racket going on downstairs? I've felt weary today, but I just can't sleep with that noise he's making."

"That?" She paused to grab a handful of her Pokemon kibble, then ate it thoughtfully. Azelf waited. After several minutes, Daizy said, "You could say that I have a will to sleep."

"Will?" Azelf blinked, then started laughing hard enough that he clutched his stomach.

Daizy blinked back at him. "Was it that funny?"

"P-probably not," he replied, smiling as he rubbed his head. "I guess I'm just that tired. I wouldn't have thought about it in that way. I have the will to do a lot of things, but not really to sleep. I don't like sloth." Which did not count against his long hibernation, he reminded himself. He had been busy then too. With his siblings, he had maintained a divide that kept the sparring Dialga and Palkia separated. The two of them seemed to be getting along, so the three of them could give up that duty.

Yawning, the Slakoth started back to her bed. "I know I'm sluggish," she said. "It's just how we were made. I don't let it bother me. But I do get up from time to time. You shouldn't have too much sleep. Or too little."

"Yeah. Especially when I'll need to leave in a while." Willpower was good. But like sleep, it was possible to have too much like it was possible to have too little. If Azelf hung around on particular person too long, he or she would become so driven to do something that it could drive them insane. And if he lost his temper due to being tired and cranky, he could sap so much willpower from those around him that they would be little better than statues, unable to bring themselves to do anything.

Azelf yawned, letting his eyes start to close and his tails still. There was another shriek of the power tools downstairs, which hurt him again. However, he was feeling oddly drowsy. Or was that the will to sleep?

"You can stay here for a while and rest, if that'll help you," Lazy Daizy said, getting back into her blanket-lined basket. It was too big for her, so even sprawling around she only took up one side. "When my human gets back, I'll keep her distracted from noticing you. I'll have the energy to do that."

"Yeah, okay… thanks Daizy." Azelf drifted down onto a pillow on the other half of the basket and curled down there. Somehow, the noise of the metal shop below didn't bother him anymore. He was soon fast asleep.

...

Slakoth D/P/P entry: It spends nearly all its time in a day sprawled out. Just seeing it makes one drowsy.

Platinum entry: When Azelf flew, people gained the determination to do things. It was the birth of willpower.


	163. Ponyta, Roserade

The Wild West… an untamed harsh wilderness that often tested people and Pokemon to their limits. In these wide lands, towns were few and far between, at the mercy of local law or lawlessness. One had to be tough to live here. And the town of Lawrence reflected that. The streets were made of packed dirt, although little whirls of dust came up in the winds. The wooden buildings were both sun-bleached and storm-worn. While most of the people were friendly, they were always on the watch for trouble.

In the center of town, there is a place called The Squeaky Wheel. As Lawrence's only saloon, it shared both a dubious reputation and a status as the town's main social gathering place. The left front window was boarded up, having been broken in a bar brawl a couple nights back, but a couple of the older men of town sat in the shade of the porch playing chess. At the watering trough up front, a Ponyta waited patiently, flicking his flame tail every now and then to torch any flies that attempted to bother him. He wasn't tied down like that Stantler near him, but Blaise was behaved enough that he could be trusted to wait.

Blaise the Ponyta was known throughout the Wild West, but not for his own deeds. No, Blaise was owned by one of the greatest heroes of the prairielands. This man was the sharpest shooter, the bravest ranger, the roughest man in an unarmed fist fight despite the fact that he would have made Napoleon feel tall. Because he travels the lands all of his days, he is called the Wandering Pistol, an ex-cowboy who is never in the same town twice in one year.

Many tales are told of the Wandering Pistol, of how he survived alone in a heated gun battle against twelve thieves, of how he rescued a wagon train from attack when they didn't even know he was there, of how he didn't even let the threat of a nearby twister to help others to safety. And many tales will be told; many adventures are yet left for our hero. What plans does he have for today? What epic deeds will be done, what justice will be served? We will follow our grand hero today as he…

Um, as he…

Where is the Wandering Pistol?

Blaise flicked his ears up as the saloon doors came open, but it wasn't his human owner who came out. It was his Pokemon partner, Rosie the Roserade. Unbothered by the growing heat, she hopped onto a nearby post and balanced in a cross-legged sitting position there. She patted Blaise's snout, where his fires weren't emitted. "Morning."

Excuse me Rosie, but where's the Wandering Pistol?

Raising her leafy eyebrows, she glanced up. Blaise snorted, shaking his head. In response, Rosie put her head in her hand roses. "Oh drat. Today's the day we've got the narrator."

Is something wrong? I was told there would be an adventure to narrate today.

"Hmph." She put her hands down in her lap. "There might still be. But he's still asleep."

Asleep, this late into the morning? But most of the people around here have been up for hours already. I wasn't told that I'd be following a night owl.

As Blaise stamped his foot in irritation, Rosie explained, "What's your target audience again? Anyhow, last night was kind of crazy, if you know what I mean. He's not injured, but he's not going to be quick to get up either. You might want to come back later."

Ah. Well I'm not narrating under 4Kids or anything, but thanks for the vagueness. It lets me get a wider audience. I'll do some more atmosphere passages to pass the time.

"Okay. Our plans should make up for that."

The lands around Lawrence were rich, promising farmers strong crops and healthy livestock. But it also hid dozens of dangers, making such agricultural wealth something to work hard and struggle for. In the wilds, there were microbugs, animals, and Pokemon that would venture into human territory to take the crops and the livestock for their own meals. The weather rarely cooperated, giving long periods of dry harshness only to drown everything in sporadic downpours. And past those natural dangers, there were the outlaws.

As towns were so distant and communications so slow, groups of bandits grew and thrived without restraint. These humans and Pokemon decided to forgo work by taking what hard-working homesteaders had spent all of their days on. Some simply stole crops to keep their idle lives, while others would take jewelry and tools, things that were almost irreplaceable on the meager income of the farmers. Because these bandits kept on the move, it was difficult for honest lawmen to discover their identities and arrest them to face the judgment of the courts. And the lawmen weren't always honest, adding fuel to the problem.

That is where the traveling heralds of justice like the Wandering Pistol would come in. These fearless crime fighters would follow the trails of the bandits, bringing them to swifter justice. In these cases, the courts were often not called upon. But the homesteaders who got their things back were satisfied that the bandits were gone. At least, those bandits were gone.

It was now high noon, when shadows are minuscule and most folks are indoors to catch a break from the sun, along with a hearty lunch. Outside The Squeaky Wheel saloon, Blaise the Ponyta was still quiet and waiting, on his own now. His coat was slightly tan from the dusts of travel, but his flames still held a vibrant healthy red. Looking for ways to pass the time, he paced about and stomped on small pebbles with his hooves, made of a wondrous material that was hardened to a point beyond that of diamonds. After a few stomps, the pebbles were little more than the dust already whirling about the streets.

In an angered mood, Rosie the Roserade flung open the doors hard enough to cause the chess pieces of the nearby board to topple. She took a moment to drop a bag into a nearby cart, then got back up on the post and sighed. "Ms. Narrator? Are you around now?"

Yes I am. What's got you all flamed up?

In response, Blaise jerked his head up and snorted. He shook his head and stamped his foot. He was the Fire Pokemon of the pair, after all, so he should be the flamed one.

"Don't take it personally, Blaise," Rosie said. "It's how narrators talk. Anyhow, we finally got Mr. Pistol up and doing more than grumbling and complaining. I told him you were here."

Excellent. Do I get to do a grand introduction finally? I'll make it really over the top!

Still standing there, she put her rose hands on her hips. "I'm afraid not. At least, maybe not quite as grand as you'd like, given he looks something of a mess at the moment. And the adventure I thought we were doing… we're not doing it."

Not an adventure today? I guess it would be plotting to do one, then. He did hire me for a week.

"Oh dear," she grumbled softly. Then she shook her head and spoke up. "No, not even that. It turns out there's going to be a poker tournament soon, and he wants you to narrate him through that."

A poker tournament? I guess so. I mean, I'd have to take precautions against being heard like I am now, so that I didn't go announcing everyone's hands and messing up the games that way. And the people back East would have loved a Wild West adventure instead. But hey, I could do it…

Blaise whinnied, to which Rosie said, "He says that you don't sound enthused."

I've already been paid, so I'll do it. I don't think many people would be interested in hearing about a poker tournament. I'm sure it's more interesting to actually participate in. Then again, I was once hired to narrate a Slowpoke race.

"That sounds horridly boring," Rosie commented. "I think he was counting on hearing you to know what cards everyone else had. Or, if you wouldn't do that, then winning on the basis that he has a narrator and nobody else does."

He's got that completely wrong. I won't make his luck any better or worse. I'll just report it as it happens. Sure, it could be edited later to make him win, but that wouldn't make him actually win.

"That's what I told him. But then I thought of something that you might be interested in…" she stopped, looking down the street. "Hey, you're a narrator. Notice anything?"

Yeah, my plot senses are giving me alerts. So then…

A man in a ten-gallon hat and brown clothes approached the saloon. He carried with him a pistol and a knife. Stopping in the road, he greeted a comrade who was sitting on the porch of the store facing The Squeaky Wheel. "Hey, has the Wandering Pistol been around?"

Putting down his guitar, he nodded and pointed across the street. "Yeah, he's still in there. Haven't seen him leave."

"Hmm, right, and those are his Pokemon…" the man scowled. "And he's owed me money for months now. I know if I go in there, he'll just swindle me into some poker match. Unless…" he looked at Blaise and Rosie thoughtfully.

Smirking some, the Roserade pretended not to hear him by dancing around on the post. The man came up to Blaise, to look him over and figure out some way of capturing him. But although the Ponyta wasn't developed enough to speak like his partner, he was no idiot. When he got too close, Blaise quickly kicked out his back legs, nailing the man in the stomach and knocking him to the ground.

Rosie snickered. "You should've expected that," she taunted. "Even the most novice Pokemon thief knows not to approach a target from behind."

Without warning, the doors to The Squeaky Wheel slammed open again. This time, it was a short man with black hair and a heavy tan. "Rosie! Blaise!"

The Ponyta snorted and stamped his hoof impatiently. On her post, Rosie put her rose hands together. "Oh Pistol, there you are," she said with exaggerated sweetness. "You're just in time to…"

"You're stealing my narrator!" the Wandering Pistol shouted at the two Pokemon. "I hired him…"

Her.

"Her to account for my great triumphs! Not so you two can show off."

"Um, this guy here," she pointed to the cowboy, who was still crumpled on the ground, groaning in pain, "was just trying to steal us. Aren't you going to do your heroism thing and save us?"

Blaise tossed his fiery mane and held his head proudly. As if they needed any more saving, he thought. He had nailed the thief himself.

"Don't try to avoid the issue," the Wandering Pistol argued. "You're supposed to be my troopers, my support. Not the spotlight stealers taking my narrator from me."

Rosie glowered at him. "Well if you were a suitable western star," she lashed out with a vine whip, snapping its thorny end at a point two feet from him. The human still jumped back. "Then maybe you wouldn't have to hire a narrator to cover up the blemishes of your horrid reputation."

In response, the wanderer snarled at her. "You ingrateful animal. I don't know why I put up with you sometimes. I should have just left you to some whiny little girl."

Um, Pistol? I came here at eight in the morning, just as you said, and you weren't here. So I was waiting on you to leave the saloon and set off on an adventure.

He shook his head, dismissing the Pokemon for now. "I don't need to go off somewhere to make my triumph. Get in here; things are about to start." Then he went back into the saloon.

Despite possible internal bleeding and maybe broken bones, the would-be Pokemon thief got unsteadily to his feet. "Hey you… jerk! You owe me money!" He stumbled his way into the saloon.

And that would be your average day in the Wild West…

"Yeah, pretty much," Rosie said, getting an agreeing whinny from Blaise. "But as I was saying, it's good to be a loyal Pokemon, unless of course your Trainer is absolute crud like that. What I propose is that we do steal you as a narrator and make a daring escape."

Daring escape, huh?

"It is a bit chancy, as I can't guarantee that he'll come after us, even if we take you. But we'd actually be going out and doing the hero stuff, not him. Right Blaise?"

The Ponyta reared up for a second in anticipation, causing his flames to burn larger than usual.

That does sound more interesting. Besides, he did pay me in advance. Let's go.

Cheering, the Roserade twirled off the post, then ran over to the cart with her partner. It had a long brace that was made to go over the Ponyta's neck. As Rosie lifted it up, Blaise stepped into place and let her latch it into place under his torso. Then she got into the back of the cart. "Okay Blaise! We're breaking free!"

He neighed loudly, then bolted through the dirt streets and out of Lawrence. She hung onto the chariot cart, not fearing being burned by his fiery tail. What lie on the rough roads ahead of them, neither could tell. But they greeted this change with joy and cheer.

...

Ponyta Soul Silver entry: Its hind legs, which have hooves that are harder than diamond, kick back at any presence it senses behind it.

Roserade Pearl entry: With the movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips that are densely lined with poison thorns.


	164. Jynx, Mespirit

The scent of hot apple cider was enticing when put in contrast with the slight autumn nip in the air. Overhead, the trees were covered in bright leaves of red, orange, yellow, and even spots of violet. The dirt pathways were filled, though, as a festival was going on.

"Thank you," Sabrina said as the merchant handed her a cup of the apple cider. She looked to her two friends, who already had theirs. "How about we just walk around for a bit?"

"That sounds lovely," Erica said. "There's a lot of these little booths that are fun to check out. I saw one a little ways on that was selling little perfume jewelry."

Being the tomboy she was, Misty didn't look too interested in that. But she did laugh. "Don't you have enough fragrant Pokemon around in your Gym?"

Erica put a hand to her face. "True, but they would have some different scents. I hear a Carnivine's scent is quite alluring."

"And they use that scent to lure victims into their hidden jaws," Misty said, somewhere between fascination and disgust.

After taking a sip of the sweet spiced cider, Sabrina said, "Well let's get going; we don't want to block the walkway."

The three Gym Leaders walked around for some time, chatting and admiring the things around them. While they met often on League business, they didn't often get an off-day together like this. It made the festive day brighter and more fun to be with good friends.

At a crossroads, they came across a wooden stage where a group of nine Jynx were putting on a show. One of their Trainers was sitting nearby at a computer hooked up to an impressive stereo system to play the music these Pokemon liked to hear. The human-like Pokemon were having a grand time of it, twirling their red dresses, shaking their hips, flaunting their long blond hair, singing nonsensically, and doing their best to entice onlookers into dancing along with them. Quite a few were doing so, although none as expressively as the Jynx.

"How delightful," Erica said with a smile on her face. "As much as I don't like seeing them on my job, they're so graceful and lovely."

"Do you know what they're singing about?" Misty asked Sabrina. "They sound like they're speaking some foreign language."

"It's not a full on language," the psychic replied. "But they're basically singing that this is their happy song and dance, and that everyone should be happy and dance along with them. They like to have fun." She took a sip of cider, then added, "Even the fake one is singing the same thing."

Misty coughed on her drink, but managed to calm it quickly. Erica gave her a quizzical look. "The fake one?"

Sabrina nodded. "Listen closely. One of them sounds different. It's got the quality of a fairy-like Pokemon, not a human-like."

The other two women looked over the group of Jynx and notice that a different sounding voice could be heard, something higher-pitched and more exotic sounding. After a moment, Misty perked up and pointed out on near the back of the circle dance. "Oh, it must be that one! Her hair is lying oddly, like she doesn't have a rounded head."

"Yes, and her dress is fabricated," Erica added.

"How can you tell that?" Sabrina asked. "I noticed that she was pure Psychic, with no Ice."

The Grass leader chuckled softly. "I know some things about them too. Their dresses are like the petals on flowery Pokemon, and thus have a tendency to get ragged at the skirt's bottom. But that fake one, her hems are clean and well-defined, too perfect for even a Coordinator's Pokemon."

"Ah, I see. I wonder what they've got a fake Jynx in there for."

"Let's just ask," Misty said, then went over to the man controlling the sound. "Excuse me, but we had a question for you."

He looked up to them and soon recognized them. "Oh, yes, what is it?" he asked back, sitting up straight.

"Why've you got a fake dressed like the Jynx in with the rest? Could you not find nine of them?"

In the group, the fake one giggled, causing the others to do the same. They slowed their dances and watched the exchange between humans. This and the presence of three Gym Leaders got more pedestrians than usual to stop by the stage.

The man looked blank, then checked the group of Jynx. "A fake one? No, I'm sure they're all real."

"Kurrrriklurr," the fake warbled in a distinctly non-Jynx voice.

"Asha na va mi!" one of the others declared.

Sabrina pointed to the fake. "That one is not a Jynx. It's…" she focused on the Pokemon in question.

Intrigued, the Pokemon came closer to her. Now that she was, Sabrina could tell she had a different facial structure too, with an oval gem set into her forehead. There was deep violet makeup coating her face, done with such quality that it hinting at a clever mind. While her blond wig was secure, it did have bunches that came out at the back, not falling straight like the rest. She was a Psychic; that much Sabrina could tell. But as for what she was specifically, the Pokemon's mind seemed to dodge any metal prodding the human gave it.

"Sabrina?" Erica asked.

She blinked, breaking her concentration. "I'm not sure what she is. But she's not a Jynx."

"I wasn't told another kind of Pokemon was with the group," the man said. "Whoever did her up did a darn good job of it."

The play-acting Pokemon put her hands to her face and laughed. "Kuuusa karrrri whaar."

Surprised, Sabrina stared at the Pokemon. "You did it yourself? Just what are you? And what are you doing here?"

"Chi?" She twirled and made a flirty pose. Then she glanced at the eight Jynx.

"Chi cha kara no fae," one said, smiling. She raised both hands and waved them, soon followed by the rest. That was a sign between them for the one to give a solo dance.

Laughing and twirling again, the fake Jynx then curtsied to them, then waved a hand at the computer station. It brought up an instrumental song, much to the surprise of the man running the sound equipment. As the others cleared away, she waved to the crowd to listen. Then she danced along to the song, being convincingly like the actual Jynx.

Sabrina watched her for a moment, keeping her mental senses open to interpretation. Psychic Pokemon often spoke in two layers around humans, in their native voice and in a telepathic human language that sensitive people could interpret. In that, she got a sense of a name. "Mespirit…" she said, drawing a blank on what Pokemon that actually was.

But then Mespirit somehow latched onto her mind and opened a direct psychic connection to the human, all while not missing a st… not missing a move of her dance. Sabrina was shocked enough by this that she couldn't muster a defense against it in time. While she had linked this deeply with Pokemon before, it had always been ones that she knew well in the first place, ones she trusted and loved. Not a stranger Pokemon.

Yet she gave off a soothing presence. "There is no reason to deny fear," Mespirit said, not with her own voice, but with Sabrina's. "Fear is natural. Fear is good. But too much is just as bad as too little. You need not fear me. I mean you no harm."

Looking concerned, Erica moved closer to her. But Sabrina had enough of her own mind free to hold up her hand to stop her. This Pokemon seemed to have a reason behind its behaviors, and it was a benevolent one.

"I mean you all well," Mespirit continued.

Sabrina relaxed then, letting herself be hypnotized by the dance and by the Pokemon's power. It was like letting go of most of her restraints, giving in to pure emotions.

"Emotions," Mespirit said, falling into speaking with the music. "That is right. Don't deny… don't deny your true feelings. Let your heart speak. Listen to your heart speak. Your mind may lie to you. Your emotions will not lie. Your emotions will sing, sing if you allow them voice. Feel joy blossom; do not wither joy. Joy gives light to life.

"Do not deny sorrow. Sorrow may be pain. Pain must be expressed. Let your heart cry. The release of stress, it will build your soul. Sorrow may be shadow, but darkness is good. Life is dark and light. Time is day and night. Your soul must balance. Let your emotions free; let them be balance. Learn to live emotionally. Your soul will grow strong, your mind will grow strong, your self will grow strong. Let there be anger and let there be peace. All in equal balance, emotion in balance.

"Jynx live emotionally. Jynx know balance. Jynx dance in light, Jynx dance in dark. They are friends. I asked to dance, they welcomed me with pure hearts. Pure emotion hearts. Let your heart grow, grow like the Jynx, to pure emotion. To this world, I came to tell of this. To this place, I came to remind all. Let your emotions be."

Then, in one last whirl of red, Mespirit let go of Sabrina's mind. Then Mespirit was herself, a blue and pink pixie Pokemon without make-up, without a wig, without a dress. Holding a Jynx doll close, she twirled her twin tails and laughed merrily at the end of the song. The Jynx with her cheered and clapped, causing the audience to do the same. And in a sparkle of golden light, Mespirit vanished from view.

…

Mespirit Diamond entry: Known as the 'Being of Emotion', it taught humans the nobility of sorrow, pain, and joy.

Jynx Heart Gold entry: It rocks its body rhythmically. It appears to alter the rhythm depending on how it is feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the two year anniversary of this collection.


	165. Pichu, Shieldon

It was a gray, dismal, and hot evening. Rain poured down, but did little to alleviate the city's heat. Giving a sheen to the old brick buildings, the water came down into the alley and flooded its asphalt ground. Various piles of garbage were piled along one wall, including a number of cardboard boxes. He had taken shelter there during the storm. The Pichu sensed no lightning in the storm and the puddles were growing deep for him, so it all unnerved him.

He had been born not too far away, not too long ago. But then some terrifying Pokemon had attacked him and his mother. Driven to madness from some sickness, patches of the Pokemon's fur had been torn out, with red sores covering its body. The Pichu had gotten away; his mother had not been that lucky and was killed. What could he do now? He wasn't sure.

Earlier, he had come into this alley because something smelled good. He had been very hungry, so he went after it even though he had to tear through a plastic trash bag to get to it. Now his stomach felt bad and this rain had come. This was a miserable day; he wished his mother was there to help him. She'd never be with him again, though.

The cardboard box cracked. Looking up, the Pichu saw that the top was bending even more. It had all turned dark in being soaked, the middle part growing thin. Then it failed, dousing him with the rainwater that had collected on top.

Squealing, the Pichu rushed out of the box, sparks trailing behind him. Now what? There were other boxes in the alley, but if one broke, the others might too. He could try hiding under a porch but last time he tried it, a rather burly human had come out with a broom and yelled at him until he left. Perhaps a tree might provide some shelter.

"There you are," a human voice said. "Pichu, stay there."

Sending off sparks in fright again, he turned around and saw a woman that towered over him. She wore a large green rain coat with an equally large hat. Over her shoulder, she carried a large white net. And under that coat, she could be hiding anything. She was probably dangerous. With her was something that seemed like some ancient nightmare, a Pokemon hiding behind a dark oval shield of steel, watching him with indecipherable eyes. That gave him the sign that they were definitely dangerous.

The Pichu dropped down on all fours and ran away, water splattering every underneath his small paws.

"Shieldon, get ahead of it." She came running after him, her rubber boots making larger splatters along the way. But even scarier was the strangely quick four paws of the Shieldon, doing its best to get ahead of the little yellow Pokemon.

Frantic, the Pichu slipped and stumbled, but immediately got back up and kept running. His stomach complained about the sudden movement when it was feeling queasy in the first place. Thinking over the area he knew, he could only come up with a little park that was down another alley and across the street. That place would have trees, where he could escape the rain and this strange enemy.

But his slip had given the Shieldon enough time to catch up with him. The creature gave a strange ringing bark, its face shield vibrating at the sound. The Pichu had to attack him or get attacked… but he didn't have that good of a control over his static. He had to succeed, though. Had to. He thought of the storm's missing lightning and tried to get enough electric power to shock the Shieldon.

It worked! A large spark shot out from him to the unarmored body of the Shieldon. Grunting, it began to fall behind him. The Pichu then mustered up the energy to go faster, rushing out of the alley and across the sidewalk.

When he jumped from the walk to the road, he landed in a large puddle and slipped. His face briefly was under water as he tumbled onto his back on slightly higher ground. For a moment, he wasn't sure what he was doing; his head hurt that much. He finally threw up and stayed there, shaking. He wasn't going to make it to safety.

The Shieldon appeared on the sidewalk, looking down at him briefly before stepping gingerly into the road. It waded through the puddle to him and stopped there, glancing around. Feeling that he was going to get eaten, the Pichu closed his eyes. But while the Shieldon did bite him, it was gently and in order to pick him up off the ground. The odd Pokemon then walked over to a slant in the sidewalk and carried him out of the road.

"Good, you got him." The woman in the large green coat came over to them, kneeling down to pat her Pokemon's back. She took the Pichu in her hand, then the Shieldon gave one of its ringing barks again. Just then, a large truck came driving by, not too fast, but enough that they had to step back to avoid getting splashed by water. It could have run him over… but these two could be looking to kill him, like his mother had been killed.

Tensing, the Pichu released a shower of sparks again. But they didn't touch the woman. Between her rain clothes and the leather gloves she was wearing, the electric jolts wouldn't do anything. They could do whatever they wanted to him and he couldn't fight back. Briefly, the Pichu thought of trying to charm his way out of captivity. But all his energy had left him and his body felt awful.

The woman spent a minute looking him over carefully. "You're too young to be out on your own," she said, rubbing his left ear. "Especially not with the infections we've got spreading among the feral Pokemon around the city. But it looks like you just ate something bad today. Let's get you back to the pound and give you a better check-up. Come on Shieldon."

Giving an affirmative response, the Shieldon trotted alongside its Trainer, keeping an eye out for any of the dangerous infected Pokemon. The Pichu wasn't sure what she meant, but she was being gentle with him. Were they nice people then? But they had seemed so scary.

Back through the two alleys, they came to a quieter street. There was a large van here, with lots of strange panels in its side. The woman put her net down in order to lift one of the panels, revealing a cage. Twisting the latch, she opened it and put the Pichu inside. "Just a short while in here, little one, I promise. Then you'll be okay; you might even get a good home soon. Rest for now." She then latched the cage shut again and pulled down the panel.

The Pichu looked around the dim cage. There was a towel in back, a bin of water on one side, and nothing else. Being as soaked as he was, the Pichu had had enough of water for some time. But the towel was dry, so he crawled over there and lay down. What was going to happen to him now?

He wished his mother was here to tell him.

...

Pichu Leaf Green entry: It is not yet skilled at storing electricity. It may send out a jolt if startled or amused.

Shieldon Diamond entry: A Pokemon that lived in jungles 100 million years ago. Its facial hide is extremely hard.


	166. Ninetales, Psyduck

Once upon a time, in a land no humans ever saw, there was a gorgeous lake in the mountains where peace had reigned for hundreds of years. There were wars in the lands around them, kingdoms that sought to conquer and tribes that despised one another. But those wars had not touched the lake, so high in the mountains that it was nearly in the sky. Rare flowers and trees grew there, with fruits or honey that could cure many ills. Even the water, many of the Pokemon who lived there said, even the water had mysterious powers to keep those who drank it healthy.

Despite these wonderful powers, none of the Pokemon who lived near or in the lake tried to rule over it. There was a sign of the mythical beast Suicune on one of the walls, so they felt the lake was hers and no mortal Pokemon had the right to claim otherwise. Since there was little danger there, they felt no need to battle like the Pokemon who lived elsewhere. They assisted those who came up to the lake in hopes of healing, but insisted that no fighting should take place in this area of peace.

There came a day when this all changed. Off the mountain, one kingdom had grown immensely, surpassing all others. It overtook all the lands around the mountain and sought to conquer the mountain itself. The kingdom's leader came up to the peaceful lake himself to take control of it and the peak. Wearing a long red silk scarf around his neck, the Ninetales was an impressive sight. His body was elegant and lithe, covered in luxurious fur that glittered like gold. His nine tails were long and lush, fanning out above him, then curling daintily at the tips. Seeing him caused such awe that the lake's Pokemon began to gather as he approached the shoreline.

Finding a rock standing above the water's surface, the Ninetales hopped up there to address the growing crowd. "Greetings, my citizens. I am King Edward the Wise of Daventry. We have expanded our borders to include this mountain and its lake, so I am now your ruler. You will follow the laws and pay the taxes of Daventry from now on. We will be lenient in the first few days, given that you have lived without the watchful eye of authority over you of centuries. But do not fret, as this will enhance and enrich your lives much more than before."

Once they had gotten over the initial awe, the lake Pokemon were angered. "You can't claim this lake," a Barboach said. "The goddess Suicune has claimed this lake for her own, as her sign over there shows. And we've chosen to remain out of the kingdoms below because we don't want any part in your wars."

"Can you prove that Suicune put that mark there?" Edward argued. "Anyone could have made that mark; it is just a painting on the rocks, made from materials found around this mountain. And the Kingdom of Daventry is strong. None have withstood our forces, so you need not fear battles coming up to this place. Unless of course you resist our rule foolishly; then we shall send forces in to subdue troublemakers."

"We're certain that Suicune, or some other immortal spirit, has claimed this lake as sacred," a Geodude countered. "This lake heals many ills and wounds, it and the plants around it. So it doesn't need authority, especially not from some Fire Pokemon."

"You need my authority and wisdom," Edward said, flicking his tails. "I know how to properly manage resources so that everyone has a good life, instead of only a few doing so with the rest suffering. Why is such a lake way up here, out of reach of many of the sick folks it may heal? It is a selfish joke of the immortals if it is there doing. On the other hand, I am not called 'the Wise' for nothing. I could cultivate the healing waters and plants where the Pokemon who need them could come. And I could bring the good of the rest of the world to you, the trades, the items, the shelters, everything that makes life better for us, you could have too. But you must respect my laws and obey my kingdom."

"We don't know that you're wise," a Gyrados snorted. "We just know what you've been boasting. No one owns this lake, so beat it!" He then sent a blast of water at Edward.

However, Edward made one of his tails glow. A wall of water came up around him, absorbing the blast and not letting one drop hit the Fire-type. "You won't be able to drive me away through brute force," he said in a warning tone. "Each one of my tails has the power of a wizard among Pokemon, and I control them all. I am seven hundred years old, therefore smarter and wiser than any of you. None of you stand a chance against me. However, knowing this, I came here to subject myself to a test of my ability to govern. I can answer any riddle posed to me and can identify bits of nonsense posing as riddles. I am confident enough in this ability to give you this challenge: if any of you can come up with a riddle that stumps me, then I will keep this lake out of my kingdom. If I answer them all, you will know that I am a capable ruler and will join Daventry. I will give you a week to consider this."

Then he left.

The Pokemon of the lake immediately tried to think of things to stump the Ninetales. Some complained that he was forcing this challenge on them. Then they heard that his boasting was not empty; the Ninetails could call up on many strange powers not expected of his kind, including that of the Grass type which frightened those of the lake who were not weak to Fire. Several kingdoms had fallen when attacked by the Daventry King alone. In truth, they were lucky that he was offering this chance at all.

When he came back, the lake Pokemon had many riddles. Some were old while some were new. A few even tried bits of nonsense that sounded riddling, but the Ninetales knew those and would punish those who asked with appropriate attacks. As the day wore on, it seemed Edward would be triumphant. But then a lone Psyduck came before the king.

He was an absent-minded Pokemon, as evidenced by some yellow feathers that stuck out of place on his head. He usually kept to himself in a nearby cave, only bothering others when he had a headache and attacked anyone who made too much noise. However, he was normally good-natured and never seemed to remember those incidents. He looked around at his neighbors blankly while the Gyrados introduced him. "Bill the Psyduck… hey Bill!"

"Huh?" the Psyduck asked, tilting his head at the sight of the royal Ninetales.

"You said you had a riddle for me," Edward stated. "That is, if you can remember it."

Ignoring some snickers in the crowd, Bill nodded. "Oh right, that. Well I didn't see you the first time around; I had a mild headache, see. But then I heard about the riddle challenge and tried to think of stuff. I went over to the mark of Suicune and stared at it for a while, but then… I don't know…"

Examining a paw, Edward did not appear concerned. "You Psyducks have powers that are similar to that of Psychic Pokemon. However, you are incapable of controlling such powers, which is why you are not recognized as Psychic and why you receive such debilitating headaches. Also, your brainwaves are capable of submerging themselves to the level of a sleeping Pokemon, which is why you never remember things."

Bill brightened to that. "Right! You know that. But that wasn't my riddle."

"Then what is your riddle?"

He pulled out a piece of paper from under his wing. "While I was there by the mark of Suicune, I blanked out as usual. But I wrote this in that time. It does have an answer." He handed it to a Machop who was next to him.

"All right, I guess I'll read it," the Machop said, looking at the paper.

'It is a gentle little flower,

Yet it despises the earth

In hope, it takes to the sky,

Blossoming with warmth.

'Sky is brother to earth,

And sends the flower away

If lucky, it returns as autumn fluff.

If unlucky, it never finds its way.'

"An identity riddle," King Edward said. "And it does have an answer. That answer…" he paused, thinking.

Bill the Psyduck smiled. "Yes, Suicune knows the answer. I know that, for she told me the riddle. I remember that as a vision of loveliness even greater than this lake."

Moving his tails like a wave of water, Edward's ears twitched as he thought. "I know Shaymin is a flower among the goddesses and she can take to the sky. But she does not despise earth. Indeed, she makes the earth beautiful in the spring… nothing to do with autumn fluff. It must be… well no, but then…" he shifted paws, now looking nervous.

"I thought about it for a long time too," Bill said. "But it gave me another headache after a while, which is why I've refused to look at it again. Riddles mess with my head."

"Do you even know the answer?" the Gyrados taunted Bill, only thinking a moment later that it might ruin this chance at stumping the Ninetales.

Bill didn't even think of that. "I told you, Suicune knows the answer. I don't, but I know there is an answer."

"Right, there must be an answer," Edward said, lowering his ears and twitching his tails in agitation. "But I didn't think there was a riddle out there that could still stump me… I should be able to figure this out, it doesn't seem that tough. But what flower despises earth and returns as autumn fluff? And besides that, how do you know that Suicune gave you this riddle, and knows this answer? Psyduck, your powers are unknown to you…"

Without warning, rain broke out over the mountain lake. The clouds began to build then, arriving late, but joining the shower nevertheless. Edward made one of his tails glow to deflect the water again. This time, it didn't work. Soon, his golden fur was drenched, taking away his royal look for one of raggedness.

The Ninetale lowered his ears in shame. "So it is her lake… and I failed to answer a riddle. Very well then, the lake shall remain free." Edward ran back down the mountain, out of the rain.

For many years after, he kept searching for the answer to the riddle Bill had given him. But the Psyduck never figured out the answer either.

...

Psyduck Emerald entry: When its headache intensifies, it starts using strange powers. However, it has no recollections of its powers, so it always looks befuddled and bewildered.

Emerald entry: It has long been said that each of its nine tails embody an enchanted power. A long-lived Ninetales will have fur that shines like gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The riddle does have an answer.


	167. Bastiodon, Rampardos

Life at a Pokemon research lab was actually quite nice. The 'subjects' of the studies had free range of the twenty-five acre farm the lab was located on. If it got too hot outside, one could always duck into the sleeping pen for welcome shade. There was a large pond, healthy grasses, loads of berry bushes, many kinds of trees, and even a pile of rocks for Pokemon that liked that kind of thing. Since all the predators were fed regularly, there was never a worry about being eaten.

Bastiodon was quite certain that she had found paradise.

Sure, there were some bad points. There was the large energy field at the edge of the farm, marking off the limits of their lands. But that fence thing kept them secure too, so it was forgivable. And the scientists often pulled them inside for exams and tests. Some of those could get annoying, but she had figured out that if she cooperated, the whole ordeal would be over quicker. Among the other research Pokemon, there were some annoying individuals. That happened everywhere, even in this paradise.

She was currently the largest Pokemon at the research facility. Her body was short and bulky, but her rectangular face shield stood taller than the human researchers. However, the others had grown used to her and were not afraid. Bastiodon was a gentle one, even watching her steps carefully to make sure she didn't crush any living creature.

On a warm and so far uneventful day, Bastiodon noted the other member of her research project walk by. She had been cloned from DNA found inside a fossil; so had Rampardos. The scientists said that they wanted to examine them as the first ones of their kind that humans had seen, before they gave permission for their kin to be recreated in the same manner. Which was good, Bastiodon supposed, as a third clone species had died early on. It hadn't been able to live in the present environment.

Rampardos was violent from time to time, but the scientists saw no reason this should be a reason to get rid of him. He was also, well, not too bright. Sometimes he came up with clever stuff, but it was usually by accident. Bastiodon was sometimes annoyed by him and, on some level, knew that his kin had once preyed on hers. Having lived with him her entire life, she actually found herself fond of him. It wasn't like he was going to eat her.

"Hey," Rampardos called, walking over to her. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Mmhmm," she replied, as she was chewing on some grass. Since he didn't reply immediately, she swallowed, then added, "What questions do you have?"

Clenching his small arms as he thought, he said, "Oh right that. Well some of the humans were talking about something and I want to test out what they said. Would you help?"

"I guess it depends on what you want to test," she answered. If he hadn't been a predator, she would have agreed to help immediately. Even as a friend, some caution was needed.

"Hmm, yeah. Anyhow, you know how I can tear great big trees right out of the ground, even when I'm running? Does that make me an unstoppable force?"

"It would be unwise to get in your way when you want something," Bastiodon agreed.

Rampardos brightened in pride. "Yeah! Okay, so. On the other hand, if anyone tries to lift or push you out of the way, they would fail if you didn't want to move. Would that make you an immovable object?"

"Well no one around here could make me move if I didn't want to. Most of them ask nicely though, so I move on my own."

"Great! Then I can test it." Rampardos then put his head down against her shield and started pushing as hard as he could.

Bastiodon blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing who was right. The scientists were saying something like, if you had an unstoppable force against an immovable object, which one would win? Would the force be stopped or would the object be moved?"

"Oh." She considered it, watching him strain to get her to budge. "That's unexpectedly intelligent of you."

"Yeah! My brain may be small, but that doesn't mean it's no good!"

Chuckling, Bastiodon replied, "True enough." Then she lowered her head to eat some more of the grass.

The movement caused Rampardos to slip and fall on his face. "Ow, hey! You're supposed to be an immovable object!"

"You're not moving me," she replied around some blades of grass. "I moved myself. Keep trying, unstoppable force."

"Right! I'll move you!" Getting himself upright, he started pushing against her with his head and left shoulder. She could feel the spikes on his head, but felt no danger to her mask. So she kept eating.

To his credit, Rampardos didn't give up easily. He kept trying to push her aside by putting all his strength against her shield mask. However, it was a shield. He would have an easier time at it if he tried pushing from another angle, at her regular body. That was armored too, but not as strongly as her front. But Bastiodon didn't have to tell him that.

After a while, he slumped down. Bastiodon lifted her head. "Is your experiment done yet?"

"No. I'm just resting. I know that I can do better than that. I am an unstoppable force! You can't beat me in a shoving match."

She wasn't even trying. However, she didn't feel like quashing his enthusiasm like that. "Okay, I'll give you some time to rest. I'm going to head for the watering hole." Then she turned herself around and began trudging towards the pond. She definitely wasn't the fastest Pokemon around.

On the other hand, Rampardos could run at a good pace when he felt like it. He got back up after a break, then ran over towards the pond after her. Bastiodon still hadn't made it when he caught up and then passed her. Arriving at the pond, he turned back towards her, spending a few minutes stepping about sideways.

"What is he doing now?" she wondered to herself, still continuing on her way. She watched as he found a spot he liked, then lowered his head. Next, he came charging right at her. Spooked by this predatory action, Bastiodon froze in place, bracing herself for the hit. Rampardos kept rushing.

KLONG!

Finding herself pretty much unhurt, she took a few more steps to where Rampardos had tumbled back to. "You all right?"

"All right?" he asked. "I'm great! No head injury is gonna stop my thick head!"

Chuckling, Bastiodon continued her walk to the pond. "You know, if the unstoppable force would just say please, I'm sure the immovable object with move aside politely."

"No way! The unstoppable force is unstoppable! And I will prove it." He took a deep breath. "After another rest. This science stuff is harder than I thought. Maybe I ought to leave it to the squishy-headed humans."

"They may not be as tough, but they do have great minds," Bastiodon agreed.

* * *

...

Rampardos HG/SS entry: Its skull withstands impacts of any magnitude. As a result, its brain never gets the chance to grow.

Bastiodon Diamond entry: Any frontal attack is repulsed. It is a docile Pokemon that feeds on grass and berries.


	168. Marill

The paved route seemed charged with great energy now as two Trainers faced off in heated battle. They stood to the side as the active Pokemon recovered from their moves or being hit. In the eyes of all participants, there was an excited glimmer from a chance to prove oneself strong. An orange weasel with a yellow float along his body pawed at the pavement in eagerness, while a rough tall boulder with arms and legs grinned and beckoned him to do his worst.

"Graveler, attack that squirt with full force!" one Trainer called, quite tense in frustration.

The other side looked more confident, flashing a grin at his opponent's steady loss of self-control. "Floatzel, Aqua Jet!"

With those orders, this round was pretty much a foregone conclusion. As the Graveler lumbered over, clenching its fists, the Floatzel lowered his poise, then turned into a flash of liquid energy crashing into his foe. It knocked the former out so cleanly that the rock's Pokeball recalled him before he hit the ground. Whooping a cheer, the Floatzel hopped onto his back paws and struck a pose for his teammate watching alongside the road.

The Marill squeaked a cheer and waved to him. But once his attention went to his next opponent, she fell back into worry. He was a good fighter and she had seen him win many times. She had fought alongside him many times. But then, she had also seen him lose, and had lost with him. It was so hard to battle after seeing her dear Floatzel lose. Especially lately; they had grown so close.

And especially when she'd fallen into the season where she was looking for a life partner to bond with.

Even after Floatzel had won for their Trainer, Marill still felt anxious. She was thinking about the kind of child she wanted to raise. Her first egg could hatch a Marill like herself. Overall, that was good. The child would be able to live independently within its first week if it were a Marill. And it would be able to battle for their Trainer, or another human if traded. Really, she wouldn't mind a trade of her child if that child were a Marill.

However, she really wanted an Azurill child. That would be tougher. An Azurill child would be far more dependant on her, Floatzel, and their Trainer for care. It wouldn't be able to live independently for at least a year. It wouldn't be able to fight properly for months, and they'd have to watch it closer or else it would get hurt due to ignorant curiosity.

But that dependence was why she wanted an Azurill. Then she'd get a much better opportunity to be a mother. Marill wouldn't get long to bond with her child if it were like herself. But if it were an Azurill, then Marill and Floatzel could love and teach the child for much longer. That would be so wonderful.

There were so many other things to worry about in concerns with her first egg too. Since their Trainer was active in the Pokemon League, she, Floatzel, and their potential child would be battling quite a lot. They traveled a lot too, so she couldn't find a nice quiet river to lay her egg in either. That would be so wonderful though… to float her tail buoy on the surface while showing her little Azurill child how to dive down and fetch delicious greens that grew on the bottom of rivers, while Floatzel swam around and made sure the area was safe. It wouldn't work like that, though. Oh, and since they encountered many Pokemon on their travels, it would be easier for her child to come into contact with a stranger and get sick as a result. That would be terrible for an Azurill.

So many things that could go wrong if her child was weak. Marill hugged herself, giving up on the dream of having an Azurill child for now. Perhaps later, sometime.

At the end of the day, Floatzel was in a great mood. He did notice that Marill was worried, and tried to cheer her up. He offered to clean behind her ears, gave her the first choice at dinner time, and cooed to her. When that didn't seem to help, he gave her a flower… which made the Nurse Joy at the Pokecenter mad because he had stolen it from her desk vase. Their Trainer had to give it back.

Marill followed them back to their rented room, choosing to sit by the window. She could see the city pond from here, thankfully. Maybe if she lived in a pond like that, it would be okay to have an Azurill child. Even with lots of humans around them, it would be easy to see those looking to capture Pokemon and keep her baby away from them.

She noticed her Trainer sit by her before he patted her head. "Hey there girl. You've been really tense lately. Is something wrong?"

Giving a soft squeak of gratitude, she tried to reassure him that she was okay. There was nothing really wrong; she was just worried about the future. And who was to say that something wouldn't change that future? She could still decline Floatzel and look for another partner. Or one of them could get traded.

"The nurse said you were fine and healthy," he said. "But if something's bothering you, you can talk with Floatzel about it. You two are good friends."

That was true. And their human was a good one. He wouldn't trade away her egg if she didn't want to. With what he knew, he could take care of the little one too. Still, maybe not one so little as Azurill.

The young man scratched her head. "You're still tense, though. I know. I think I've got something that'll help you relax." He leaned down to grab his bag and began digging through it.

What did he have in mind? She hopped closer to the edge of the table by the window, peering into the Trainer's bag. It looked simple on the outside, but it held so much stuff on the inside. Sometimes, it was difficult to say what he was going to grab out of it. He had a knack for finding hidden stuff and stowing it away for later.

"Here we go." He pulled out a small metal ball attached to a cord. While the bottom half was closed off, the top half was cut open with several slots. He tied it around her forehead, since her round body didn't have a neck like other Pokemon. "I heard that this Sea Incense helps soothe Water Pokemon. It does smell nice. I just hadn't thought to equip it to you yet."

Looking up, she grabbed at it and brought the ball in front of her nose. It smelled of salt, sand, and kelp, like a quiet seashore somewhere far away. While she was born in the rivers, the sea had always held a fascination for her. One's views under the river's surface were limited to what lay within the banks, but one's views under the sea's surface would be almost unlimited, from shore to who knew where.

Marill smiled and thanked him for the gift. It was quite soothing. Maybe she was getting all worked up over nothing. Based on this and many other things, her human was kind and loving. Knowing that, she could feel safe in having an Azurill child.

That is, if her feelings towards Floatzel matched his feelings for her.

* * *

...

Marill Diamond entry: Using its tail as a float, it dives underwater. It likes eating plants that grow on river bottoms.


	169. Metang, Magnemite, Registeel

A foreign energy entered the dusty halls of the dungeon: light. It chased away the darkness, causing some shy Pokemon to scurry away before the brightness touched them. By the light's moving touch, one could see the yellow stone that had been carved away to form this place. Colorful pictures of life were on every wall space: strange letters, plants, Pokemon, humans, tools, landscapes. What had been recorded here? The builders had lived so very long ago.

As the light grew, its source appeared: a Pokemon of blue steel and four clawed hands. The Metang drifted along the halls, hardly making a sound. She floated off the ground with a combination of her psychic efforts and manipulation of magnetic fields. Occasionally glancing at the pictures, she made her way deeper into the tomb-like dungeon. Was it a tomb? Or was it something completely different? Whatever it was, some people had found it very important.

She felt a disturbance in her magnetic fields. Something was trying to draw her in the wrong direction. Pausing, she glanced down a hallway in time to see something come fling right at her. With a solid 'thonk', it struck just below her right eye.

It turned out to be a smaller metal Pokemon, a Magnemite composed of one large eye and two horseshoe magnets. He was trembling, twitching his free magnet in fight. "Zzzroh zah."

"Don't worry, little Magnemite," the Metang replied. "It would take a lot more than your minor weight to damage me. Besides, it wasn't entirely your fault. You seem to have the Magnet Pull ability and haven't mastered its use yet."

"Zzzzrrrr," he said, calming down but lowering his free magnet. He then attempted to break himself free by struggling away.

"That won't do," she said. "Manipulate your electromagnetic fields to push yourself away from me."

"Bzzt?" He looked clueless.

Pausing a moment, she willed herself not to get annoyed with this one. "You can do that. How old are you then, child?"

"Kzzt kzzibi." Just hatched today, he had said. His eyelid lowered, then perked up in glee. "Za zerrr Zot! Zeezee kzzzt kzzz."

That caused her to smile. "Ah, so you've named yourself Zot. That is clever. We are Ai-La."

The hatchling closed his eyes to focus on trying to get detached. "Brzzz zit."

"It's fine, you'll get it." She went back on her way. "It's probably better you stick by us. Where's your family?"

That question caused his focus to break some. Zot started explaining that he had hatched and found lots of egg shell pieces around him. To his view, he was fairly certain the others had hatched, but left him alone for some reason. Ai-La thought it could have been an egg-eater or some similar predator, but didn't want to upset him further.

"That's too bad, that they left you behind because you were a late hatcher," she told him instead. "But we've seen a group of your kind outside of this place. When we get out, we'll take you to them."

Zot cheered up to that and worked on getting himself free again. After a few more tries, he managed to push his magnetic fields against hers, causing him to float away. He still decided to tag along with her, asking where she was going among other questions.

"I'm searching for someone," she answered. "Deep in this dungeon, it is said that a metal Pokemon like us stays away from the world. It is an immortal and its strength greatly exceeds ours."

Twisting his magnets, Zot whistled in admiration. "Kzzzt?"

"Its name is Registeel. We hope that it is knowledgeable for we have some questions we want answers to. But we've not found another who could answer them."

"Zot? Kzzt zzzrr rit."

Ai-La blinked. "Yes, we are we. We were once two Beldum, Ai and La. When we evolved, we joined together. That is why our kind starts with short names, because they grow longer both in becoming a Metang and when we join with another Metang to form a Metagross. We will be four then. But that's one question we have. We were eager to evolve and become stronger, but then we wondered it we were too fast."

"Zzzzfit?"

"Yes, you will evolve too, in a similar fashion. You will join with two others to become a Magneton. So it would be good for you to come and listen, to know what lies ahead of you."

"Kzzzt? Zzzri zrk ziif."

Chuckling, she patted him. "What does it eat? We have no idea. It's an immortal Pokemon, but we don't know if it even eats. You could ask it that yourself."

The Magnemite seemed intrigued, so he followed her further into the dungeon. Down a flight of stairs, they came upon a single large room. Ai-La's Flash illuminated a great deal of space around them, but there was an edge of darkness where the light couldn't reach. Just beyond it, there was a large still figure. It had a round body with long flat arms and cylindrical legs. At the touch of the foreign light, a few small glows appeared on Registeel's body. It was alert to their presence.

"Bzzzzoo," Zot said in awe, but then his magnets started shaking. As his eye went wide, they forced him to shoot forward and collide into Registeel, much like he had with Ai-La earlier. But the resounding 'thock' had echoes and a hallow sound. It wasn't built the same as them. "Zrrrk," the Magnemite said meekly, then worked on getting himself free.

"You're not the first to do that," Registeel said calmly, in an odd voice that was as hollow and echo-y as his body. "You have both come a long ways to meet with me. Welcome."

Ai-La put her hands together. "Thank you for meeting with us, Master Registeel. We are Ai-La, and the hatchling here is Zot. We wanted to ask you some things, if it does not bother you."

"Go ahead," the immortal said, raising his arm up and patting the Magnemite child when he managed to get loose.

Pointing to herself, the Metang said, "We were two, but now we are one. But are we one individual or two? And is it really necessary for us, and Zot eventually, to assimilate another's individuality to grow stronger? It does not seem right, yet that is what is done."

"You are one individual with two histories," Registeel said. "It is not necessary for you to say 'we', for you have fused together. But it is necessary for this fusing to take place. The both of you, your kinds start off like pure metals, with potential but not as strong as you could be. Pure metal must be fused with another metal in order to become a stronger alloy. The personality alloy that you will eventually become will be stronger and better than that which you have started as."

"We…" Ai-La paused, "um, I had not thought of that. It still feels strange. Perhaps it just takes getting used to."

"Kzzzzoo kzzt zzzrt zzif?" Zot asked, blinking his eye.

"Your family?" Registeel asked. It was quiet for a moment, then answered, "They have gone down a long road which you cannot follow."

"Zzzzkt?" the Magnemite asked, sounding puzzled and not as spirited as before. His magnets drooped.

"You will be fine. Ai-La, would you watch over Zot? At least see him safely to his kind if you cannot take him in yourself."

Then the child's family was dead. Ai-La was impressed that Registeel knew his home so well that he knew of this. "I shall," she agreed. "Some of his kind were outside of this place; we'll talk about what to do after we find them."

Zot drifted over to Ai-La. "Kzzzoooo," he whispered, giving off a sparking tear.

…

Metang D/P/P entry: It is formed by two Beldum fusing together. Its steel body won't be scratched if it collides with a jet.

Magnemite Emerald entry: The units at its sides are extremely powerful magnets. They generate enough magnetism to draw in iron objects from over 300 feet away.

Ruby entry: Registeel has a body that is harder than any kind of metal. Its body is apparently hollow. No one has any idea what this Pokemon eats.


	170. Wobuffet

The next part of the garden was interesting. Squared off by tall hedges, it had a circle in the middle defined by wedges of alternating muted red and yellow-green wedges. Low lying pink-flowering bushes set in the corners, while all four walls had arched doorways. And whether by design or accident, a Pokemon stood in the very center of the circle. He was a tall blue one, looking oddly like a punching bag. One would think the Pokemon would not invite attacks on themselves by looking like that.

Seemingly noticing her enter without opening his eyes, the Wobbuffet shuffled into a position to where he was facing her. He had strange jagged lips, like one might put on a jack-o'-lantern. That plus his closed eyes made it had to tell if he was scary, silly, or strange. But whatever he was, she had something else she was doing.

She checked the scavenger hunt list and noticed that one of the clues did point to a red and yellow circle. It didn't mention the Wobbuffet, but that wasn't too important. According to that clue, there was a small Bug Pokemon figurine to find in this 'room' of the maze. Where was it? She didn't think it would be in the colored grasses. But maybe in the bushes. She knelt down and began examining the bushes.

As she moved around the bush, she noticed that the Wobbuffet kept watching her. It even shuffled a bit to constantly face her. That was pushing towards creepy and scary, she thought. So after examining one bush, she got back up and faced the Pokemon. "Um, why are you watching me? It kind of bugs me." She wasn't sure if the Pokemon could respond understandably.

But he could, though telepathy. " _I'm not important,"_ he stated. " _Just ignore me."_

"You keep turning to watch me, though."

" _It's not important. Don't mind me. Find your thing and move on."_

That was weird. But she wanted to win the scavenger hunt, so she moved to the next corner bush to check it for the figurine. As before, the Wobbuffet turned to keep facing her. It was very distracting. Maybe that was part of the challenge.

As she finished looking through the bush without finding anything, she heard a commotion from elsewhere in the garden maze. She looked up, but couldn't see anything due to the thick tidy hedges. She did notice that the Wobbuffet was mumbling, tensing his flipper-like arms. After a second, he actually turned from her, to partly face her and partly face the doorway right near her.

A Geodude came rolling and bouncing in at high speeds. It bounded up and struck the Wobbuffet, causing his body to lean back. However, he never got knocked off his feet. Instead, he rebounded back upright quickly, launching the unfortunate Geodude back the way it came.

And the Geodude's Trainer had come running after it. "Geo…!" the boy stopped, then rushed out of the way before the rocky Pokemon crashed into him. There was a noisy collision with a leafy hedge instead.

Worried, she got up and looked in the doorway. "Hey, you okay?"

The boy was sweating, clutching a Pokeball to his chest, his knuckles turning white. His eyes were still wide. But the question broke his panic enough for him to nod. "Y-yeah. That was close; how'd he change directions so fast?"

"That Wobbuffet," she said, pointing into the particular room.

" _Pay no mind to me,"_ he telepathed, sending out feelings of being as nervous as the boy. _"I'm just waiting on someone."_

"Oh… okay," the boy said, relaxing some. He pressed the button on the Pokeball in his hands, recalling the Geodude. "Phew. Oh hey, isn't this where one of the items is? I gotta look." He came in and searched the bush she had just looked in.

The Wobbuffet didn't relax, though. She could tell by how he tried to figure out whether to face her or the boy. Looking at the two bushes she had left to search, she wondered how she could find the figurine without letting her competitor know. Unless the figurine wasn't in the bushes.

She looked over where the blue Pokemon was. As she did, he noticed. " _Don't look near me,"_ he insisted.

Unfortunately, that got the boy's attention. She went ahead and asked, just in case. "Well could I check the center of the room, though? I'm looking to find a secret."

" _There is no secret about my tail!"_ the Wobbuffet insisted. " _So don't go looking at it."_

She gave him a critical look. "Are you hiding the figurine under your tail? So you're supposed to be here."

" _No, it's not important. Don't ask about my tail! That Ledyba figurine you're looking for is over there, so go take its picture. But don't take a picture of my tail, even though there's absolutely nothing special about it."_ Putting a lot of insistence to his words, he pointed to the bush she would have moved to next, near the further edge.

"Oh, thanks!" the boy said, going over to see. "But what's… not special about your tail?"

" _I said don't ask about it!"_ he fussed. As he did, she could get a glance at his tail. It was black and flat, with a larger rounded end to it. It didn't seem like anything special. But then why was the Wobbuffet so adamant about them not asking about his tail?

She went over and found the hidden Ledyba figurine, hanging near a cluster of pink flowers. After taking its picture, she left through the nearest arch, as it was a way she hadn't been. And the boy followed soon after. Glancing back at the room, he said, "You know, I've never thought about a Wobbuffet's tail before. But now I want to know why he didn't want us to ask about it."

She smirked. "Yeah, and now we're not going to be able to stop wondering why. Rather counterproductive for keeping secrets, if you ask me."

…

Wobbuffet D/P/P entry: It desperately tries to keep its black tail hidden. It is said to be proof the tail hides a secret.


	171. Poochenya

He stumbled against a rock facing, but decided to stop there. His breathing was heavy; his heart was pounding. However, the adrenaline was fading fast, leaving his legs weak and his mind spinning. For the past few hours, he had been on the run from the police. But he couldn't last longer. Had he escaped them?

Dropping onto the ground, he spent a moment trying to calm down. As his body ached and his mind grasped for sleep, he tried distracting himself by reviewing his path. He had once been a noted Pokemon thief, snatching Pokeballs straight from their unsuspecting Trainer's belts. He would then hack into the Pokeball and change the Trainer ID to one of his many pseudonyms. With that done, he would then sell the Pokemon to black market dealers, who always paid him generously for his efforts. And he had been good too, able to track a Trainer to see what the most optimal target would be, gain the luckless kid's trust, then snatch the ball and be gone before he was suspected. It wouldn't be too hard to just change his identity and go back to the game.

That is, if he could figure out where he'd gone wrong. One of his fake IDs had been caught at a security checkpoint, so he slammed the guard into a post and bolted. The police were soon after him, chasing him down with bikes and fast Pokemon. When they brought out the helicopter, he had forced his mind to blank out (to fool their psychics and Psychics), then dashed for a heavily wooded area. That usually worked.

Not this time. One of the pursuing Pokemon was a Poochenya, a small rough-looking black canine that he had expected to lose easily. But the Poochenya was surprisingly persistent. It chased him through the wooded paths, keeping an even pace behind him. Any time the thief stopped, the Poochenya would soon be there, barking and baring its teeth at him. Knowing that the police trained their Pokemon to incapacitate humans if need be, the thief decided to keep running.

He spotted some carcasses and changed his path to jump over them. The hope had been that the Poochenya would be distracted with the meat. However, that did not work. As soon as he slowed, he heard the yips and barks just behind him. Then the thief tried confusing the Pokemon by changing directions rapidly, seemingly at random. The Poochenya wasn't fooled and still remained on the trail.

Finally, the thief had jumped into a large pond and swam all the way across. The water should have dispersed his scent, but he decided not to risk it. After crossing the pond, he started running as hard as he could, heading deeper into the wild forest. If he could find a Route nearby, he might be able to flag someone down and beg for assistance. He didn't like humbling himself like that, but it would certainly throw the police off his trail.

The Route did not appear, though, and now the thief was exhausted. Night had fallen and he was unable to run any longer. But it should have been enough, he told himself. He could sleep… his body desired sleep now more than his greed had ever desired money. It should have been enough.

There was a growl in the darkness. Tensing and feeling a throb of pain for it, the thief looked around. There was a mass of trees around this small rock ledge he was next to which obscured anything above him. All the bushes and wild undergrowth further hindered his view of the land around him, like the rock hid anything that was on top of the ledge. Clasping his water and sweat soaked clothes, the thief hoped that it was some wild Pokemon.

On the path that he had come from, there was a scruffy black Poochenya, its dark eyes piercing through the night's gloom. Some parts of its fur looked damp and its paws were muddy. It walked over to him with its tail held high, showing no signs of the exhaustion that still claimed the thief's body. Most telling, it wore a blue collar with a freshly dirty police tag on the front.

So it had been futile. Perhaps his weariness had affected his head, but the thief found himself smiling bitterly. "You finally caught me, huh?" the human asked. "After we run a ******* marathon through the trees, including a pond, you're still full of pep and I can hardly move. ****." He looked down and hit his fist into his leg.

The Poochenya trotted up to him, no longer growling or barking. Either it was tired or it was taunting him. Perhaps the latter, as it sat down and made an exaggerated yawn, curling its pink tongue at the tip. The thief tried to will himself into a second wind. Now that the Poochenya was off guard, he could maybe hit it in the head with a rock, then start running again. A little rough, but he didn't care. Pokemon were just a means to an end to him.

As the second wind struggled to come along, the thief began to reach out for a nearby rock. It was just small enough to fit in his hand, but rough and large enough to do some damage. However, the Poochenya noticed that. It growled and got up, taking a few steps towards the thief. It was a Dark Pokemon, so maybe it had thought of that tactic too.

Not feeling any energy coming back, the thief obediently dropped his hand to his side. Inwardly, he cursed the Poochenya's ability to sense even his plans. The canine Pokemon then pushed the rock out of his reach with its head, then made a check around him in case any other potential natural weapons were about. After pushing those out of the way, the Poochenya went back in front of the thief and sat down.

The thief tried to glare, but didn't feel angry enough to be effective. He wanted to drop down and go to sleep. Still, he struggled against it in case he got another chance to run. "What do you want?" he grumbled. "You caught up with me, so shoo. Your Trainer will take forever to get here. Scram, mutt."

Other than a twitch of the upright ears, the Poochenya didn't respond.

"I'm not going to give up," he boasted. But it was an empty one. The thief made the mistake of letting his eyes close, thinking he could be calm for a minute, then get the energy to run again. Once his vision was cut out, his mind decided to shut down as well. He was asleep in seconds.

The Poochenya watched him for a moment, then scratched its shoulder. It spun around for a bit, trampling down a flat space. Once it was suitable, it lay down to rest itself. However, the police Pokemon did not allow itself to sleep. It stayed with its head up, watching the thief in case of trouble.

Two hours later, the police officers managed to get a vehicle into the area to arrest the slumbering thief. The Poochenya wagged its tail proudly at its Trainer, who scratched it behind its ears. Once again, it had done a good job.

...

Poochenya FR/LG entry: It has a very tenacious nature. Its acute sense of smell lets it chase a chosen prey without ever losing track.


	172. Parasect

Mush the Parasect looked over his right claw. Yesterday, it had been in a lot of pain. It had happened in a battle when he had tried attacking a Steel Pokemon with that claw. It might have worked, but he was an old Pokemon and his claws ached with a mild arthritis every morning already. That attack had popped the joint out of place and ripped a muscle. As even a Hyper Potion couldn't fix a torn muscle like that, Mush had endured horrible pain.

Today, his right claw was numb. He'd just returned home from a surgery to correct the problem and the anesthesia they'd used was still affecting him. The doctor had put exoskeleton cement on the surgical cuts, then bound it tightly in white gauze. As a result, his claw was stiff enough that he couldn't move it.

There was something unexpected and odd there, though. On the edge of the bindings, there was a black marking which formed a 'J. L.' on his claw. Those would be the initials of the surgeon. Why had he done it? Was he particularly proud of how this operation had gone? Or was it so that the Pokecenter would recognize it as surgical scars?

"You need to take it easy today, Mush," his Trainer said as she arranged his freshly cleaned bedding. "Don't move that claw too much. In fact, you should just nap to help yourself heal faster. There you go, buddy."

Mush clicked an agreement. Even though his claw wasn't hurting now, he felt off-kilter from the anesthesia. Plus, he hadn't been able to sleep well since that battle. Now he could rest freely. He clambered into the shallow box that made up his bed, stomping down the yellow blanket to his liking. Then he snuggled down and prepared to sleep.

After making sure he would rest, his Trainer went into her office to get some work done. The small house grew quiet then. The window was open, letting in the sound of bird Pokemon singing and other Bug Pokemon chirping. It was relaxing. Mush could close his eye sand just fall into dreamland…

This place is too dry, too bright.

Mush opened his eyes back up. Too bright? It was like normal. But then, he often got impulses to avoid sunlight. In a way, it was good because he tended to have dry skin that burnt easily. He was inside, so it shouldn't be a problem. And it really wasn't too dry.

Too bright, too dry.

Feeling somewhat irritated, the Parasect got out of his bed and crawled over to the window. He reached out with his right claw… no, he couldn't use that now. Even if he could move it, he shouldn't. He reached out with his left claw and grabbed the bottom of the curtain, then pulled it across. There, that blocked the light. This room wasn't too bad when he usually slept here, but that was usually at night.

The pinstripe brown curtain cut out a lot of light, darkening the room considerably. It also stopped the breeze and lessened the relaxing outdoor sounds. But that was okay. Now, he could rest. He got back into his bed, spent a moment settling again, then dropped down and closed his eyes.

This place is too dry. And it could be darker.

Huh? It was good. With his favorite blanket clean and the air quieter (and darker), he should be able to sleep easily. But something in his mind was not satisfied.

In fact, the dissatisfaction was all too familiar. It came from the large spotted mushroom that encased most of his body. That mushroom contributed a lot to his powers, especially when it came to status spore attacks. But from time to time, it was enough of a hassle that he would wish it wasn't there.

You need me. It is too dry.

Grumbling, Mush tried to snuggle deeper into his bed. He needed to be resting after his surgery and the mushroom was stubbornly fighting it. And why? Because it couldn't stand any humidity level under fifty percent! And sometimes it even complained about moisture levels higher than that, as not high enough. Mush himself wasn't picky, but his mushroom was.

You need to be in high humidity. It will help you.

That would help it not me, he thought defiantly. Then he tried to block out the mushroom's prodding thought.

After a moment, he found himself getting up and leaving his bed. Not again… Mush ordered his legs to stop moving. They slowed at first, only to pick back up. On leaving the room, the mushroom wasn't happy with the sunlight streaming in the windows. It was bugged enough at the dry air that it moved through the sunny room into the kitchen.

Mush recognized where it was headed. Not there! He tried to regain control of his body more forcefully. He had cloth bandages on his claw! If those got damp or dirty, then an infection might get in past his exoskeleton. And that wouldn't be good for him or the mushroom, so they should go back to the clean bedding and sleep there.

The mushroom wouldn't listen to reason, of course. It wasn't even a true plant, he thought bitterly. Just a simpler fungus. However, the simple mushroom didn't even understand insulting thoughts. It was only obsessed with keeping conditions optimal for it and nothing else. It didn't even care about his well-being and comfort.

Past the kitchen, they came to the basement door. The mushroom at least had the sense to use his left claw to pull the door open. Then it brought him downstairs. Although some repairs had been done in the past, the basement wasn't perfectly sealed. That let in the dampness that the mushroom adored. Plus, the scattered small windows kept it very dark. The mushroom poked about until it came to a worktable. It decided the best place to rest was right underneath.

The floor was hard concrete, dusty and cool. Around the table, there were large tools and plastic storage containers. It was all gray, brown, black, or ugly green, not like the nicely decorated main floor. There was nothing of comfort here, save for the mushroom's lack of complaints.

Mush sighed. He had already had a bad day; the surgery had made him all nervous, while having his claw broken had been terribly stressful. Now that the ordeal was over, he wanted to relax in his comfy bed with his favorite blanket. Instead, the mushroom had forced him down to this dingy and mildly threatening basement.

What could he do about it? The mushroom would just overtake him again and bring him back down here. Mush settled down, but didn't feel happy.

Before he got to sleep, he heard footsteps on the stairs. Tensing, he tried to creep back into the shadows. His Trainer turned on the light, though, and quickly spotted him. "Mush! You're not supposed to be down here."

He whined. It wasn't his fault! It was the dumb mushroom who ruled so much of his life. Even if it was strong and helped make him powerful, he still hated it at times like this.

The woman shook her head. "I'm not supposed to do this, but all well." She returned him to his Pokeball.

Inside, he found himself in the shade of a tall dying tree. The ground was damp and almost marshy. Again, this would be the mushroom's doing. The smell of the weakened wood stirred his hunger, even though he knew it wasn't real. The mushroom didn't realize that and made him snip off a bit to eat.

When he came back out of his ball, he was back in the bedroom by his bed. This time, his Trainer had plugged in a humidifier and closed the window. "I figured the dry air might be bothering you," she said. "I didn't think you'd go down to the basement so fast. This should fix that problem. So please, stay in your proper bed and rest."

Mush paused for a moment, to see if the mushroom would be unreasonable as usual. But it seemed that the humidifier had appeased it some. After taking a moment to tap his left claw on his Trainer's shoe, he climbed back into the shallow box. It was so nice to snuggle into his yellow blanket, which always reminded him of better days. Once he closed his eyes, he was fast to fall asleep.

…

Parasect Heart Gold entry: It stays mostly in dark, damp places, the preference not of the bug, but of the big mushroom on its back.


	173. Piplup, Empoleon, Ambipom

Brass instruments were trumpeting, woodwinds were fluting, percussions were drumming and clanging and ringing… it was a grand parade and the Glacier Bay High School Marching Band had come all the way from Canada to participate. They all wore bright costumes of sea blue, pale blue, and golden yellow, with tall hats and lots of pompoms. This was a huge event, televised all over the world, so the band students were all focused on doing their best.

With them were two Pokemon: the school's mascot in an Empoleon named Missy and her son Piplup, called Jim. Jim was so excited about the parade that he wouldn't let anybody carry him. Nope, he was going to march the entire way himself, just like the band. It was a long way, over a mile, and the pavement felt weird under his webbed feet.

But worst of all was when he tripped. It happened a lot, as he was trying to keep up with the band's pace. However, he was much smaller than they, and his waddle wasn't conducive to marching. As he felt right on his beak for the hundredth time (so it seemed), Jim did his best to get right back up and keep marching. He pushed his hat up off his face, then walked into the drummer he was right behind. Thankfully, that didn't cause a big disaster. Jim backed up while the students began a routine for stopped moments like this. Knowing that his mother was watching close behind him, the Piplup stood up straight and proud. His kind were noble Pokemon, so Missy said, so he was going to be a good example of that.

A rude honking noise interrupted the band's song. Jim turned around to see that one of the members of the group behind them had pedaled past the banner carriers. Wearing clown makeup, a big curly green wig, and a round red nose, the Ambipom was riding a unicycle while holding six green batons with shiny ribbons in the two hands on its tails. He pushed one of the batons into his nose, making it honk again, and grinned.

Show-off. Jim turned back to the band while the Ambipom wheeled around and started juggling his batons. He was good at keeping pace with the band's beat and baton twirlers, but he was completely the wrong color for the school. When the parade got marching again, the Ambipom did not go back for some reason. It staying pedaling alongside the band.

"Pretty good kids you got in this band," the Ambipom said in the Pokemon language.

Jim nodded in approval. "They're the best."

"I don't know about that." He wheeled around to the other side of Jim. "So little ole you thinks he can march the whole parade route, huh?"

"Of course I can," Jim said. But as he started to look at the Ambipom, he slipped on a large piece of pink confetti and stumbled once again.

"Oh really?" he asked sarcastically. "You'll end up with lots of bruises."

Getting back up, the Piplup bushed his pale blue chest off, then continued marching. "I can do it and I will."

"You aren't as dexterous as I am," the Ambipom boasted, twirling a baton while continuing to juggle the other five and controlling the unicycle. Oddly enough, the only thing he was doing with his actual hands was keeping balance. "I'm doing a lot more work than you, but I won't be bruised and battered by the end of this."

"I finish everything I start," Jim stated. "And I'm proud of it." No matter how tough it was, now matter how rough the bruises would get, he would finish. And for a Pokemon of his size (and lack of grace…) to make a mile plus march, that was tough.

"Hmm." He turned his unicycle about, but instead of leaving the band, he started pedaling backwards. "Perhaps we ought to trade costumes, as you would be more fitting as the clown."

At that, Missy clapped one of her flippers against her side. "Watch yourself, Ambipom," she snarled. "I don't want to start a fight in this parade, but if you continue to insult my son, I will not let it go unpunished."

The Ambipom laughed nervously as he looked up at the taller Pokemon. His curly wig trembled. "Heh heh, just having some fun with you guys. I am the clown, after all. But the little guy might find this parade too much to handle."

"He can finish it," Missy stated, as confident as Jim. "Whether Piplup or Empoleon, we will not stoop to looking helpless."

"Even if it makes you look foolish?' Then he laughed again, trying hard to make it a joke. "Okay, okay. I get the picture." After catching his batons, the Ambipom honked his nose twice, then pedaled back to his group.

Jim was quite bruised and sore by the end of the parade route. But he had made it the full way on his own two feet. For that, he got the special treat of a bubble bath.

...

Piplup Platinum entry: A poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff of its chest without a care.

Empoleon HG/SS entry: It avoids unnecessary disputes, but it will decimate anything that threatens its pride.

Platinum entry: Split in two, the tails are so adept at handling and doing things, Ambipom rarely uses its hands.


	174. Lileep

"Lileep originally came from the Mezutamzoic era, over a hundred million years ago, when the oceans were much larger and warmer. They lived in shallow seas with sandy beds, much like this display area, where they blended into seaweed to hunt for small fish. Although they were made of rock-like materials, they still had predators that would kill them if they moved about too much, another reason they have for staying undetected. Several fossils of Lileep were recently discovered to have enough DNA to revive, which is how our aquarium came to have this group of Pokemon. Some Trainers have been known to use them, and they…"

A group of schoolchildren stood around, bored while on their aquarium tour. Right by them, there was the surface of a salt-water ocean habitat tank, where a group of five Lileep were grouped. Some of the girls had thought they were pretty initially, with pink tentacles around a brown stem that appeared much like an exotic sea flower. As the tour guide stated, the Lileep were not doing anything. They swayed with the flow of the water, as did the simpler seaweeds around them. One Lileep was separated from the rest, having climbed out of the water to hang out under a sunlamp. But even on the mottled rock, it did not do anything interesting.

"When are we going to get to the interesting exhibits?" one of the boys grumbled quietly.

"Probably not until the end," another whispered back. "And we won't get long to look."

"And this was supposed to be a good trip."

"Be quiet," their teacher said, walking by them.

"All right," the one boy replied, turning to her.

But right as he looked away, the Lileep on the rock decided that was the time to move. It leaned over quickly and snatched the boy's baseball cap off his head with its tentacles. The kids who saw this started laughing, amused at the break of tension.

The boy spun back around, putting his hands on his head. "Hey! Give my hat back!"

Chuckling, the tour guide said, "It may have thought your hat was something to eat. But they usually eat things whole."

His face paled. "I want my hat!"

Patting the hat with its tentacles, the Lileep tested the hat to see if it was edible. Apparently it wasn't good, because the Pokemon then spit the hat back out at the boy, hitting him in the face. Quite a bit of slobber ended up all over the boy's face, and soaking the hat.

"Ewww," some of the kids near him said, while others laughed gleefully.

The boy grabbed at his hat before it hit the floor. "Gross, now my hat is ruined."

"You'd better go back to the bathroom and clean that spit off," the tour guide said. "Leave it on too long and it'll become irritating."

As the teacher led the boy away, the smartest girl in the class asked, "Isn't its spit part of its digestive fluid, so it could eat holes in his hat?"

"That could happen," the tour guide said. "The Lileep's stomach is just past its mouth, in this bulbous area." She tapped the area behind where the wide tentacles were hanging. "But don't go touching it like I do. As a prehistoric Pokemon, its mind is not as developed as current day Pokemon and it will not recognize your hand as something not to eat. You have to become familiar to it before you can do this safely."

"What kind of Trainers actually use this kind of Pokemon?" one student asked. "I mean, they aren't doing much, so how good are they in battle?"

"They actually have very good endurance, especially after evolution," the tour guide said. "Generally only fossil hunters have access to them, but the most famous Trainer of the higher form of Cradily is Steven Stone, former Champion of Hoenn. Although you kids would have to wait a few years to train any Pokemon, the Lileep might be more commonplace. We do have a Cradily around, but it might be further down the tank. Do you want to go find it?"

The response wasn't completely enthusiastic, but they needed to stall a bit for the teacher and student to get back to the group. In the meantime, the sunning Lileep observed the crowd, looking for any more potential food sources. In its primitive mind, it considered the children too large to eat. The Cradily might be able to snag one of them. However, the tour guide wouldn't let the kids anywhere close to that one if it was out hunting. Even in captivity, it was still deeply wild.

...

Lileep Emerald entry: It disguises itself as seaweed by making its tentacles sway. Unsuspecting prey that come too close are swallowed whole. It became extinct a 100 million years ago.


	175. Rattata, Glameow

The castle was busy this week, which wasn't so good for Rachel. She scurried along the halls, trying to avoid being seen by the patrolling guards. From under a sidetable, the Rattata watched as yet another pair walked by. Ugh, it had been so hard to find food. But there wasn't much she could do about it. The human king was searching for a bride, and thus many women were staying here for the month.

And they were so rude, Rachel thought. She'd been screamed at, had things thrown at her, and had several Pokemon attack her, seemingly just because she was there. Normally, this was a great place to scavenge food, which is why she remained. But she didn't want to have to run and snatch snacks all the time.

Once the guards were gone, Rachel came back out and began sniffing about. Something smelled good in a room close by: some crackers, sausages, and cheese. But there were also smells of a human and an unfamiliar Pokemon. Maybe if she was careful, she could get some little bit. Especially if something had fallen to the floor.

She came through the doorway and peered around. It was a bedroom, being used by one of the potential brides. Thus, it was quite lavish, decorated with flowers. Rachel started to head for the wardrobe, which had a crawl space she could fit under. But a flash of violet sprang, trapping her under a strong paw.

Squeaking in alarm, she tried to struggle around so she could bite her attacker. "Eek, leave me be! I'm not doing anything wrong."

"You're not where you're supposed to be," the feline Pokemon responded, slowly extending her claws to press against the Rattata's skin. "I don't like others sneaking about my place."

The human then responded, in a gentle scold. She came over, but didn't seem scared. Once she encouraged the feline to let Rachel go, she looked over the smaller Pokemon.

"Hmph," the feline said, sitting back in a proud position. "She's had mercy on you, Rattata, so be grateful."

"R-right, I am," Rachel replied. She looked at the foreign Pokemon with the long corkscrew tail. "What are you?"

She twitched her whiskers. "I am a Glameow, peasant. I'm Miss Glinda, favored Pokemon of the Lady Calahan. So what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for some food," she replied. And as if the human was reading her mind, Lady Calahan soon had a cracker, piece of sausage, and slice of cheese by her. The Rattata curled her tail in delight. "Oh! Thank you, lady. My name's Rachel." Then she started nibbling at the offered food.

"Shouldn't that be Ratchel?" Glinda taunted.

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I've heard that joke a thousand times by now. No, I'm Rachel. That's how it's always been. So are you two here about the king?"

The Glameow nodded once. "Right. And this is very important for my lady, so you'd better not nibble any holes in her clothing or the like."

After swallowing a bit of sausage, Rachel said, "It's important for all of them, I think. Everyone's tense."

"Hmm." Surprisingly, the proud cat's ears tilted down. "That could be bad. My lady has been searching for a husband for some time, ever since her father's house burned down. We cannot rely on her family any more, so if we do not find her someone appropriate to marry, we'll likely end up on the streets."

"That is bad." Rachel nibbled at the cheese, then got an idea. "You know, you've been the first folks nice to me this week. Well, she has at least. Certainly most people wouldn't just give me food."

"You are a common Rattata," Glinda said, holding her nose in the air.

She brushed some food bits off her muzzle. "That may be, but I live in the palace. I observe things in hiding and I know the people here. Including the king."

That got her interest. "Really? Well Pokemon and humans can't understand each other normally, but my lady and I have been together for years. I can communicate things to her. May we ask for your assistance?"

Smiling, Rachel nodded. "Sure, if I get more food every now and then. Did you hear that the king has gone off on a two day hunt?"

Looking annoyed, Glinda raised a paw, showing her claws. "Yes… so very rude of him. I hope that isn't a sign for the future."

Rachel shrugged. "I'm afraid that's how it is. The king loves going on hunts. He's planning on throwing a feast and a ball with what he catches this time. Did you get word that he will be asking for gifts to show what the women can offer him?"

"Right. I just hope he returns the favors to the woman he chooses. We can't afford a wasted gift."

"Well the king admires the tapestries hanging in the halls, and often orders new ones. She may not be able to get an entire tapestry done, but if she does a little sampler of the king at the hunt, he would appreciate that."

"Is that so? At least that's something she likes to do. Getting the idea across, that could be tricky. Stay here, if you will." The Glameow then hopped onto the bed, where Lady Calahan was sitting. Glinda nudged the tin of sewing supplies until the human looked at it thoughtfully. "What does he like to hunt?"

Rachel took a few hops towards then, gripping the last of the cheese. "Dangerous ones, mostly. I believe he was going to look for wild Tauros this time."

"Hmm…" Glinda went to an open book and pawed at the pages. Maybe there was a picture there.

Looking between the Pokemon and the book, the lady got an idea. She laughed happily, then snatched up a red ribbon and came back to Rachel. The Rattata was nervous, but all the young woman did was tie the red ribbon around her tail. It was nice, so Rachel left it on.

Rachel spent the next day around the kitchens, but when the king returned with his hunting party, she came in to see how Lady Calahan's gift fared. However, she couldn't get too close as there were too many people and Pokemon around. She did notice when the king picked out the lady and a few others for some purpose, then sent everyone off. The Rattata quietly trailed Calahan.

They ended up in a wardrobe closet. Glinda the Glameow had settled by the doorway she had her eyes partly closed and was purring contentedly. However, she still noticed the careful rodent Pokemon. "Oh, it's you Rachel."

She smiled. "Hi Glinda. How're things going?"

"Decent enough. The king was pleased with my lady's embroidery and talked for a good length of time with her. Now he's sent a number of our rivals home while asking us to stay for the ball. It seems that he has even offered to give my lady her choice of the dresses here as she has few clothes of her own." Her whiskers twitched. "Now, of course, we have to find one that the king will like."

"Oh yes, that is a problem."

Lady Calahan then came over to Glinda, whistling in a particular manner. She then noticed Rachel, still wearing the red ribbon on her tail. Smiling, she knelt down and patted her back, careful not to get nipped at. Then she offered a piece of rye bread that she had saved.

Squealing happily, Rachel took a large bite of it. After swallowing it, she said, "Wonderful! This is my favorite bread, you know. Your lady is very kind."

"She is a little soft-hearted around small Pokemon," Glinda admitted.

"I can help you with the dress in exchange," Rachel said. "Lots of women fail to get his attention because they try too hard. He's rather a prude, believe it or not, and dislikes low necklines or much skin showing. And he likes women who wear pearls. I'm not sure if it's the type or woman who would wear them or if it's the pearls, but most women he reacts favorably too are wearing them, I notice."

"That helps. Why don't you stick around and help me help her?"

"Sure. I like her." Rachel then scampered up the wooden pole onto the rack where the dresses hung and looked around. Glinda walked by her lady's side and offered comments as Lady Calahan pulled dresses out to try. Thankfully, she didn't seem too drawn to the flashy dresses that would bother the king.

Eventually, they found a dark blue dress that had a chest piece with small pearls sewn into it. Lady Calahan picked that one, then opened her hand up to Rachel. She said something in a soothing tone.

"I believe she appreciates your help," Glinda said. "And she's offers to take you back to our room. I'm not sure about becoming buddies with a common rodent, though I greatly appreciate your insight and helpfulness as well."

Rachel giggled as she hopped onto the lady's hand. "I think you'd like to be my friend more than you say," she countered. "And I don't mind being taken in as a pet. It means better food more often."

The Glameow smirked, but twirled her tail about. "Well if we're going to get food regularly, you'd better hope the king picks my… our lady as his bride."

Although it took another week, in which Rachel offered suggestions and Glinda got the ideas through to the human, Lady Calahan was picked to be the king's bride and soon-to-be queen.

...

Glameow Diamond entry: It claws if displeased and purrs when affectionate. Its fickleness is popular among some.

Rattata Soul Silver entry: Living wherever there is food available, it ceaselessly scavenges for edibles the entire day.


	176. Gloom, Chansey

Professor Oak loved Pokemon. Everyone knew that. As he'd spent his entire life studying them, he could understand many based on their tone and body language. He had created new technologies and an entire database, just to share his knowledge and help others fully appreciate these wonderful creatures. But there was a little secret that he kept, which very few people knew.

Professor Oak could not stand Glooms.

Not that he didn't appreciate them, in their own special fashion. A Gloom was a Pokemon like any other, with its own thoughts, emotions, and quirks. They filled their own little niche and presented him a nice mystery on how some Pokemon could have two potential evolutions instead of one. However, that didn't get past the fact that their smell was obnoxious. Oak hated that smell and could never acquire a nose for it.

The smell did have a purpose. It originated from the honey that the Glooms produced in their saliva. They drooled it constantly and smelling it often made them drool more. Somehow, Oak had no idea how, but that odorous honey attracted all sorts of microbugs which a Gloom loved to eat. Perhaps because it smelled like garbage, the garbage-eating insects were drawn to a Gloom's honey. But that smell, and that drooling habit, Oak had always had a disgust for it.

Most of the time, he simply avoided Glooms. There were over a hundred Pokemon in the Kanto region alone, he figured, so he didn't really have to study each and every one of them. However, a problem had come up around the Gloom's information in the Pokedex database. The information seemed to conflict with itself. And since it had been his assistants who had gotten the conflicting information, it fell to him to go find out the truth. As much as he didn't want to.

The fastest way, he figured, would be to go speak to an expert, someone who could give the information on a personal level. That was why he was here in Celadon City, so he could speak to Erika. Not only did she run the Grass Gym of Kanto, but he was known to be an avid fan of Glooms and Vileplumes. That always struck Oak as a little odd, since she also taught formal flower arrangements that focused on beauty.

Well beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Aside from his usual dislike of Glooms, Oak also had the problem of Erika being picky about when men could enter her Gym. The League had talked her into setting aside hours when the Gym was fully open. They hadn't forced her to make a solid schedule, so he'd called ahead to make sure it was open to him. But he hadn't expected to be faced with a Chansey at the front door.

The large pink Pokemon seemed to be very wound up, even for her species. She bopped back and forth from one foot to the other, swinging her paws. Every three or so 'rounds', she twirled around. And she sang all the time, some happy sugar-inspired song that she danced to. Whatever she was doing, she was delighted to be doing it.

Unfortunately, she was right in front of the Gym door. "Chansey?" Oak asked.

"Dana, dana, dana, chansey!" the Chansey sang, oblivious to him.

"Good afternoon, Chansey," he stated.

"Dana, dana… hooo!" Her eyes went wide and she stopped dancing. "Cha?"

"I came here to speak to Erika," Oak told her. "I've called ahead."

Looking thoughtful, the Chansey turned and went inside. He followed inside the Gym, which seemed to be eternally in spring. Small trees were everywhere, along with soft light green grass and colorful wildflowers. Ahead of him, the Chansey chattered at some of the Gym Trainers. "Cha cha cha ni cha!"

One of them, an older teen, gave him a suspicious look. "And what are you doing in here?"

A preteen girl widened her eyes, tugging at her elder's arm. "Hey, it's Professor Oak! It's okay for him to be here, right? And it is the right hours."

"That's right," Oak said with a nod. "So why's the Chansey in front of the door?"

"She's our new bouncer," the older teen said. "She makes sure there's no peeping toms around. We'd have the Grass Pokemon out doing that, but they tend to nap when left alone out in the sun."

"Actually, some of them are more energetic in the sun." He tapped his side, reminding himself to stay on subject. "I came to talk to Erika. Is she around?"

The younger girl nodded. "Yeah, she's up on the roof. She said you can go meet her up there; the entrance is at the end of those stairs." Behind some particularly tall trees, there seemed to be a hidden staircase.

On the roof? Oak wondered. "All right. Thank you."

"Chana!" the Chansey cheered, then hopped back to her duties outside.

As Oak walked up the wooden stairs, he considered how things were. So Erika was making her open hours erratic and had a Chansey as a door guard. The Gyms were supposed to be a challenge, but not based on a Trainer's gender. True, there had been a time when women had not even been allowed to be Pokemon Trainers. But there was no reason anymore for the large anti-male bias. There wasn't any anti-female Gym, after all.

There was a door in the ceiling with a small set of steps heading out. Oak opened it up and walked out onto the roof. Thankfully, it wasn't a steep grade and he could manage unassisted. That was countered by the scent of Glooms, though. He wrinkled his nose at first, but managed to restrain his distaste by the time he located Erika.

She was sitting on the roof by one Gloom; a second was walking around the roof's edge. Oak shut the trap door and walked over to the Leader. "Good afternoon, Erika!"

Looking his way, she smiled and waved. "Good afternoon, Professor. I hope you didn't have much trouble getting up here."

"The main obstacle was the dancing Chansey in front of the door," he told her. "But she did let me in once I got her attention."

"Ah." Erika laughed lightly. "She is excited to have the job, I believe."

"Seems that way. What are you doing up here?"

She gestured to the two Glooms. "I hope to have these two evolved into Bellossoms before winter comes. That requires them to be in the sun, and to be happy with me. So I am accompanying them, looking over the autumn trees. And you needed to ask me about them, correct?"

"Correct," he replied. Then he brought out his clipboard, glad he had put the questions there instead of a computer. Of course, he hadn't expected this interview to be on the roof. "One issue is the spotting patterns of the petals. Is it consistent, or varying among individuals, or something else?"

"It varies by gender," she said, patting the pink-purple petals of the one beside her. "This male has more white spots, of a smaller size. The female have fewer but larger spots. That's the main method of telling the difference at this stage, as they look nearly identical."

Ah, that makes sense." He made a few notes, then came over to her side. "I've also had some conflict in moves it can learn. Petal Dance, Teeter Dance, Tickle, and a few others." He handed her the clipboard.

"I see. Those three can be learned by all stages. Tickle's a breed move, Petal Dance if you train it long enough… Teeter Dance takes a lot of effort, but it can be done… oh, no I've never had a Gloom learn that move. Might want to test it out…" she made a note, but fumbled with the pen and dropped it. "Oh, sorry."

"That's fine," Oak said, moving down the roof after the pen. It fell into the gutter, where it should have been easy to pluck out.

Then there was a rustle that distracted him. The female Gloom was face to face with him, with a trail of sticky drool on its chin. "Phe?"

Good lord, that stench… for a moment, it was all that Oak could think of. It attacked his senses with such strength that he passed out.

Several minutes later, he woke up on the lawn of the Grass Gym. There was a woman beside him. "Lie still," she said in a gentle voice. "I'm so sorry, Professor. The Gloom didn't mean to startle you."

"Huh, what?" Oak asked. His head hurt terribly and there was an awful sickeningly sweet smell that seemed to fill his head. "What happened… who're you?"

"Oh dear," Erika said, looking up to her bouncer Chansey. "I think falling off the roof gave him a concussion."

"Se cha," the Chansey said in a sad tone. "Tah!" Then she snatched the white egg that was in her pouch, shook it up, cracked the top a bit, then helped Oak to drink the contents. "Chansa."

"Go on and drink it, it should help you." She got up at the sound of sirens. "Looks like the ambulance is here."

After finishing the egg, oak felt a little better. The scent wasn't overcoming him anymore. "What smells so horrid? It's gotten into my head."

"Many people do say a Gloom's scent is horrid," Erika said, in a slightly sad tone. "I don't agree, though. I think they smell so invigorating."

Invigorating in the sense that you couldn't be sleepy around that stench, Oak thought.

...

Gloom Emerald entry: A horribly noxious honey drools from its mouth. One whiff of the honey can result in memory loss. Some fans are said to enjoy the overwhelming stench, however.

Chansey Platinum entry: A kindly Pokemon that lays highly nutritious eggs and shares them with injured Pokemon or people.


	177. Raticate, Regirock

It had been a fairly normal day for Russell the Raticate. Wake up, gnaw on some logs, go get food, run from predators, fight some Trainers, get some more food, gnaw some stones, get more food, go flirt with the lady Raticate by the river, fight his rival Raticate for the affections of his desired lady, fight another Trainer (who used one of his predators…), get more food, gnaw some more stuff. A normal day, overall.

He was hitting the last leg of his territory walk and considering getting something to eat before he went back to his nest for some sleep. He never ate a lot at once, because he never knew when he'd have to run from another predator or fight a Trainer's Pokemon. One time, he had hoped to be captured. That wasn't likely now that he was fully mature, so he settled on becoming the 'big cheese' of the area.

However, Russell's gums were bothering him. It was the same problem as always, he knew. His front teeth seemed to never stop growing. If he let them go too long, he'd start biting into his own gums. Rumor had it that one time, a Raticate was too proud of his front teeth and let them grow until one day, he jammed them into his own throat and died. Russell hadn't actually seen anyone have that much trouble, but he didn't want to take the risk.

Along his patrolling path, there was a large concrete structure. Russell had no idea what it was mean for: it was old, crumbling, and unmarked. There was no door into the structure either. Since no one seemed to care about it anymore, Russell, his parents, their parents before that, and many generations of Raticates had used it to whittle their teeth down with. He found a piece that was jutting out and chewed on it for a bit. Although he never swallowed such rocks whole, he'd heard that little bits were good for digestion.

So the lady Raticate who lived by the river was going to play hard to get. Russell was pretty sure she'd been flirting with both him and his rival, but not letting either of them get her. He should do something to really impress her. But what? Fighting seemed to glorify them both, as neither had really won that last encounter. Maybe if he found some rare item.

A small crack was all the warning he got, but all the warning he needed. Russell bolted away from the building right before a massive crack appeared across its rounded wall. A few seconds later, it completely collapsed, sending up a thick cloud of gray dust. Sneezing, Russell closed his eyes o keep the dust out. Once he thought it was safe, he opened them back up and checked out the ruins.

Well, the concrete was still there. In smaller pieces, but that just made them easier to gnaw on. There was still one large piece standing. Whatever it was, it had been on the inside of the structure. It was made of a motley collection of rocks, in colors ranging from smooth white to rough black, sandy brown to deep rich brown. Spots of yellow, orange, and even red were sprinkled all over it.

Russell thought about going over to check the rocky thing out when it moved. He froze in response and watched as the figure seemed to straighten up. As seven red jewels on its… it wasn't a face, but that was the closest Russell could call it… as the seven red jewels on its face began to glow, it made a movement like it was trying to walk. However, it wasn't managing to get anywhere.

"Man, that's got to stink for you," Russell commented. "You finally get to see outside your little prison, but you still can't escape."

The thing looked down at him (he guessed), and studied him for a moment. It finally started to speak, struggling to get going. "Ra. Ti. Cate. Raticate."

"Hooray for Captain Obvious," Russell said sarcastically. "I'm Russell, specifically."

"Russell specifically. Chew my feet off."

He blinked in surprise. Did it honestly mean that? "Excuse me?"

"Chew my feet off. Please."

Deciding to point out the obvious this time, Russell replied, "That's going to hurt, you know. I'm not usually called on for amputations."

"I do not feel. I must complete my mission."

"Okay, if you say so." The Raticate scrambled over the loose ruins to reach the creature's ankles. "And what the heck are you, if you don't feel?" He started chewing at the ankles, harder than he normally did for rocks.

"I am Regirock, a golem of the Kingdom of Groudon. I have come to deliver a message to the capitol of the Kingdom of Kyogre."

These rocks were coming apart with strange ease, Russell thought. They seemed to detach once he put enough pressure to them. "Never heard of those places," he said as he went over to work on the other ankle.

Now that one leg was free, Regirock lifted it up, then somehow drew the concrete rubble to form a new foot. Wasn't telekinesis a Psychic power? Or did he have just some kind of will to control rocks. The golem replied, "The capitol is just ahead. They feared that I was coming to attack them, so they trapped me in that tomb of concrete and steel. I did not get time to relay my message, which is a request for a truce. But I will complete my mission and deliver the message to the leader of the capitol ahead."

Russell moved back and watched as Regirock formed a second foot. "Oh yeah? You don't let nothing get you down, it seems. So how long have you been in there?"

It took a few moments as Regirock was still in contemplating that. "five hundred and thirty-two years, four months, twenty-two days, three hours, six minutes, and twelve seconds."

"Huh. Well…" Russell looked to the west. "If you follow this human path, you'll end up in Lilycove. I suppose you can find the leader of that city and finish your business. But man, I would've given up when they started to show signs that they were going to trap me in concrete."

"I do not give up," Regirock stated. "Russell specifically, thank you for freeing me. Is there some favor that I can repay you with?"

"Um..." he scratched behind his ear before getting a great idea and grinning. "You could come with me for a little bit and tell this lady Raticate that I freed you. That's it."

"Very well. Show me where your lady lives."

"Right, follow me!" He scampered off with the rocky golem marching behind him. Its footsteps were heavy and frightened many others away.

But this was sure to leave an impression on the lady he wanted!

...

Regirock D/P/P entry: Its entire body is made of rock. If any part chips off in battle, it attaches rocks to repair itself.

Raticate HG entry: Gnaws on anything with its tough fangs. It can even topple cement buildings by gnawing on them.


	178. Altaria, Gabite

The sky blue birdlike dragon flew through the air, daydreaming again. He liked to soar with the clouds, to blend in with them. If he was careful of how he used his fluffy white wings, he could spook Pokemon on the ground who just saw a cloud moving unlike the rest. It was even funnier if another Altaria was with him, so it appeared as if the sky was confused. But that wasn't possible at the moment; all he could do was daydream it.

Especially since the clouds were black and angry, sending a downpour over the land below him.

And on top of him. He had somewhere he was going, but his feathers could only repel so much water. With the winds getting worse the farther he went into the storm, he found it not worth getting there early by risking flight in this storm. So he descended down to the rocky landscape below, looking for some shelter.

He spotted some steam coming from the ground, indicating a warm spot. Getting closer, he saw a cave entrance. A warm cave sounded like a good place to wait out the rain. He landed in the cave and briskly shook his wings to remove excess water. As some of the rainwater was heading into the cave too, the Altaria went in deeper until he found a dry ledge. He settled down there to rest and dry out.

Around his neck, there was a gold chain hanging onto a multifaceted diamond. It was mostly clear with a few cloudy white areas. But the most fascinating thing about it was how it seemed to reflect all colors of the rainbow when light hit it. Even the humble torches on the wall caused the diamond on the necklace to sparkle. Looking at it made him simultaneously happy and sad. The Altaria began humming to himself, trying to ward off the sadness.

Torches. One flickered on the wall, but the one nearest to him was unlit. They seemed fairly well kept. Somebody probably lived here. He hoped whoever it was wouldn't mind a temporary trespasser. Wanting to keep warm, he carefully shot a fireball at it. If done at full power, his fireballs would incinerate the torch instead.

With the fire of the torch nearby, he decided to take a nap.

* * *

Rainwater was invading the cave. A gray and blue dragon knelt down to test it out with her front paw. Even this far in, it was cold, a prelude to winter's snows. The Gabite disliked winter, as she'd have to stay in the lower levels of the cave to keep warm. That meant that she couldn't keep an eye on a few of her treasure rooms as she liked to do daily. With the presence of cold waters, she'd have to consider whether to move the valuable gems to lower rooms or make sure to seal and lock the upper rooms up tight.

All things considered, she preferred keeping her daily rounds, since she could challenge any explorers that came seeking her treasures. She spent her entire life in this cave, digging up those gems with her own claws, polishing them slowly, figuring out their worth, then guarding them against thieves and treasure hunters. If a particular explorer fought well or had a suitable trade, the Gabite would give away her precious gems… but she hated doing that. She spent all of her time building up her hoard, so why should some other Pokemon deserve a treasure if they just waltzed on in and found it?

Sure, this cave was dangerous, and some liked to claim that as a reason to deserve treasure. But she lived here. She dealt with the dangers every day and had no one to back her up if something went wrong. Those explorers had a whole guild behind them, people who would notice if they were gone too long and would come to find them. If the Gabite got in trouble, she might be helped by some of the Gibles, maybe by some other Gabites. Or maybe they would challenge her authority and take over the cave (and her treasures) while she was weak. So that proved that she deserved the treasures more.

It was still a lot of work, but the Gabite didn't mind that. It was a proof of her skill and power in that she could manage it all. Plus, she liked to see her treasures safe and secure.

Deciding to find out just how close winter was to setting in, the Gabite headed up to the first level of the cave to check on things outside. She had no treasure rooms up here, but had built in some extra traps to discourage explorers. Avoiding those, she made her way to the entrance.

Not too far from that entrance, she spotted a Pokemon foreign to this cave, an Altaria. Didn't they hang out around mountain tops and meadows, or something like that? Maybe he was an explorer after her treasure. But he seemed to be resting, with his small head tucked under his right wing. His wing feathers were clumped and spiky, somewhat damp. So maybe he was escaping the rain.

She was walking carefully, so he hadn't woken up to her coming in. So the Gabite initially passed him by, heading outside. Once she was at the cave's opening, she noticed how sharp the wind was. The water was close to freezing; it would have been snow if it were any colder. Other signs indicated that the first frost would come shortly, perhaps even tonight. Yes, this was the time to move or seal treasures. She had already worked on her food supply, so she wasn't going to starve this winter.

Heading back down, she noticed the Altaria was stirring. When he did so, something on his neck moved and sparkled yellow, then green, then blue. What was that? The Gabite moved closer, keeping her footfalls silent. In that way, she saw that it was a gold necklace with a rainbow diamond hanging by a simple clasp.

That was rare. The Gabite had dozens of gemstones dug from her cave, but she didn't have a single rainbow diamond. In her collection, there were a few diamonds she had traded for, whites, pinks, blues, and others. But her cave did not produce diamonds, at least none she had found yet. And no gems quite as beautiful as the one the Altaria wore around his neck.

She wanted that diamond. But she wasn't a thief. No matter how much she wanted it, she wasn't about to snatch it off his neck while he was asleep. Now if he was awake, she might be able to get him to trade it, or maybe trick him out of it. It wasn't stealing if he willingly gave it to her, and even the guild explorers couldn't argue that.

Deciding to wait for him to wake up, she hunkered down near a steam vent to keep warm.

* * *

When the Altaria woke back up, he found that his feathers had managed to dry out. But from the echoes of raindrops in the cave, the storm had not let up. This wasn't good. He might have been able to make up for lost time if he could leave now. With the chilly air coming from the entrance, he could tell that the rain had turned freezing. And it would not be wise to fly in this weather. "Oh dear," he mumbled to himself, then yawned and stretched.

He then noticed that he wasn't alone in the cave now. A female Gabite was watching him from the other side of the room. Was she one of the residents of this cave? That was likely. He brought his wings back to his body, conscious not to look aggressive. "Pardon me," he said politely. "I don't mean to bother anyone; I just needed to get out of the rain."

"I can understand that," she replied. Good, so she wasn't a fully wild Pokemon. Those fellows could be difficult to negotiate with. "It is a warning of winter, I believe."

"That could be." He looked in the direction of the entrance. "Has it shown any signs of stopping or slowing?"

The Gabite shook her head. "No. It has gotten colder instead. It might go all night."

"Oh dear," he said to himself again. "I hope this doesn't make me too late."

Quietly, she left her spot and came closer to him. "Were you headed somewhere?"

"Yes, Treasure Town. There's a festival soon and I wanted to be there shortly before it started. But if the rain's turned freezing, I can't fly there safely."

"Hmmm… the guild installed a teleport square deeper in the cave. You'll end up in Wigglytuff's Guild, but they're reasonable Pokemon. Most of the time."

The Altaria whistled his appreciation. "Really? Yes, that would be excellent. I know a few guild explorers and I'm sure if I explained about the storm, they wouldn't mind me using their teleport system. Thank you, miss. Which level is it on?"

She moved over to one of the doorways that led further in the cave. "The sixth. But, this place is dangerous to those who do not know it. You'd best come with me."

"All right. Thank you again; you're a very kind Pokemon." He flew off the ledge and followed her into the hall.

"What are you going to the festival for?" she asked as they traveled along.

"Oh, it's tradition. My mate and I used to come every year. She started it, actually, because she would take small Pokemon on flights above town, just for fun. I joined her in that just three years ago. But she won't be there this year." He cooed sadly, glancing at the rainbow diamond around his neck.

"She sick or something?" the Gabite asked sympathetically.

"No. She died last winter."

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss then." She smiled back at him.

He nodded in thanks. "It's okay, I'm sure she's at peace now. But I don't want to disappoint her friends in Treasure Town, so I'm going alone this year. And I'm keeping her treasure safe."

"The diamond?"

The Altaria chuckled at that. "Partly, but not quite. Our children are still back at home, and I'm teaching them to be as kind as her. She did treasure this necklace, though. It's special."

"I'll say. Diamonds like that are incredibly rare." She paused, apparently thinking.

"Not just that," he insisted. "This diamond has a special power, although we're not sure what it's for. It gathers love. It gets passed along by love; the current bearer was given it by someone who loves him or her, and will give it on to someone else he or she loves. And it's not just a mate, but a child, a dear friend, a promising student… so long as the love between them is strong and the bearer is a good Pokemon, the diamond will continue to grow in power."

She put her paw to her chin. "A diamond of love, huh?"

"Right. We're not sure what it will do, but we believe someday, it will do something great for the world."

"So then why wear it? If it is so valuable, why not put it away where it can be safe?"

"Well it might be safer if I hid it," he admitted. "But it wouldn't be worth much hidden away. No one could enjoy its beauty, and I do keep it as a reminder of my mate, and the love we shared. Also, since it grows by being around loving Pokemon, it wouldn't do anything if it wasn't with me. So I prefer to keep it on me. And if anyone who doesn't deserve it does take it from me, I think karma would get to them in the end."

"That could be." She stopped right in front of a large hole. "Here. This is a shortcut by several levels. We can go straight to the sixth from here, me by climbing and you by flying if you can maneuver through it."

The Altaria looked down the hole. "Ah, very clever. Yes, I should be able to manage it."

* * *

After the Altaria left, the Gabite had a lot to think about. He had thanked her by giving her a gemstone. But not the rainbow diamond. He had given her a Sunbright Stone, which flooded the room it was in with brightness equal to that of a sunny summer day. According to him, if she were careful about covering it from time to time and using rain-inducing items, she could grow berry bushes and other plants inside her cave. That was something she didn't have, and something very useful indeed.

But it was what he had said that caused her thought. Particularly about using treasures rather than just hiding them. Were other treasures worthless if hidden away? Was it better to keep them out for others to admire, or protect them from thieves? Or was it just things like that diamond of love that were better not hidden?

The Gabite looked at the Sunbright Stone in her paws. This one she could agree might be less useful if sealed away and not used. But her other treasures? Thieves were too prevalent. She'd have to find some way to keep this treasure from being stolen. Even if they were being used, treasures were worthless to her if she didn't have them.

Which meant she might as well just forget about that rainbow diamond the Altaria had. It was unlikely that he would give it up to her.

...

Altaria Emerald entry: It hums in a beautiful soprano voice. It flies among white clouds in blue skies. It launches intensely hot fireballs from its mouth.

Gabite Platinum entry: It loves sparkly things. It seeks treasures in caves and hoards the loot in its nest.


	179. Swinub, Regice

Seth the Swinub had been content to rest in his Pokeball, but his Trainer had to call him out. Hoping it wasn't for a battle, the rotund mammal shook out its short brown fur and sniffed around. There were Pokemon scents, but they were old or distant. And there was a human smell, but just one, that of his Trainer. Good. He hadn't wanted to go with a battling Trainer and had tried to avoid the humans. Yet, this one had caught him.

"We're here," the man said, his voice brimming with excitement. "All my years of research into the old tales and then tracking down a helpful Pokemon, it's all come down to this moment of glory. Look, can you see it?"

Snorting, Seth continued snuffling around the ground. He couldn't see all that well, just movement and same degree of light to dark. But he could smell and this place smelled fascinating. It was a wild place where the earth was strong. Not only that, but it was cold. There was a light layer of recent snow, still tumbling from the sky. It lay on top of older layers of snow, maybe even ancient if he dug down deep enough. A glacier, or perhaps the top of a mountain? No, not the top of a mountain. He smelled plant life, the sort that would be closer to sea level.

Still, it seemed like his kind of place.

"This is known as Frigid Mountain," his Trainer told him. "Magnificent place, isn't it? It's certainly a small mountain, I admit, but just look at this. It's a glacier that lies so close to the tropics that it shouldn't be possible. And yet, here it is, a place that can have temperatures below freezing while, twenty miles away, it gets terribly hot in the late summer. And no one's been able to figure out why."

No one? That was somewhat interesting, but Seth was happier to find a cold place outside of his Pokeball at last. He caught the scent of something nice and began digging into the snowpack.

In the meantime, the human kept talking. "But I think it may be something more that just a geological mystery. I believe that somewhere in this frozen place is the famed Fountain of Youth. It is a spring of water that has such magnificent qualities that it can keep a person young, not just in looks, but in truth. Yes, all of my research has pointed to this location as the legendary spot.

"Centuries ago, there was a flourishing culture here where people were said to live youthful, never growing old, ill, or weak. There was still death, but the people of that culture lived far longer than any others surrounding it. And their secret was the Fountain of Youth. They had many enemies, of course, others who wished to know where the mystical water came from. So only certain people were allowed to go to the spring and retrieve the water for the benefit of all others. And they made elaborate riddles to disguise the location.

"And such riddles they left! I've spent over a decade trying to solve them, but this time, I've sure I've hit the right breakthrough! See, some of the riddles they left behind were false, red herrings to throw people like me off. Once I figured out the more consistent riddles, I put them together and did my best to find the location. And those riddles led me here, to this strangely frozen mountain."

Then he laughed. Seth picked up the item he had found out of his hole, then brought it over to his Trainer's feet. To get his attention, the Swinub bumped his nose against the man's leg. But he was captivated by his own story.

"It makes such sense, doesn't it? The culture was falling into decline and about to collapse in on itself. Their leaders were greedy then and didn't want anyone else to find their treasure. So what do they do? They freeze the whole mountain so no one can access it!" He laughed again, but stopped abruptly.

Seth nudged him again.

"Although, I haven't figured out how they managed to do that. The ancient people did manage to do things that we have yet to replicate. Still, I'm certain this is the place, and I've read that your sort of Pokemon can find springs forgotten about in frozen areas. So I've brought you here… hmm?"

Happy to finally get the man's attention, Seth nudged his find. He was quite proud of it.

The archeologist picked it up. "A mushroom, huh? I don't know much about them, but this one looks pretty big. But if such a large mushroom can grow here, there must be hot spots… which does mean a hot springs would be possible." He dropped the mushroom. "You have it, then."

Seth wasn't too pleased with his Trainer's lack of enthusiasm about the mushroom… but he did at least get to have a tasty treat. He munched the fungus away in a few bites, then went ahead and followed his Trainer into Frigid Mountain. So long as he kept finding tasty tidbits, he didn't mind searching for this Fountain of Whatever the man was after.

* * *

After a week in the frozen mountain, Seth felt fairly confident that he could live a whole lifetime here, an easy life. There wasn't much competition from other Ice Pokemon, as this place was much too south for most of them to reach. Because of that, any predators were unsure about if he was edible or not. And there were lots of things buried and preserved in the snow pack so that, even if he lost track of where the actual berry bushes and mushroom roots were, he could always find some more by snuffling around and digging.

His Trainer was being patient, but the Swinub could still smell the disappointment he had whenever another mushroom or berry was dug up. Seth also uncovered some stone and metal items that were really of no interest to him. Sometimes, humans liked that kind of thing. And while the archeologist had once said, "Well this alone covers the cost of our little trip," he still didn't seem that enthusiastic about it. What he was enthusiastic about was the Fountain of Youth and any sign from the ancient culture he studied.

Seth had to admit, the disappointment was getting to him. He was happy to be brought to this place, and allowed to do what he loved (digging stuff up) rather than what he dreaded (fighting against other Pokemon). The thing was, the Swinub had smelled something that could be the spring that his Trainer had spent years searching for. But he was uncertain about going down there.

It was down a passage near their main campsite, and probably wouldn't take that long to reach. Near there, Seth could smell a tantalizing source of water that did indeed have some mystical qualities. He wasn't sure if it would keep one young, but it smelled healthy and energizing. However, there was another scent accompanying the water and that one he didn't know if he should go near.

For with the hot springs that he smelled, he also smelled ice. And not ice like the snowpack all over Frigid Mountain. No, this was Ice, pure, simple, and powerful. It was an Ice power more powerful than he, more powerful than any other he had ever encountered. Perhaps a Pokemon? But then, it would be one that he had never heard of before. It was one that might even be a god. For that reason, he didn't want to go near it. He didn't want to accidentally anger an Ice Pokemon god.

But on smelling his Trainer's emotions, with a faith and confidence that was faltering, Seth felt bad about keeping away from that mystical hot spring. Perhaps the god could be kind and not punish them for disturbing it? Perhaps… perhaps not.

Hoping that there wouldn't be divine retribution, the Swinub decided to lead the archeologist down that passage today.

It was a curious place, Seth noticed. There was that incredible cold that came off the potential god, but there was also an incredible heat that came off the springs. Right now, the Ice was winning out. But there came a point where the ice became thin. He stopped, sparing a moment to make sure that his Trainer stopped too. Then Seth broke through the ice.

"Water?" the man said, kneeling down. He cautiously reached his fingertips in the pool below them and was surprised. He put his whole hand in the water. "This is warm water! But how…? It's covered in ice. I wonder how deep it goes and why it's frozen like this." He brought out a pair of bottles, one which he filled with the warm water and one which he scraped off some of the cold ice.

Then, the Ice stirred. Part of the wall came out and turned out to be a giant living block of ice, with several blue gemstones where its face should have been. Seth realized in alarm that it was an Ice Pokemon god, perhaps having lived since the days of that old culture his Trainer studied. Not wanting to offend it further, he scrunched down meekly and put his snout to the ground.

On the other hand, his Trainer was amazed. "Th-that Pokemon… what is it?"

Its body flashed for a moment, like a frozen lake catching the sun's rays just so. Then it spoke, "Do not fear, little cousin. I realize that you came here to please your human. But you, you should not have come here."

Seth sighed in relief. It was a good god. And if it said so, they should leave. He raised his snout to his Trainer.

His Trainer didn't get the message, somehow. "It… you spoke. Amazing! You should come back to the university; the others will be astounded by you."

"I must stay here," the god said. "It is a sacrifice, but it is for the safety of all. I must…"

Still, the archeologist didn't listen. He pulled a peculiar Pokeball out of the bag he carried everywhere. "This is just what this is good for," he murmured, then threw it at the god.

Seth was shocked. He was trying to capture a god? That was horribly disrespectful, especially after said god stated that it had to stay where it was. He expected the god Pokemon to break out of the ball. Months ago, he had broken out of twelve different Pokeballs trying to stay free. Surely the god could break free much easier.

But although the ball quivered and shook, nearly falling into the hole in the ice, its status light soon turned green. The archeologist had somehow captured a living god. How was that possible? Soon after Seth asked himself that, he added, what's the world coming to when the humans can capture gods?

Smiling, the Trainer picked up the strange ball. "This Masterball was a gift from Silph a couple years back," he stated, holding it like something precious.

Not precious, Seth thought, huffing. Sacrilegious.

But the human was absorbed in his own thoughts and story again. "I had done a project for them and got this. I hadn't decided what I was going to use it for; some people use them to capture elusive shiny Pokemon. But this Pokemon, unlike any other I've seen… and one that can speak! That's what this was made for."

Then an earthquake struck, causing fragments of ice to fall off the ceiling and crash to the ground. Seth squealed and sniffed around for safety. What he sensed alarmed him further. The power of the earth was growing… but so was the power of fire.

"Whoa…" the archeologist said, scooping Seth up. He hated that, being taken off the ground. "I don't recall any seismic predictions for this area." Then the brief quake was over. "But we've got a sample of the water, I know where it is… and I have this magnificent Pokemon to show my colleagues. Have to figure out what it is." He glanced at the Masterball. "Regice… well, let's go pack up camp and leave. This could be our lucky break!" He whistled as he left the tunnel.

Seth felt horrible, and afraid.

* * *

Several miles away from the mountain, the archeologist had stopped his Jeep to make a phone call. Seth was sitting by one of the tires, sniffing about nervously. The ground had become unstable due to the growing power of fire. And it was losing out to the fire fast. Something bad was happening and he wanted to go, get somewhere safe or at least very far away from here.

But his Trainer was busy being proud of his discovery and capture. "Yes, it does talk," he said to the person on the other end of the conversation. "Here, I can let it out to talk to you." He brought out the Masterball and released Regice.

The large crystalline Pokemon looked around at the woods they were in. Seth noted that the ground under its feet began to take on the scent of frost and winter, such power over cold it had. Then, Regice stated, "You should not have taken me from that place."

"It's fine… huh?" Seth couldn't see all that well, but he could tell that his Trainer had turned around. "What's with all that smoke?"

"Steam," Regice corrected.

Then there was a massive explosion that, for a moment, blanked out all else. Seth panicked as the shock waves pulsed through his body; he feared that they were not far enough away to be out of danger. But then the Ice god brought up some kind of shield, a dome of air that was more frigid than anything Seth had smelled before.

"Stay where you are," the god ordered sternly. "Although it would have been better if you had listened to me before. The shield will freeze you to death in an instant if you touch it; even my little cousin could not withstand it."

"But..." the Trainer started to say, but then was drowned out by a massive rush of deadly hot and poisonous air that swept by them. But it could not pass the cold shield. The human spoke louder, "a volcano? I didn't know Frigid Mountain was a volcano."

"It is, and I've been the only thing keeping it from erupting the past several centuries. I kept it so cold that it could not budge. Once I was removed, the lava heated back up and melted my ice, causing a fast eruption."

"Oh." The archeologist was crestfallen, struck with guilt and shame.

Feeling that they were safe under Regice's power, Seth crept over to his Trainer and nudged his foot. He wouldn't have found the god if the Swinub had led him to it, after all. He hadn't smelled the danger of a volcano underneath the overwhelming Ice power of Regice. All he'd been trying to do was cheer the human up.

But some strain of pride still struggled to come forth in the Trainer. "So you are a valuable Pokemon," he said.

Regice didn't seem too impressed. "If you think so. Any Pokemon can be valuable if you care enough to give value to it. Like your friend the Swinub there. He was content with the little treasures he found, but to make you happy, he sought out what you were looking for. But it wasn't what you thought it was."

Of in the distance, the volcano rumbled, causing another earthquake. It likely wasn't going to settle down any time soon, but perhaps the god would know when it was safe for them to move. The archeologist dropped down to sit on the ground, still overwhelmed by the mistake he'd made. Trying to make him feel better, Seth climbed into the man's lap. At least he could keep him company.

...

Swinub Platinum entry: It has a very sensitive nose. It can locate mushrooms, berries, and even hot springs buried under ice.

Sapphire entry: Regice cloaks itself with frigid air of negative 328 degrees F. Things will freeze solid just by going near this Pokemon. Its icy body is so cold, it will not melt even if it is immersed in magma.


	180. Chimchar, Abra

The Daycare smelled like hay and old people. A boy Trainer opened the dark blue door, and held it open to let his two Pokemon walk through. First came the smaller of the two, a brown monkey who had a burning flame for a tail; the Chimchar scurried inside, looking this way and that before going to sniff a nearby table. The other was a vaguely human-like Pokemon that had yellow skin and sharp features. The Abra shuffled in on his two feet, his tail moving slightly to keep him balanced. Although his eyes were closed, he did not trip or falter in following his Trainer up to the desk.

The old woman wearing a pink shawl adjusted her glasses, then smiled at them. "Welcome, and good afternoon. How may I help you, young man?"

"Hi," the Trainer said, placing two Pokeballs on the counter. "I've got a reservation here for my two Pokemon, under Kyle Jenkins."

"Oh yes, I remember." She brought a reservation file up on her computer. "And it is for Albert the Abra and Ali the Chimchar, correct?"

"Yes, m'am."

"All right, it's 550 Poke total for your reservation. Any time over that must be paid for before you may pick them up."

"Right." He handed over the money. While she was dealing with that, Kyle knelt down and whistled. Ali stopped smelling the chairs and came over. "Look guys, I'm sorry I gotta leave you here, but I have to be at that meeting without any Pokemon. It's okay; it's not like those guys are going to kidnap me or anything. Be good for the folks here."

"Aawoh," the Chimchar whimpered, then brought his arms up for a hug. Kyle gave it to him, then one to Albert.

"Zzurrou," the Abra said in his strange voice, placing his hand on the boy's forehead.

"It's gonna be okay," Kyle said again, then got up to sign a paper. After that, he said goodbye and left the Daycare.

The Daycare woman got up and left her seat behind the counter. "Okay, little ones, I want to check you both over before I let you outside. And I'm glad you're awake," she patted Albert on the head as she led them to a scanning station, "so that I can tell you both something important. Don't leave the grounds that are marked off by the fence. It's all in range of where we keep the Pokeballs and if you get out of range, we cannot help you if you get in trouble. Understand?"

The two Pokemon nodded. Ali didn't like staying in enclosed spaces, but Kyle had said to behave, so he would. On the other hand, Albert didn't mind staying in fenced off areas, but made sure to memorize the order.

"All right, then step in here for a moment and we'll make sure you're okay." After she approved of both their scans, she let the two Pokemon outside.

On looking at the large space that counted as the Daycare's yard, Ali was pleased and began dashing here and there, sniffing things and checking out what other Pokemon were around. Albert yawned, then walked out of the way of the door and sat down by the wall. Although his Psychic abilities had been strengthening to the point that he thought he might evolve soon, his physical strength seemed to be weakening. Not that Albert had been strong physically in the first place.

But, it was getting hard to even carry his own weight sometimes. Albert still managed to walk around if needed, but found himself using his mind's power to support himself. That effort wiped him out fast, even though they hadn't walked far from the Pokecenter. The Abra lowered his head and was soon asleep.

In contrast, Ali was not going to sleep any time soon. Dangerously skirting a pond, he raced over to the fence and leapt onto the post. He wasn't going to leave the area; he was just going to sit on the fence. But that wasn't much of a challenge to the Chimchar, so he leaped back into the yard and zipped over to a tree. Before long, he was sitting a third of the way from the top.

Trees just had one drawback; he had to be careful when navigating one. Not because he would fall, but because of his flame tail. If he didn't watch what he was doing, he might set the tree on fire. And people tended to not like that. Ali didn't mind fires, but didn't want trouble. So he picked his way down carefully. Once he hit the ground, he ran for a large pile of rocks and began climbing that.

Only… the rocks turned out to be an Onix that was trying to sleep. The rock snake jerked awake, nearly throwing Ali off. He instinctively clung onto his current hold to avoid being hurt. But then the Onix shook itself violently to get him off. Losing his grip, Ali curled and tumbled when he hit the ground. When he looked back around, he saw the angry eyes of the Onix.

"Eek?" he questioned meekly.

The Onix growled in anger and threw a rock at him. Ali dodged but seeing as this wasn't a supervised battle, he fled back towards the main building. The Onix pursued him, sending Pokemon fleeing from its path. Albert vanished before Ali's eyes.

In the tree, the Abra stirred a bit. What had tripped his subconscious danger sense? Oh, the Chimchar was getting in trouble again. Figuring he could handle it himself, Albert went back to sleep.

"Hey, HEY!" The old man who worked at the Daycare called out, trying to get the attention of the two combatants. "Let's not fight; break it up or I'll make the others do it for me."

Seeing a chance, Ali darted towards the old man, crouching down near him. The Onix turned and saw that. Irritated, the rock snake snorted, then crawled off to sleep in a less active corner.

The old man looked down at Ali. "Well now, here only for ten minutes and you already get someone chasing you? You're a little trouble magnet, aren't you?"

"Oooook," Ali pleaded, keeping himself low. He wasn't trouble.

"It's okay," the old man said. "Just be more careful now."

After spending a bit of time near the old man to calm down, Ali went back out exploring again. The day was so nice, with a bright sun, and soft green grass, and interesting smelling flowers, and (non-living) rocks to climb, and a pond to avoid, and… and so many interesting things that the Chimchar got all excited again and searched for something fun to do.

But every time he found something fun to do, he also found trouble. A game of kick the ball with a Happiny ended up with a Tauros chasing them; it ran into the tree Albert was sleeping in and forced the Abra to teleport again. Tossing sticks into the pond got a Seaking mad at him, which nearly drenched Albert too. And just running about the yard got the Tauros annoyed again.

But Ali never gave up on searching for a new game.

As the sun went down, most of the Pokemon began seeking areas to sleep, whether in the stables or outside. Even Ali was getting tired after an exciting day in a new place. He started poking around looking for someplace to curl up, but then he noticed the Onix was stirring. Remembering how furious it had been earlier scared Ali. So he decided he'd have to sleep somewhere hidden. Or maybe with Albert. The Abra always teleported away just before he got hurt, even when he was fast asleep.

But where was Albert? Ali checked the tree, the taller grass, the rock, along the building, inside the stable… but the Abra was nowhere to be seen. Whining softly in worry, he started sniffing, seeing if he could find his friend's scent.

He did, but it came from a peculiar place. It came from above, on the roof of the main building. Ali checked the walls and was pleased to find that they were painted bricks. Gripping the slim lines between the bricks, the Chimchar scaled the building. The roof had an overhang, but he crawled over to the corner, then leapt at where the overhang was smallest. Just managing to clasp the roof's edge, he scrambled to pull himself up and over.

And yes, there was Albert, sitting and sleeping on the rooftop. It was probably a smart choice, Ali realized, as it kept him within the fence boundary, but got him out of the way of the playing, chasing, and arguing Pokemon below. Ali approached Albert slowly, not wanting him to teleport all of a sudden.

When he got to the Abra's side, he sniffed, then gently poked Albert on the shoulder. The Abra stayed put, but did raise his head. He woke up enough to turn his head, then opened his small eyes some. Having been around him, Ali knew that he didn't show people his dark brown eyes often.

Ali yawned, then licked his fingers. He patted them against his tail flame, to get it to go out. Then he put his arms and head on one of Albert's legs and curled up there. Hopefully he wouldn't teleport now.

But no. His friend softly drawled, "Zehrruull," then placed his hand on the Chimchar's shoulder. Before long, both were asleep, left to peaceful dreams.

Not even the Psychic knew that the next day would bring bad news.

…

Chimchar Diamond entry: It agilely scales sheer cliffs to live atop craggy mountains. Its fire is put out when it sleeps.

Abra Pearl entry: Even while asleep, it maintains a telepathic radar. It teleports when it is threatened.


	181. Mamoswine, Sentret

Panic spread through the Pokemon lab. Two dozen small brown furred Pokemon rushed away to hiding spots, turning a crowded room into a near empty one. A brown and tan striped tail hung out of a vent, but quickly vanished, leaving a pair of eyes looking out the bars. Elsewhere, seven of the Sentrets had all hidden under a couch, hoping their numbers might counter out the fact that they could be seen under there.

In the middle of the room, a human woman in a lab coat sighed. "What is this interruption for?" she asked, walking towards the large doorway. "You've frightened all my Sentrets."

"Sorry, professor," a man's voice replied. "But we had something to bring in to you."

"Is this about the archeology department's di…?" she stopped mid-word, eyes wide.

The Sentrets murmured to themselves. This particular human was like one of their group. However, she was a lot braver than they, probably because she was a human and not a small furry Sentret. So to affect her like that, what was coming in? Was it something really bad?

"Yeah, this is something they brought up on their arctic dig," the man said. "Your lab was the one that had room in it."

Clenching her fists, she glared at him. "Is that it? You should have asked me first. This lab is for work on my Sentret study."

"Those are just small common Pokemon," the man dismissed. "But this is a really special one, perhaps one of a kind. You could make a big splash with this one."

"I can't just abandon this project for another," she replied, but any more conversation was blocked off by the thing the university workers brought in.

It awed the smaller Pokemon, making a few cower even further into their hiding spots. While it had large shaggy brown fur, sort of like them, it was even taller than the professor. It had weird blue markings by its face and huge curved tusks. However, it didn't move on its own. This Pokemon was still, being dragged in on a large wooden platform with wheels. Three humans and a Machop had to cooperate to get it in.

The man who had disrupted them came into the lab after the great beast. "Isn't this a magnificent creature? It's a curious duel typed, Ice and Ground If we talk with the genetics researchers, we might be able to clone a live one."

Near him, the female professor frowned. "Ice and Ground? Sounds like it'd be related to the Swinub and Piloswine line. Well then can't you send it to someone who specializes with those Pokemon?"

Sputtering, the man turned to her. "We don't have anybody like that at the university! No way we're going to let it go to another school. And this is no Piloswine."

"Do you not read the books your field puts out?" she snapped. "It's got the right typing and it's furry with tusks. That, and fossil records have already shown the existence of this one. I could get you a reference in about ten minutes in a book of ancient herbivores. It's a Mamoswine, an evolution to Piloswine that was lost due to natural selection some ten thousand years ago. And I deal with Normal Pokemon. I'm not going to be much help with this one."

"Well the university president told us to send it here," the man argued back.

At that point, one of the Sentrets under the couch became bold, for its kind. He heard the word 'herbivore'. Didn't that mean it ate plants? So even if it was big, maybe it wasn't so scary. He started out, but two of his fellows pawed at him. Did he really want to do that? Even if the big Pokemon was no threat, that man arguing with the professor might be. He cooed back to them, telling them not to worry. Then he left the couch.

He scampered on his four paws across the lab surface, then looked at the big, what did she say? Mamoswine. He looked at the Mamoswine, even though his body was only a few inches high and this thing was maybe ten feet high. To get a better look, he curled his tail around him, then used its muscles to push his body up. He still couldn't look the thing in its face, but he could see its face better.

Its eyes opened.

He thought of bolting back to the couch. However, he was known to be less cautious than other Sentrets when he was curious. The others often said it was bad (he'd be a second too late for warning of a predator) but he stayed watching the Mamoswine for a moment. it moved its mouth some, so the Sentret dropped back down to the ground and went to the professor. "Se tra," he said, tugging at her pants to get her attention.

As he expected, she gave up the argument to look down at it. "What is it, dear?"

He pointed over at the Mamoswine, who was trying to move around further.

The humans gawked at it a moment while the Sentret took a defensive position behind the professor. The archeologist she had been arguing with spoke first, "It, it's alive! This is amazing."

"My lab is still small for it," the professor replied, then pulled a Pokeball out of her lab coat. After checking it, she pressed the button and threw it at the Mamoswine. Because it was still stiff from being frozen and buried over ten thousand years, it was captured easily.

The archeologist sputtered. "What was that for? It's our discovery."

Going over to pick up the Pokeball, she said, "Well you put it in my lab. Take it up with the president and tell him to talk with me, or better yet, you could ask before doing anything like this again." Taking the Pokeball, she added, "I'm going to get this one checked up on, so get out of my lab so you don't keep scaring my Sentrets."

* * *

After a week or so, the Sentrets got used to the Mamoswine. She was quite mellow, not minding the smaller Pokemon so long as she got plenty of food to eat. Some of the younger and more adventurous ones liked to climb her shaggy fur and stand on their tails on her back, so they got the tallest and best view over the lab. When they did that, she didn't mind. She also was careful not to step on any of them. The lab had to be kept a bit cold for her, but the Sentrets didn't mind that so much.

It was night and the lab was mostly dark. The Mamoswine slept standing up, but various Sentrets had snuggled up on her back or near her feet. In the whole lab, only two were awake, two Sentrets that were holding sentry duty. Normally, not much happened and they just had to watch the large windows and the door. Tonight would be different.

Hearing footsteps in the hall, the door Sentret dropped down and moved closer to listen. Whoever it was wasn't speaking, but it sounded like two humans wearing boots. The professor had warned her students that if they were to go into the lab late for some reason, they should talk before opening the door, letting the Sentrets know that someone familiar was coming. These two weren't doing so.

The sentry called an alarm, instantly waking up all her companions and getting them to flee to safer locations. In the panic, one Sentret accidentally knocked over a labeled bin. Twenty-six Pokeballs spilled all over the floor. The Mamoswine was a deeper sleeper than the rest, but even she stirred at all the fuss caused. To keep a watch in safety, the door sentry hid in the bottom shelf of a bookcase.

"What is all that racket?" an unfamiliar male voice said. The lock rattled.

"Probably the other study Pokemon," a second stranger said.

Then the lock clicked, letting the two open the door. They were strange humans, dressed in all black, save for a red R on the front of their shirts. Immediately, they both looked to the sleepy Mamoswine. "That's it," one of them said. He pulled out a Pokeball and activated it. It hit her head, then dropped to the ground.

"I figured they'd already have captured it," the second one said, walking around the large Pokemon. He then spotted the mess of Pokeballs on the ground. "Aw man… how are we going to figure out which one has the Mamoswine in it?"

At her name being mentioned, the Mamoswine grunted. These two had scared off the little ones and she didn't like it. Then she trumpeted, startling both strangers. Catching one inside her tusks, she tossed him through the doors and out of the lab with a noisy bang. Seeing this, the sentry Sentret by the door made a decision. The Mamoswine was part of their group now, like the human professor. And if she was fighting, so could the rest of the group. The Sentret made a call of that, then got out of the bookshelf and dashed at the remaining stranger. Running under his feet, she tripped him, then got to another hiding spot. Then several other Sentrets rushed over the fallen man. They were capable of really hurting him like the Mamoswine could, but they could scare him silly.

Before long, university security came to check things out and captured the two black-clothed strangers.

…

Mamoswine Platinum entry: A frozen one was dug up from soil dating back 10,000 years. It woke up to much amazement.

Sentret Leaf Green entry: A very cautious Pokemon, it raises itself up using its tail to get a better view of its surroundings.


	182. Misdreavus, Weavile

This was his least favorite night of the year.

Some would be surprised at that, to learn that a Ghost Pokemon like a Misdreavus would hate Halloween. But he did. Nights were supposed to be quiet and dark. Halloween night was noisy, filled with lights, 'spooky' recordings, decorations, and sugar-crazed kids. Even the Safari Zone wasn't spared, as management had offered a special deal tonight: come in costume and get ten balls free. There were also parties arranged at the main lodge, the zoo, and all the rest houses. The noise was just awful.

The Misdreavus hid in a tree and muttered to himself. Everyone was so happy; how was he supposed to scare anybody? Most nights, it was pretty easy. Get them into one of the narrow tree-lined paths, then dash up behind them and shriek like he was a monster. The Safari Zone customers would scream and turn around, but he would be gone by then. Those times were delicious.

Yes, fear… the fear of others emitted such a rich aura. The red pearls around his neck were filled with fear auras that he sipped at to keep his strength up. But tonight, it seemed he wasn't getting any more fear. But he wanted to try. It didn't feel right to just give up on the night, especially so soon after the sun set. Keeping away from the decorated areas, the Misdreavus searched for a victim.

He found one in the narrow tree-lined paths, a boy walking alone. The Misdreavus came onto the path behind him, careful about staying in the shadows. As usual, it wasn't an easy feat; the boy was looking at the trees around him, searching for an interesting Pokemon to capture. The ghost crept up on the boy, then when he stopped, shrieked his most bone-chilling shriek.

To his triumph, there was a moment of fear and startlement. But, only a moment. It soon turned to embarrassment. He hoped forward into a ring of light and turned around. _"Hey, how dare you try to scare me? Now face the smashing wrath of the mighty Hulk!"_ The boy brandished large green foam fists into a fighting posture.

The Misdreavus' eyes went wide, then he fled, crying out in fear. He rushed around trees, making a few branches snap as he flew by. Trying for cover, he dropped down into the bushes, but nearly barreled into a smaller yellow Pokemon. He turned aside in time, but ended up crashing into a tree. "Oooogh…" he groaned, dropping to the ground.

Next to him, the Weedle paused, spooked. That might have revived the Misdreavus, but he was in a bit much pain from hitting the tree at full speed. Once the Bug calmed down, he scuttled over him. "Hey, I thought you ghosties were supposed to phase through things."

"Ugh… yeah, but I need to be thinking about it to do it." He lifted himself of the ground a bit and looked back nervously. "Did it follow me?"

"What follow you?"

"That human boy," he closed his eyes. "So scary."

The Weedle twitched his large red nose. "One of the costumed kids scared you?"

"Not just any costumed kid!" the Misdreavus said, looking at the other Pokemon. "He had these huge fists and his skin was green! That's so unnatural on a human. And that snarling mask was just awful"

"You guys scare folks all the time, so can't you take the joke?"

He frowned. "Well I don't scare others by growing giant fists and turning green."

"It's just one night a year; you should be able to deal with that."

He sighed. "Yeah, when it's not this night. By the way, what are you doing up? Isn't it late for you?"

"Ahhh," the Weedle blushed. "Well I was feeling the need for a little nibbly snack, but the plant I had curled up under just did not smell appetizing. So I came and hunted out this delectable fern over here. Want some?"

"No thanks."

At that point, a shrill voice broke through the trees, causing them both to freeze. Some girl was singing boisterously. "I will give it to you," the Weedle muttered, "that these kids are real annoying tonight."

" _Why are you singing loud songs when we're supposed to be hunting Pokemon_?" a girl's voice asked.

A younger sounding girl stopped singing and replied, _"Cause I'm a pirate princess Weedle, of course! I've go to sing; it's the pirate way."_

" _You'll scare all the Pokemon away with that voice_ ," the older girl replied. _"Besides, why do you think you'll find Weedles here?"_

" _Be-cause the website said that they got a special group of Weedles in this week, and I want to be the first to catch one!"_

" _It's dark out."_

" _Well, either I'll wake one up, or one will be out looking for a little nibbly snack."_

"Sounds like your kind of person," the Misdreavus commented, even though he didn't know the Bug too well.

But he seemed to be right. The Weedle perked up. "Right! But I'm not sure I'll be able to get over to them in time. Kind of hard to walk fast when you've got these," he stuck out his stubby little feet. "Could you help?"

"Why should I do that?" he asked. "I hardly know you."

"Well it'd be nice, and, well…" he stalled, then came up with something. "Oh, I know! I can help you try to scare them!"

He did have that sharp poisonous horn. "Maybe. What do you have in mind?"

A couple of minutes later, the Misdreavus as carefully carrying the Weedle through the trees. The younger girl had started singing loudly again, much to the older one's annoyance. That made it easy to find and follow them. And the one girl was dressed as a pirate princess Weedle, maybe. She had a pink dress with black skulls printed along the bottom, which might have been saucy on a girl who actually had breasts. With that, she wore a black pirate hat marked with a skull and crossbones. And with that, she had a Weedle-like segmented tail, a large oval red nose, and a large spike o top of her hat. It was a weird ensemble.

The other girl, who was an older teenager, was better put together in terms of costume, although it was still weird. She wore a long pumpkin orange dress trimmed with black lace and a black ribbon belt with a large bow on her back. She also wore fancy black leather shoes, a orange bow tied around her head, and a black choker with a white lacy heart. On her arm, she carried a frilly orange and black parasol that was closed.

"You ready?" the Misdreavus whispered.

"Ready," the Weedle said.

At that, he tossed the smaller Pokemon at the girl in the frilly dress, then shrieked as usual. The older girl screamed as the Weedle hit her shoulder and tried to swat him off. Fortunately, he jumped off her before he got smacked and she got poisoned. That was a right tasty fear which the Misdreavus would enjoy later.

The younger girl was spooked by all he screaming, but was soon delighted. _"Ooo, sis, it's a Weedle! And, and, a Misdreavus! Awesome!"_ She threw a green Safari Ball at the Weedle, quickly capturing it.

Gathering her nerves, the older girl turned and saw him. He thought for a moment about fleeing; it's what he usually did, frustrating young Trainers by fleeing, then scaring them witless minutes later. But then the girl pulled something out of her bag that smelled tempting. It was a sticky rice ball and he tossed it over to him. "There you go."

Oh, now what? He should flee, but that rice ball smelled so good. Almost as good as fear. It had been a while since he ate anything physical, he recalled. So he threw caution to the wind and dove down after the treat to eat it.

" _Why don'tcha just catch her?"_ the Weedle girl said.

" _How do you know that's a girl?"_

" _Well it's a Misdreavus. Aren't they all girls?"_

No, he thought with a grumble. But the rice ball was just right: a bit warm, a bit sweet, a touch spice, and all around good.

" _There are males out there,"_ the older girl said. " _Anyhow, I gave it a treat because I've heard that the few they have here are notorious for fleeing and escaping."_ She pulled out a Safari Ball and tossed it at him.

The energy started to pull at him, but he easily broke out of it. He wasn't done with the treat yet! He growled, watching them warily. Just because he'd stay for a snack didn't mean he'd stay with them.

" _See what I mean?"_ the older girl said.

" _There's that fowl beast!"_ a boy's voice rang out in the forested area. _"Hulk Smash!"_

Freezing in fright, the Misdreavus immediately forgot the rice ball and jumped. He spotted the weird green kid and whimpered. "Oh please, not you again…"

" _Hey, cut it out_!" the older girl called, throwing another Safari Ball. But this time the Misdreavus didn't fight it. If she could take him away from that crazy boy, he would be fine with losing his freedom.

Some time later, the Misdreavus was released into the main lodge. To his dislike, it was noisy and crowded here, with a fog machine running. The two girls were there, with the park Warden. _"Ah yes, that would be one of our older residents you've caught_ ," the Warden said. _"He scares so many people after dark, but he is really quite timid. Good catch, young lady."_

" _Thank you_ ," she replied.

The Weedle he had helped was now on a table nearby, bopping around to the music playing. He now wore a little version of the girl's pirate hat, although his had a hole in the top for his horn to go through. "Oh hey, you got captured too!" he said. "That's cool. My girl, she made me a pirate Weedle too, and even nicknamed me Swabbie! Arrr!"

"Don't pirates live out on the oceans?" the Misdreavus asked.

Swabbie paused. "Hmm, I guess. But so long as there's plenty of good plants aboard our pirate ship, I wouldn't care."

" _Well I only brought one accessory for a costume for what I caught_ ," the older girl said, pulling a red scarf out of her bag. _"I just won't make a bow out of it. Hold still."_ She wrapped it around his head twice, the tied it at the side of his head. _"I believe that I will call you Ricardo."_

The newly nicknamed Ricardo the Misdreavus shook his head, trying to see if the scarf would come loose. "I'd rather not be at this party."

The younger girl giggled. " _He looks like a ninja now! But our pirate and ninja have got to get along, cause we're sisters and they gotta be friends. Right?"_

"Ninja?" Ricardo asked. "Why would we fight if I'm a ninja and he's a pirate?"

"I dunno," Swabbie replied. "But hey, if they're sisters, then that means we can be friends! Sweet!

"I suppose," he said, then sighed. "This life is going to be nothing like the one I left behind."

...

Emerald entry: A Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It distinguishes its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes by sniffing with its big red proboscis.

Misdreavus Platinum entry: A Pokemon that startles people in the middle of the night. It gathers fear as its energy.


	183. Tyranitar

This is Bill the Tyranitar. He's a tall bulky Pokemon with bright green scales, skin as tough as granite, and a mouth full of sharp carnivore teeth. Although his ancestors were once the terrors of the prehistoric era, rampaging across the landscape and sending all the smaller Pokemon scurrying if not to their doom, Bill is actually just a big softie.

"Um, yeah, that's about right," Bill says, twiddling his thumbs. "I'm not dangerous."

Now Bill is a mild mannered fellow, working by day as a balloon salesman in the local mall. He's quite popular with the kids and sells lots of cute balloons, like shiny Pikachu balloons, plump Jigglypuff balloons, and pink heart-shaped balloons. On occasion, he sells metallic Tyranitar head balloons, which are a big hit with the boys.

"Balloons are great," Bill says. "They don't hurt anybody. Unless you swallow an unfilled balloon. Be careful about latex, kids!"

But then one day, Bill's life completely changed. He had been at the mall's Mexican restaurant, which was having a one day special. If a customer could finish eating a super-sized fiery inferno hot bean burrito in one sitting, then he or she could get an entire week's worth of meals free from the restaurant.

"Oh boy!" Bill says. "I may be mild mannered, but I love spicy Mexican food. Put on some extra jalapenos!"

But unknown to Bill, the restaurant owner had made this offer in a devious manner. He wanted to draw in more business, but didn't want to actually give anyone a week of food free. Especially not someone with the appetite of a Tyranitar. So to each contest burrito, he added three drops of the infamous Toxic Hell Sauce.

"Uh-oh," Bill says. "Am I in the right story?"

Yes, you are. So Bill goes into the restaurant around noon and enters the burrito eating contest. The restaurant owner brings out the special burritos, foot long meals that are stuffed with black beans, spiced meat, spicy rice, Spicy Jalapeno Jack cheese, spiced lettuce, hot tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, special extra-hot sauce, and the Toxic Hell Sauce. Each of the contestants picks out their burrito and begins the race. It all goes smoothly until they hit the extra special ingredient.

"WHOA!" Bill shouts, getting tears in his eyes. "Aye yi yi, that's, ow!"

But our hero isn't about to give up just yet. The lure of free Mexican meals is too much. So he keeps eating, through the second drop, and the third drop, and finishes the burrito. He has won! But little does Bill know that mixing black beans and rice with Toxic Hell Sauce creates an unexpected super mutation effect to occur. He feels the fire of the spices burning through his blood, and then he transforms…

…into the Gargantuan Tyranitar Mex!

"RAWR!" Bill roars, with spiced up red flames escaping his toothy jaws.

Enraged by the infernal sauce, Bill the Gargantuan Tyranitar Mex leaps up and smashes the table into the floor, then rips out the restaurant bench and hurls it into the crowded restaurant. The customers all scream and try to escape, but then the mutation continues, causing him to grow to gigantic size to fit his new name. He burst through the ceiling and rips the whole wall out of place.

"Run for your puny lives, muchachos!" Bill screams. "Now you miserable villains will pay for every single balloon that you've popped!"

His old balloon cart goes flying as he kicks it to the other end of the mall, sending the cute balloons soaring to the skylights. And he just keeps on growing, eventually breaking through the concrete walls of the mall and stomping into the packed parking lot. Now even more people are screaming and running, trying to escape the wrath of Bill, but he calls forth the rocks of the Earth and sends them hurtling across the city landscape.

"Vamanos, I'm sick of all of you," Bill shouts as he kicks the wrecked cars out of the parking lot.

Mass chaos erupts in the city as the Gargantuan Tyranitar Mex storms into downtown. He stomps onto a gas station, which explodes into a giant fireball, but does not harm Bill one bit. He picks up a Denny's restaurant and hurls it across ten blocks, sending yummy all-day-breakfast goodness cascading over the panicking pedestrians. He fires up an extremely spicy Hyper Beam, which incinerates the local puppy orphanage.

"Oh no, not the puppy orphanage!" a random city dweller mourns.

"Mwahahahahaha!" Bill cackles.

Elsewhere in downtown, the Mexican restaurant's owner, who turns out to be a chemistry student who snapped during final year exams, breaks down into tears near the pretty blond reporter starlet. "Oh, I've done a terrible thing," he cries. "I just wanted to succeed at something and make my name known, but I foolishly used too much of the Toxic Hell Sauce and now we have to deal with a monstrous Gargantuan Tyranitar Mex!"

"Oh, you didn't mean things to go so badly," the reporter starlet coos, in an obvious cue into the standard monster movie romance scene.

"No you don't," Bill yells, storming onto the scene. "This movie is about me and I won't have any sappy but boring romantic subplots." He then eats the couple and flattens three city blocks in one sweep of his giant tail.

The military then jumps into the scene, sending in attack helicopters and fighter jets. "We're here to take the monster down!" the squad leader cheers, eager to see some real exciting action for once.

"Fat chance, el stupido," Bill snarls, then jumps into the air and slams down next to the wide river.

All of the water leaps out of the riverbed and shorts out the jets and helicopters. Quickly, Bill causes a landslide of buildings and debris to crash into the riverbed, forcing the water to find some other way through the city. Before long, the entire city is in ruins, under the reign of a giant Mexican Tyranitar.

"And the monster wins this time!" Bill shouts in victory. To celebrate, he rushes to the nearby football stadium and punts it for a field goal between the next two cities.

* * *

"Hey Bill! Bill, wake up!"

Bill the Tyranitar woke up, regular sized and not so monstrous. "What, huh? Oh, it was just a dream."

His fellow Tyranitar snorted at him. "You smashed my foot while you were sleepwalking."

Blushing, he stepped back. "Oh, sorry, sorry! I can never tell when I do that."

"I know." The other Tyranitar stormed off.

"But I had the most awesome dream," Bill said, cheering up. "I smashed a city and changed the landscape with mutant hot sauce powers!"

"Bill, we can do that without any mutant powers. But we don't because the humans might retaliate with nuclear weapons."

"Right, that would kind of stink. Or, what if those nukes gave us super mutant powers?"

The other Tyranitar groaned.

…

Tyranitar D/P/P entry: If it rampages, it knocks down mountains and buries rivers. Maps must be redrawn afterward.


	184. Quagsire

On the mantle of the fireplace, there was a display case that held a number of military metals. They were shown off proudly, to anyone who even glanced in their direction. The recipients of those medals were an old man with rough brown skin and white hair and a Quagsire with faded skin and blue fur. But no matter how old they got, the man stayed tough and active while the Pokemon hummed and swam in the backyard pool daily.

A pair of six-year-old boys looked over the medals with awe. "So you and Quaggy were in the war, grandpa?" one asked excitedly.

"Of course we were," the old man said, sitting down in his favorite rocking chair. "We were in the navy, on the battleship S.S. Daunting. We were among the best."

The other twin looked over at Quaggy the Quagmire, who was swaying to some song in his head. "But Quaggy? He doesn't do anything; how could he fight in a war?"

The old man sniffed. "He's just fooling you. He may look like he's got noting on his mind, and sometimes he hasn't, but threaten him or someone he cares about and he becomes one mean fighter. Did I ever tell you about the time he sunk a battleship?"

"He sunk a battleship?"

"Darn right he did. It started during the Battle of Duke Island, and I had his Apricorn ball at my side… see, when I caught Quaggy as a kid, we didn't have no cheap as nails Pokeballs available. Nope, they were still trying to figure 'em out for mass production, so if we wanted a Pokemon all our own, we had to grow the Pokeballs! That's right, you got an Apricorn seed and buried it and, if you were attentive and lucky, it grew a bush. And that bush would produce Apricorns.

"But, it wasn't so easy as just picking them off the bsh. No, you had to properly dry it and then take it to a professional carver, who would transform it into a primitive type Pokeball. But since the process took so long, you better darn well hope that you caught the one you want, cause it'd be at least another day, if you had another dried Apricorn, in order to get another ball. And I knew I wanted a Quagsire, so I took extra caution and saved up ten of the Apricorn balls."

"But what about the battleship being sunk?" one of the twins asked.

"I'm getting to it," the old man grumbled. "Gosh darn kids; I ought to talk to your mother about teaching you not to interrupt your elders. Now, where was I?"

"The battleship?" one of them asked hopefully.

"No, no, I'm getting there. The Apricorns! We boys had all sorts of superstitions about what would make sure the ball got the Pokemon you wanted, especially if it was something you'd be hiking and camping for months trying to get access to. Like you put them under your pillow on the night of a full moon, or you sprinkled it with water from a sacred pond, or you prayed when you threw it…"

…

"And so we got into basic training and Quaggy was first put down as a dopey looking Pokemon. I was so mad, but he was, how you kids would say, chill about it. He let those insults slide right past him like water off a duck's back. So I did my best to be like him, but I gotta admit, I was always something of a hair trigger kind of person."

The twins, now eight years old, listened reluctantly as their grandfather continued telling the story. It always was like this; he never got to the point about the Quagmire sinking a battleship. Really, they'd rather be outside playing, but it was icy and snowy out there and their mother wouldn't let them go out. So they were pretty much captive by the fireplace in listening to their grandfather's stories. Quaggy stayed by his partner's side, humming away as usual.

"And then came a part in training for those of us who were coming in with our own Pokemon. The other guys had to go catch their own, but we got thrown into the routine right away. Like every day, we had to cross five miles with the Pokemon in accordance to how it preferred to move. Which, for me, meant swimming five miles in a pool every day. That was rough, but I tell you, I'm still one of the strongest swimmers alive today, especially at my age. I could outpace any of you youngsters. And the other guys all made fun of my Quaggy, but he just smiled and kept on trucking."

…

"Oh, and there was the day of my date with Jill that I'll never forget," the old man said, cheering up after the last patch of story.

The ten-year-old twins were a bit restless. They were supposed to be getting their first Pokemon on this trip, not listening to silly romance stories. "But what about the battleship?" one dared to ask.

"Stop interrupting," their grandfather snapped. "I'm getting there."

"Hmm, hmmm hmm hmmm," the Quagmire hummed.

"Yes, that date I'll never forget" he said, sitting back in his rocking chair and smiling. "I borrowed a rowboat and took her out onto a lake. We let our Pokemon swim in the lake, since we figured they'd leave us alone. So we got out there and talked, flirted, even kissed some. It was a lovely day, so warm and perfect. And then Quaggy, minding his own business and not paying attention to where he was going, swam right into the side of the rowboat and made us capsize.

"Well Jill screamed and I did my best to get over to her and grab her, to keep her above the surface. She sputtered and was mad for a bit, but let me tell you, the dress she was wearing that day, when it got wet, it…"

"Dad!" the twins' mother said sharply, turning red.

The old man laughed. "Okay, okay. Let's just say that I got the boat back upright and helped her get dry. Then I realized that I'd lost something in the water, something that was very important. I panicked, but then Quaggy came up to us again and handed me a little black box. Yes, he'd retrieved the ring I meant to propose to Jill with. With that back in hand, I asked her to forgive me, gave her the box, and asked her to marry me. She didn't quite say yes, but…" he glanced at his daughter.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, let's just say she said yes."

…

The room was pretty quiet. The twins, now twelve, were playing Battleship in order to pass the time. Over in his rocking chair, their grandfather seemed to be asleep. Quaggy was there humming as usual, but this time the elderly Pokemon was joined by a younger pair of Quagmires that the twins had trained up. Despite the fact that the stories about Quaggy never went anywhere, they'd heard enough that they had both decided to use them as well.

Then their grandfather stirred, looked around. He started talking, "So there I was, captured by the enemy and being held on their battleship. It was in the heat of battle, so they weren't able to take me below decks at first.

The two boys looked over, then at each other. The three Quagmires kept humming a round.

"Anyhow, I heard a thump behind me. After making sure my captors were busy with other things, I glanced down and saw Quaggy in the waters, looking up at me. I mouthed at him to go do something abut the ship's engines or rudders. And he obeyed, going over and chucking mud into the ships propellers. With a bit of daring-do, I cut the ropes biding my hands, then undid the ones on my ankles. Just before they noticed me, I jumped the railing and went overboard.

"As I've said, I was a strong swimmer, but even the ocean was a challenge for a navy man like me. So Quaggy came over to me and helped me get away from the enemy ship. And we hadn't gone a hundred yards when something exploded. I felt that shockwave throughout my body, but thankfully it didn't hurt anything. We kept swimming, but when I glanced behind me, there were giant plumes of smoke and fire on the front of that battleship. Turns out that Quaggy messed up their steering so much that they ran into one of the sea mines they were placing. That first blast ripped into their storage area, starting fires that quickly set off their other mines, bombs, and torpedoes. By the time we got back to the S.S. Daunting for rescue, the enemy battleship had taken so much damage that it sunk. And that's how Quaggy got his Silver Star medal, for causing the battleship to sink."

"That was an awesome story, grandpa," one of the twins said, smiling.

"Yeah, but do you have to take six years to tell them?" the other asked.

"I did not take six years to tell that story!" the old man insisted. "I tell my stories properly, not like you kids and your texting ciphers. Good lord, before long, none of you are going to be able to spell properly. Anyhow, did I ever tell you boys about how me and Quaggy earned the Gold Star medal?"

They weren't too sure about that, but he went ahead and started his story up again.

...

Quagsire Fire Red entry: Due to its relaxed and carefree nature, it often bumps its head on boulders and boat hulls as it swims.


	185. Charmander, Magmar

Chelsea the Charmander was all excited. She had been picked to become a part of the Fire Gym's roster! That meant that she would be trained by one of the masters of her type, and she'd fight in all sorts of challenging battles, and she could become famous, and… oh, it was even better than being picked to become a starter Pokemon!

When one was taken by a Professor to be a starter, one never knew what kind of Trainer one would get. Maybe it would be a future Champion, but maybe it was someone lazy. Or cruel. Or simply inept. But a Gym Leader was already a proven winner and excellent Trainer. A Gym Pokemon was most likely to become great.

This was her first day in the Gym, not counting the partial day yesterday when she had arrived. Chelsea woke up early, happy and ready to go. Of course, she wasn't going to be in Gym battles right away. No, she required extra training before she would truly see use here. She crawled out of her bed and wandered about the sleeping area while waiting on the day to begin.

It was a pretty nice place, she thought. Each Pokemon had their own spot to sleep and were well taken care of. There were a lot of others in the Gym and they were all owned by the Leader. Around her, mostly asleep or waking up, there were Ponytas, Vulpix, Ninetales, Rapidashes, a Flareon, Growlithes, Arcanines… but no others like her.

Then, the door opened, letting in an old but fit man. Blaine knocked on the door. _"Rise and shine, everyone. We've got some early morning matches today."_ He came in, checking on all the Pokemon.

Chelsea hopped out of the way, then started walking after the Leader. He went around making sure that particular ones he'd be using early were up. Now that the door was opened, some others began leaving the room. What was she supposed to do?

Blaine knocked on one boxed off bed. " _Morton, come out here. I've got some special work for you."_

The door swung open, letting out a Magmar. The red and yellow Pokemon gave her a glance, then looked to Blaine. "What is it, boss?"

" _This Charmander here is our newest member, Chelsea_ ," Blaine said. _"Chelsea, this is Morton the Magmar. Morton, I'd like you to watch out for Chelsea in her first days as her mentor. Will that work for you?"_

Morton looked at her again, then nodded to the Leader. "Sure, I'll do that."

Chelsea smiled, letting her tail flame flicker happily. "Thanks!"

" _Good. I've got other things to do this morning, so I'll work with you both in the afternoon. Help her practice until then."_ Blaine then walked off with his lab coat flapping near his legs.

"What do we do first?" the Charmander asked, rocking on her feet.

"Hmmm…" the Magmar stretched, then said, "Breakfast first. Come on."

She wasn't about to argue that, so she followed him out to where Blaine and one of the Gym Trainers were setting up feeding stations for the Pokemon. Some Pokemon were headed outside because they ate grass; others were getting meat and a few were taking bits of coal. Chelsea liked slugs and grubs, but took a bit of the meat and a bit of the coal. Morton waited until they got him some fish.

"So what moves do you know?" Morton asked

"Um, I know Growl, Scratch, and Smokescreen. My dad taught me that last one early." She brightened her tail flame proudly.

"Did he? You're pretty young, then."

"Yeah, but I'll try to get really good."

"You will make yourself get great," Morton chided. "Now if you're going to keep up around here, you have to work hard. Really hard. Most of us work out and practice every single day, so you have to do that too. And you will need to learn to make yourself do Blaine's orders immediately. Don't think about if it may or may not work; he's doing the thinking for you. And don't be afraid, even if your opponent has the advantage. Lots of Trainers bring in Pokemon that have advantages over us, like Rock types, Water types, and Ground types, so get used to it."

"Okay," Chelsea said, quieter. The thought made her nervous. But then, that tactic was to be expected.

After breakfast, Morton brought her to a practice area where other Pokemon had already gathered. He then had her follow her through an obstacle course not once, not twice, but three times. The first time wasn't too bad, but on the third time, she was starting to get tired and had a harder time keeping up with the Magmar. It was so bad that even her tail flame dimmed. On the other hand, Morton seemed just fine. In face, his brightly colored skin seemed to get even brighter, glowing and shimmering in a way that made him hard to look at, like the sun.

And that was just the first exercise. He had her practicing her moves repeatedly, dodging Ember balls he tossed at her, and running straight laps. During times when they were resting, he had her watch the other Gym Pokemon participate in mock battles. She wasn't ready to participate in those without Blaine's assistance, but she had to know how the others behaved.

Then Blaine finally came for them. He had them fight each other for a bit, having Morton hold back so he didn't overpower her right off. In the fight, Chelsea did her best to remember to do as ordered as soon as she heard it, but she wasn't used to the whole 'no thinking' idea. Once Blaine seemed to know how she was, he had her practice her moves repeatedly on a rock pillar. They had to stop twice as new challengers came in for Blaine; he let the two he was training watch.

When the Leader dismissed them to focus on the higher-ranked evening battles, Morton ran Chelsea back through the obstacle course again. At the end of the day, she was worn out and achy. But this was what she had to do.

She nearly overslept the next day, but Morton made sure she was up before Blaine came in.

* * *

The first three months were long and hard for Chelsea. She wanted to do well, so she put forth her best effort. And Morton was a big help. While he pushed her hard, he also encouraged her and helped her with things she was having trouble with. The Magmar was still an active battler for mid-ranked teams, so Chelsea often got to watch him in battle.

In battle, Morton was a fierce Pokemon. He reacted quickly to orders and opposing attacks. His internal fires would be going strong, so the air around him warped with the heat he put off. And with that wavy pattern of colors he had, it was hard on the eyes to watch him directly. He was good and won often, although Chelsea could see that some Trainers were very tough to deal with.

But he was much more mellow outside of battle and training. When they were taking a break, he liked to go outside and sit near the shore. He said that sitting in the cool damp breeze helped make him tougher. Chelsea wasn't sure about that, but it was fun to walk around the sand and hunt for things.

Last night, Blaine had done some moving around of his Pokemon roster, which put Chelsea into his beginning rank team. That made this another first day, her first day on active duty. She was excited again, but nervous too. The beginning ranks were done in the morning. This time, Morton stayed on the sidelines and watched her.

She had to be within her Pokeball at the start of the match, as that was the rule. It was a lot of waiting, uncertain of when she would get called out and what she would face. But her turn did come. Ignoring the Gym materializing around her, she focused on her opponent: a Geodude.

"Metal Claw," Blaine ordered.

Following her training, Chelsea ran over and imagined her claws to be like metal. She slashed the Geodude across its face with that. She got hit with a rocky fist for that, but did her best to stay her ground. When Blaine ordered a repeat attack, she struck with Metal Claw again. This knocked out the Geodude, so she retreated back to her original position in front of the Leader.

The challenging Trainer, a young boy, then brought out another Pokeball. "Go Squirtle, Water Gun!"

"Smokescreen," Blaine countered.

Her tail flame wavered in anxiety as she was facing a watery attack, but she followed her orders and produce a cloud of black smoke to hover around the Squirtle's face. But she didn't get it up in time to stop his Water Gun attack. Chelsea fainted.

Some time later, maybe just minutes, the Charmander was called back out over being revived and healed. Her tail flame was condensed as she brought her tail in front of her. "Aw, I lost my first match. I'm sorry."

But Blaine patted her head. " _You're doing fine, don't worry. This isn't an easy job for any of us."_

"Yeah, you didn't freak out in the face of a Water attack and you didn't get too proud in defeating the Geodude," Morton added. "That's the kind of stoic attitude that we all strive for."

Chelsea's flame wavered brighter. "Thanks. I'll keep working hard."

...

Emerald entry: The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is happy, and blazes when it is enraged.

Magmar Soul Silver entry: The fiery surface of its body gives off a wavering, rippling glare that is similar to the sun.


	186. Togetic, Mightyena

His brown hair had straw bits and dust in it, from redoing the bedding of the stable's Pokemon. His tanned skin had scratches as some of the war Pokemon were difficult to handle. And he smelled like the castle stables, all musty, sweaty, and mucky. His clothes were somewhat decent, being that royal servants were treated decently, but still dirty from work. Perhaps the dedication that showed was making him reluctant. "Why are you taking me, Sir Edwin?"

On the other hand, the young knight was in clean trendy clothes, with a feathered cap that was quite popular in the castle town. He had a few scars from training and duels, including one dent on his nose that he liked to say came because he defended a beautiful girl. And his smell was considerably less than the stable hand's. "Because Josh, the Pokemon the King wants is said to be attracted to those pure in heart. When the chancellor said that, you were one of the first I thought of."

Josh rubbed his nose. "I heard all the other knights were escorting girls for this."

Edwin grumbled. "I know that. But I got into trouble a while back and… well let's just say that usually if I take a maiden out into the woods, they usually don't come back that way."

"That's probably why most of the lords are against your promotions so often," he replied, setting a shovel in its corner. "You keep trying to woo their wives and daughters."

"They probably did the same thing when they were younger. See, that's why I thought of you. We're about the same age, but you don't show any interest in girls, rank, advancement, money… or heck, anything. You seem happy to just be in here looking after the Pokemon."

"I am happy."

"And I know it's not because you're into love in other ways. You're as much pure, if not more so, than some of the maidens the other guys are talking to. And if you and I succeed, I'm sure the King will agree to let you become its caretaker if you ask."

Josh considered that. The war Pokemon were his least favorite; he preferred to look after the work and companion Pokemon. "So what is the King after?"

"A Togetic," Edwin said. "But before you go asking why he doesn't just get a Togepi, which would be a heck of a lot easier, apparently the chancellor discovered that a Togetic that was captured in the wild would be more powerful than one raised in captivity from a Togepi."

"A Togetic, huh?" It was said to be a pretty Pokemon, one that brought great luck to its allies. That was probably why the King wanted it. But, maybe it would grant more luck to the one who cared for it.

The knight tried not to grin. He figured that would get Josh interested. "And we've had reports confirming at least one in the Dark Woods. It's a dangerous place, but that's why you'll have me along. I hope to head out tomorrow, but first I need your agreement."

Josh nodded. "Okay. Did you want one of the Pokemon here to bring along?"

"Yeah, get Spartan ready for the search."

Spartan… Josh swallowed nervously. "Ah, all right Edwin. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

* * *

One of the pens that the stable workers dreaded going into was where the Mightyenas were kept. The knights had no trouble handling the great canines, as they were recognized as strong and skilled by the Pokemon. But for the castle servants, only Josh and the stable master could regularly get them to cooperate. The stable hand still didn't like being around them for long.

But they were quite strong and highly valued in their kingdom. The royal family even took on their images for their own coat of arms. Thus, the castle had a pack of twelve Mightyenas living in it. For the safety of the servants, the canines were kept locked away unless someone who could command them was keeping an eye on them.

Last night, Josh had explained that he was taking the day off and the stable master had agreed to it. He stayed around to help groom the Mightyenas that were going to be taken out today, including the one Edwin had requested. Spartan wasn't the pack's leader (as that one was the King's favorite), but he was one of the strongest. He also had a well-earned reputation for biting without warning.

Josh was careful as he ran the wire brush through the Mightyena's thick fur. But it seemed that this was one of Spartan's more stoic days. He held still and did nothing more than eye another stable hand wandering too close to the pen's fence. Once he was done with that, Josh got up and snapped his fingers twice. "With me, Spartan."

The Mightyena obediently trailed a little behind Josh as they went back to his room (for the things he had packed last night), then out of the stables. They met with Edwin at the inner gates; the knight was wearing enforced leather armor today. On seeing him, Spartan left Josh's side and went to sit by the knight. The Mightyenas tended to take orders from whoever they perceived to be the strongest leader.

"Here, catch," Edwin said, tossing Josh a leather coat armor.

"What am I wearing armor for?" he asked.

"To keep you from getting killed, of course," the knight replied. "The Pokemon in the Dark Woods will attack, and even with me and Spartan there, you're at risk unarmored. Although the Togetic itself shouldn't be trouble."

"Fine." Josh put on the armor; it was the first time he'd worn anything like it, although he often wore leather gloves to deal with rougher Pokemon.

As they walked through the castle town, pedestrians gave them a wide berth because of the fearsome Pokemon with them. They didn't know that Spartan would not attack unless ordered to. Then again, some foolish knights would try taking less mannered Mightyenas though town. That often ended badly.

From the outer castle gate, there was a road that went three ways, all through farmland. But if one walked around the castle and went north, it was not that far until the Dark Woods began. Even at the edges, it was a thick forest, with only fragments of light cracking through the green canopy. Many people said that these woods were haunted or magical. They were definitely mysterious, as any attempts to tame it, even just putting a road through it, would always fail completely.

"Did the chancellor say anything about how to lure the Togetic out?" Josh asked. "I brought some Pokemon treats I thought might work."

Spartan lifted his ears at the word 'treats', but showed no other interest.

"Well that's part of our problem," Edwin said. "The Togetic should see or sense you somehow, then come out to see you. I don't know if it will come out when I'm around, yet I don't want to get too far from you in this place. And there's a bit of luck involved about if it gets close enough to us. The treats might work as a lure. Otherwise, we may have to make sure it notices us."

"Hmmm…" Josh looked around at the old trees and the thick bushes. "My mother used to say that singing lured Pokemon like Togepi and Togetic out."

The knight grinned. "I know plenty of good songs. I use them on girls all the time."

The stable hand gave him a skeptical look. "Edwin, you know a lot of bawdy songs. I doubt it would come out to dirty lyrics."

"That could be true." He stretched his arms up. "How about you sing?"

"I don't think I'm any good at it," Josh said.

"You still sing to the Pokemon to calm them down and they don't freak out."

"True." He thought for a bit, then started singing.

But it was several hours before they got any results. A few other Pokemon tried to attack them, but Edwin and Spartan could fight or even just threaten them off. Because of that, Josh started walking ahead of them. His friend had told him to stop if he saw or heard anything suspect. And that's what he did when he heard a humming sound.

He put his hand up to let them know to hold back for a moment. Then he looked over to where he heard the humming. Quickly, it moved to over him, then to the other side. A flash of white appeared among the trees, and then the Togetic was hovering in front of him. It was a lovely little creature, with white feathers all over, red and blue speckles on its chest, a long neck, and two dainty wings. However, it didn't seem to be using those wings to be hovering.

"Krrrrukkkuuu," the Togetic trilled, happy to see him.

"Hello, Togetic," Josh said. "The King…"

"Spartan, snatch it!" Edwin called out.

"Wait, no!" the stable hand called.

But the Mightyena followed his orders, rushing their way with sharp bark. Josh panicked at the sight, knowing what this Pokemon was capable of. The Togetic was also startled. Thinking that Josh was in danger, it stirred up a gust of wind trying to knock the Mightyena off course. While it rattled many bushes and leaves, Spartan kept going and leaped at the Togetic, grabbing it with his teeth.

"Edwin, stop him!" Josh yelled.

"We were told to capture it."

"You're going to hurt it badly."

"Okay, drop it, Spartan. Back to me."

The canine dropped the smaller Pokemon, huffing because he thought they'd been hunting food. But he went back to Edwin and sat by him. Now that Spartan was away, Josh knelt down and looked over the Togetic. It had several wounds from being bitten and its left wing was broken at the bone

Fortunately, Josh had thought to bring some healing plants and bandages, although he hadn't expected to use them on the Togetic. He brought out a cloth, but didn't use it quite yet. ""I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen. I'll help you, if you let me." A wild injured Pokemon, even one like this, could be dangerous.

It trembled, but allowed him to wrap the cloth so as to stop the bleeding. "How else did you think we were going to get it?" Edwin asked.

"We could have tried talking to it," Josh replied, careful to keep anger out of his voice as he didn't want to scare the Pokemon. "Or putting it to sleep; I did have some of the treats laced with sleepy berries. Now we're going to have a hard time earning its trust."

"You seem to be doing just fine. I just thought that'd be the fastest way…" Edwin's voice trailed off and he looked down at the ground.

So he was just being his usual one-track self. "If you want to help, get a campfire started and find some water to boil so I can clean it up good. And you might want to set up camp while you're at it, as it's late."

"I suppose. Stay where you're at until I have a good camping site." Edwin snapped his fingers twice at Spartan and the two of them started looking around.

* * *

Although several groups had gone out into the Dark Woods, Josh and Edwin were the only ones to come back with a Togetic. The King was delighted even though she was injured and had a group of rooms in the castle remade into a place for her and her caretaker. And he readily agreed to make Josh that caretaker. Josh then spent most of his days taking care of the Togetic, although he still had to go down to the stables as they needed him to help the stable master with the Mightyenas still. Edwin got a cash reward and had his past record of getting in trouble cleared.

But it was still several days before Josh would fully accept Edwin's apology about ordering Spartan to attack the Togetic. Serena, as the Togetic had been named, was wary of the Mightyenas and Edwin while she was injured. But she healed up fast and could soon hover in short bursts. She would come near Edwin for a greeting, but then return to Josh.

"We do capture some Pokemon with violence," Edwin said one day. "Although, I didn't think until recently that maybe that's not so good. That's just what they told me to do."

"You never had to care for those injured newly caught Pokemon like I have," Josh said, redoing the bandages on Serena's wing after checking up on her healing bone. "And sometimes I think that if you apply real thought and energy into things besides seducing girls, you could do great things."

The young knight laughed. "Maybe. But I don't get the same kind of reward for other things, you know?"

Josh shook his head, but smiled. "And sometimes I think it might be too much effort for you to be a decent person," he joked.

"Well not everybody finds it so easy being an angel like you," Edwin teased back.

The doors opened suddenly, startling the Togetic. The King, his personal guard, and two Mightyenas came in. Of the latter, one was Spartan and the other was the King's favorite, the pack leader Nox. Josh bowed hurriedly, then finished taping up Serena's wing. Edwin saluted.

"How is she doing?" the King asked.

Bowing again, Josh turned to him. "Your Majesty, she's recovered her feathers so the bite scars are hidden. Her wing bone is still healing, but she seems not to need it to hover. She should be just fine in another week."

"Good," he said softly. Then he held his hand out to her. "Serena, come to me."

The Togetic squeaked uncertainly, eyeing the two Mightyenas. Then she hovered up to Josh's shoulder and sat there. From the way she was crouched down, she had no intention of going over to the King.

"Come to me," the King said sternly.

Trying to help, Josh walked towards the King. "Your Majesty, she is newly caught and I'm sorry, but I've been healing her and haven't had much time to train…"

Serena squealed and took off from Josh's shoulder to hide in a potted plant. Even if she liked Josh, she wasn't about to go near the King.

"She's supposed to bring good fortune to our lands," the King said with a threatening tone. "So you had best get her to obey before she can fly away, boy." He stepped towards Josh, causing him to shrink back.

And then a strange thing happened. The two Mightyenas lowered their ears and started growling. But not at Josh. No, Nox and Spartan were both backing away from and growling at the King. It seemed that even if they recognized the King as strong, they weren't about to let him get away with threatening one of their caretakers.

"Stop at once," the King demanded. But they didn't listen. "Silence!"

"Nox, Spartan, back off," Edwin stated firmly.

They listened to the knight, stopping their growls. Both glared at the King, then went over towards Edwin and Josh, making it clear that they weren't going to let this disrespect slide.

As for the King, he looked furious. But he knew better than to mess with the Mightyenas. "Get her trained and get her to stay," he said, then left with his bodyguard.

"As much as I appreciate their help," Josh said, looking to the two canines, "Serena still doesn't like them."

"I'll handle them," Edwin said. But he was more serious than usual. "We, we could be in trouble for this. The King doesn't take disrespect from Pokemon well. I'll ask around and see what strings I can pull if it gets dangerous."

"You have strings you can pull?" Josh asked, trying to make a joke to dispel his nervousness. Making the King angry was not a smart move.

The knight smirked. "Hey, maybe I get guys jealous, but there's some powerful ladies that might lend us a hand if I ask. Don't worry, I'm looking out for you, I promise." He snapped his fingers twice to get the Mightyenas' attention. "Nox, with me. Spartan, post yourself outside the door. Protect Josh and Serena, got it?"

Spartan wagged his tail and gave a soft woof, then trotted out of the room to stand guard. Nox obediently walked alongside Edwin as he went to go check on things. Once they were gone, Serena came back to Josh's shoulder. She cooed worriedly.

Gently, he patted her neck. "Don't worry. He may do a lot of dumb things, but he doesn't break his promises."

...

Emerald entry: It is said to be a Pokemon that brings good fortune. When it spots someone who is pure in heart, a Togetic appears and shares its happiness with that person.

Mightyena FR/LG entry: It will always obey the commands of a skilled Trainer. Its behavior arises from its living in packs in ancient times.


	187. Kabutops

The sunlight filtered through the warm ocean waters, causing the orange scales of the small fish to sparkle. There was a great school of them, swimming in unison to appear like a much larger fish. While it worked on most animals, there were also the Pokemon in the waters. They were much harder to fool and much harder to get away from.

Without warning, a blob of mud was hurled through the ocean water. The small orange fish all turned as one to avoid it. Then a sleek brown shape darted underneath them. It soon turned about, dashing right through the school and slashing through the water with deadly large scythes. Four of the small fish fell to the attack, while the others hurried to get away. But the Kabutops knew better than to pursue them and leave what he had gotten for others to steal. He pulled the four dead ones in and curled his spiny body up around them, so as deter any predators that might come after him.

After consuming all that he could, he left the empty husks behind and swam towards the beach. The sun was traveling in a low arc and the waters, while still warm, were cooling off. It was that time of year and the competition seemed like it would be rough this go around. Now that the sun was setting, he needed to go out there and prove his worth.

Times were still primitive and the Kabutops didn't think of much beyond surviving to the next day. Sometimes if he came across a gathering of Kabuto that were having difficulty, he would fight the one harassing them. That was normal, just making sure that his kind overall survived as well. But this was the time to attract a mate and he would have to think to some degree for that. Sure, one could win over some females just on strength. But the better ones tended to be more demanding, looking for a male with some cunning as well.

At some point in the distant generations, it had been decided, more or less, that it was best to prove this by finding some unusual item and showing that off. His kind lived underwater constantly, though, so finding a suitable item could take months. Then, some renegade male had tried going out onto land to find something. It was incredibly risky, as it was harder to function on land, much less identify potential threats and fight them. Now in his generation, getting an item from land was nearly a requirement for finding a mate.

The Kabutops listened to the waters warily. Would one of his competitors be around going onto the beach tonight? There weren't as many Kabutops as there were Kabuto, so he had managed to claim a good sized territory. But there were only so many places to go onto land from, and he would be going into a rival's waters to reach the beach.

There were many kinds of fish about him, some steering clear of him to avoid being killed. Pokemon were fewer, but they were definitely out there. But a Kabutops like him, he didn't sense his rival or any others. He kept up a quick pace, though, just in case.

As he got closer to the shore, the waters got shallower. Eventually, he was able to rest his legs on the sandy ocean bottom and raise his eyes above the salty water surface. The beach was only lit by a half moon, but he was used to seeing through the low light of the ocean. Nothing moved on the sands or in the skies. But he'd been surprised on such trips before, so he spent a few minutes watching and waiting.

It still seemed quiet, so he took a deep breath, taking as much water into his gills as he could manage. Then the Kabutops left the waters and went onto the beach. Without the water to support his body, it required scuttling low across the sands like he used to do before he evolved. It was undignified, but he didn't really care. He had to find something that would work.

A strange almost sweet smell reached his nostrils. It seemed like some kind of food. Curious, he followed the scent to a bush that bore bright red and orange berries. They were strange and shriveled, like nothing he would find underwater. The Kabutops decided to sample one and stuck a mouth tendril onto the berry to taste it.

Immediately, a hot burning sensation hit his taste buds. No, this berry was way too spicy! The Kabutops sputtered, then decided to bolt back to the water and rinse his tendril out. Only, that didn't work as he had hoped; it just spread the spicy burn further around. It was almost painful and he spent a lot of time rushing about, trying to find something to cool his tongue.

After catching another fish and eating it, the stinging sensation was soothed enough for him to calm down. Those spicy berries would not be suitable for a gift. He did have to find something, but that incident had worn him down more than he had planned for. Resting for a while, he observed the beach. Once he felt up to it, he inhaled more water and returned to his search.

But there wasn't much. There were discarded shells, but those could be found underwater. There were small rocks, but nothing really seemed outstanding. Away from the beach sands, there were more berry bushes. But after the last incident, he didn't want to try any more land foods.

In time, the water in his gills had gone stale and he had to return to the ocean to release it, then gather more. He gathered more for a third trip, but still found nothing. He did see his rival Kabutops scuttling across the beach while he had been investigating under the bushes. As they couldn't sense as well up here, he stayed under the bushes and observed the rival. He had something that looked worthy, some kind of glossy blue stone. However, his shell seemed quite dry. Wherever he had gotten the stone from, it was some distance from the ocean.

He didn't know if he'd want to risk following that path for another blue stone, if there were any more. But it wouldn't look good to come up with something less worthy than his neighbor. This was the time for thought, though. Perhaps something could be done about this without risking staying out on land. He took something, then returned back to the ocean waters.

Not long after he returned, the rival Kabutops was headed right for him calling out a battle challenge for the invasion. He stopped in the water and pulled his scythes close to his chest in a submissive posture. He called back in apology, that he would be gone soon. However, the rival wouldn't accept that excuse at this time. He appeared in the water slashing his scythes at nothing. It was a sign that he would rip the intruder apart. After staying submissive, he held out one of his scythe arms and released a peace offering. The spicy wrinkled orange berry.

This caused the rival pause, showing his pretty blue stone better. On considering it, he smirked, then swam forward slowly, mockingly swiping a scythe just an inch from the intruder's face as he snatched up the berry. And instead of tasting it gently to drain, the rival consumed the berry whole.

Within a second, the rival's eyes had gone wide. He tried to spit the berry out, but that was difficult for them to do. He shook his face trying to relieve the burning spice; again, that did not work. Now the one smirking, the rival snatched the blue stone away, then bolted through the water as fast as he could.

Back in his territory, the Kabutops took a closer look at the blue stone. It was oval in shape and had a strange black mark on it. That looked like the Unown that sometimes roamed the beaches; he had seen a few over his lifetime. Now this was a worthy item to give as a mating gift. He went to a sheltered cave to rest, placing the blue stone under him in case his rival appeared. Tomorrow, he would head deeper into the oceans where the female Kabutops generally stayed. This would be a good year.

…

R/S entry: Kabutops swam underwater to hunt for its prey, in ancient times. The Pokemon was apparently evolving from being a water-dweller to living on land as evident from the beginnings of change in its gills and legs.


	188. Venusaur, Wartortle

The Jungle of Flowers was colorful and beautiful, but dense and bewildering. So many flowers bloomed there at all times of the year, in every color imaginable. But with vague paths that often vanished under undergrowth for a hundred feet or more, it was hard to keep track of where one was. The leaves overhead covered the sky, and the many trunks obscured any potential landmarks. Still, it could be a lucrative place to clever explorers; seeking out rare flowers to bring back and sell in town would turn a tidy profit.

That is, so long as the team didn't get lost and have to hire another explorer team to come find them.

In this place, she blended in quite well. Vesta the Venusaur had a brilliantly red flower on her back, of such a tone that she was obviously not a native. Her kin that lived here had pale flowers as the jungle canopy filtered out much sunlight. Because of her bright flower, she and her partner (both of Team Coral) had an easier time in the jungle than others, as the native Venusaurs would not bother them. Indeed, some males might even show off by fighting off other jungle natives for them.

Just so long as they didn't attack her partner. Walter the Wartortle was a Water type, and so he always had some trouble in navigating the Jungle of Flowers. Yet he knew this place better than her. If he got into a pinch, he could always use his fluffy white tail and algae coated shell to hide among some bushes. He was holding onto the Weeping Orchid which had been their goal, using his power over water to keep it alive while they left. Or tried to leave; they had gotten lost.

"I'm sorry," Vesta said. "I wasn't born here and I don't remember the way we came."

"It's okay," Walter replied, looking around. He pointed to a clump of bushes. "It seems we're headed in the right direction; those only appear in the deepest part of this jungle."

"How are we getting out if we go deeper?" she asked, looking over the bushes. They were very distinctive, with large violet leaves and pinkish flower plumes towering overhead.

The Wartortle chuckled. "I set up a teleport pad one time I was in here. Finding the clearing it's in is a bit tough, but I tried to leave some signs along the deep trails."

She blushed. "Oh, right. I didn't think there would be one here, but our team goes in here a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, we do. You know how we accept rescue missions from the poorer Pokemon?" When she nodded, he went on. "We use flower collecting in this jungle to make most of our money, so that we're capable of covering the costs of such rescues. Most of those without much money will enter those close to town, but occasionally you get ones desperate enough to go to more distant and dangerous places. The end costs of such missions can be far more than what the client can afford. But that's okay; no one ought to be denied because they can't pay a good reward."

Vesta smiled. "That's great. I'm glad I joined a nice team. But I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"

"You do, but don't worry," Walter said. "Oh, here's one of the paths, and I think…" he walked over to a cluster of ivy that was growing up oddly. Carefully holding the orchid in one paw, he cleared the ivy with the other. There was a sign underneath, marked with Unown symbols. "Ah, we're back on track. Can you read this?"

"Maybe." She went up to the sign, causing him to step aside. "It's been awhile since I've read this… ah, it says that 'To leave, stay on this path'. This is one of yours?"

He nodded then nudged aside more of the ivy to continue down the path. "That's mine, so I'm pretty sure I know where we are now. It'll take a little while, but we'll get to the clearing. As I was saying, I think you will make a great explorer in time. And I've trained a lot of novice explorers too."

"I'll do my best, then. But Walter, I didn't think you were that old."

That made him laugh. "Ah, thank you, I suppose. I am one of the founding members of Team Coral, you know."

"You are?" Vesta asked, her eyes widening in shock. "But I heard that Team Coral was a legacy team from a distant town, generations old. I mean, Dana says that her grandfather was in Coral."

Walter shrugged. "We've been through nine leaders this whole time. Including me for a brief time, but I never liked being leader and the center of attention. My mentor, a Corsola, founded Team Coral after her last team broke up and I was one of the first members, just a trainee like you at the time. The members have changed a lot, but Coral has never really broken up; I always decline suggestions of changing the name because of that. I'm the only original member left, but I'm fine with letting younger and sharper minds lead."

She twitched her flower petals momentarily, letting its calming scent stir up briefly. "Wow, I didn't think you were that experienced. But you're still in your second stage, right? I've managed to impress the light springs twice already. Why haven't you evolved yet?"

"That." His expression faltered for a moment, as if saddened. "Well I made a promise a long time ago that I would get something done before I evolved again. It turned out to be harder than I thought, and I failed several times. I might be able to get through that dungeon easier if I was a Blastoise, but I don't want to break a promise in order to fulfill it. So I turned to training new members of Coral and myself until I might be strong enough."

"Well you are very strong and skilled," Vesta said. "I mean, you set up a teleport pad here, in the deepest part of a Grass dungeon, and set up signs in case others get lost. And if that's still not enough, maybe I or the others could help you."

Walter smiled a little at that. "You would have to train a lot in order to accompany me into that place. But thanks for the offer. Maybe that could help me."

"I mean to train myself to be much tougher anyhow," she told him, smiling warmly. "And you're respected by everyone on the team, so I'm sure they'll all help too. What dungeon do you have to get through?"

The Wartortle waved his paw at the tall trees. "It is much deeper and longer than this place. It lies far away and few people know about it. But I've been there several times. It is a place of wonder, but much danger."

As they walked along the path in the Jungle of Flowers, Walter told his tale of the mysterious dungeon. It put many strange images and dreams in Vesta's mind. But that only made her more determined to help Walter fulfill his promise there somehow.

…

Emerald entry: Venusaur's flower is said to take on vivid colors if it gets plenty of nutrition and sunlight. The flower's aroma soothes the emotions of people.

Heart Gold entry: It is a well-established symbol of longevity. If its shell has algae on it, that Wartortle is very old.


	189. Teddiursa, Venonat, Latias

It was a whiteout. Snow fell thickly on the already packed ground. From the looks of things, their car was going to be buried in the white stuff before long. The man looked at his cell phone. "Still not getting a signal," he said, then sighed. "I'm sorry; this storm came in faster than I thought it would."

"I know," the woman said wrapped in a yellow blanket. In her lap, there was a Trddiursa who seemed to be the only content one in the situation. Of course, he was a young Pokemon, and as long as his people were around, he felt safe. He sucked on his left paw, looked up at her, then offered his sweet and sticky right paw to her. "No, I don't want that."

"Mmm," the little bear cub responded, sounding disappointed that the offer wasn't taken.

On the dashboard, a large puff of a Venonat was sitting with her eyes half closed. Little spots of shiny dampness showed where she had been, as her feet, and indeed whole body, was covered in a film of mild poison. She didn't seem too bothered by the cold, unless her current sleepiness was triggered by it. "Krikrikri," she clicked, then stiffened, her eyes jerking wide open. The Venonat turned and looked outside. "Tisk."

"I thought we could get to my parents' house in time," the man said (for the tenth time so far). "Now no one is going to find us in this weather."

"Calm down, dear," the woman said. "There isn't much we can do besides wait on a good signal and hope that we can get help soon. And no one is hurt, so that's good." She petted her Teddiursa's head, making him mumble again.

"I should have been better prepared," he replied, then looked over to where his Venonat was hopping across towards his side. Her compound red eyes were starting to glow faint pink. "No, Venonat, for the last time, no eyebeams in the car. Especially not now."

The energy faded from her eyes as she looked to him. "Tsktsktsk," she muttered, sounding worried. She looked back outside at the world of white.

"What has you so agitated?" the woman asked the Venonat. "You were half asleep a moment ago."

But the Venonat's attention was outside the car, trying to find something. But when the humans looked, they saw nothing but white. "She can see really well in the dark," the man said. "I'm not so sure about this blizzard, though."

It was quite in the car interior for a couple of minutes. A little while ago, they had the radio on. The storm made also it difficult to get the radio in clearly. Without that, there was just the gusting wind outside, howling and rattling trees occasionally. The snow flakes barely made a patter as they landed on the car. On the woman's lap, the Teddiursa leaned back against her chest and kept licking through his paws. The Venonat eventually hopped over to the other side of the black dashboard, making little plastic scuffles as she did so. Her antennae were twitching.

"We could always return the Pokemon so we can get into the backseat and cuddle under the blankets," the woman said.

"What, now?" the man asked.

She chuckled. "To keep warm, silly. What did you think I mean?"

"Well, you know," he said, but left it at that. He checked his cell phone again. It still had no signal. "We've got some water, just so long as we don't get hungry."

"There's the Teddiursa honey," she pointed out.

That suggestion got a look of disgust. "From his paws?"

She shook her head, then put her hand on the Teddiursa while she leaned over. "No, the stuff I make. I brought a jar of it for your parents, but if we have to break into it." She got back up with a decorative jelly jar filled with a cloudy amber honey inside. "They mix Beedrill honey with mashed up berries and let that soak into their paws. I just mix the honey with pureed berries. It's a bit sweet… no, thank you," she interrupted herself, waving down another offer of a sticky paw.

"If we're here for much longer, we could open that up," he agreed.

"It's…" she stopped again, glancing out the window. A pink and white face was looking back at her, hanging upside-down from the roof. The woman screamed, startling the creature into vanishing.

"What?" the man asked, looking out her window. But there was just white snow out there, banks of it threatening to swallow them whole. He did see as his Venonat's eyes started glow again. "No eyebeams in the car," he stated again.

"Pfffst," the Venonat said, sounding annoyed at being kept from defending them, but stopping her attack.

"Mmmhmm?" the Teddiursa mumbled around his paw, now looking wide-eyed around the car. The scream had finally worried him too.

"There's s-something out there," the woman said, leaning away from the window. "I don't know what. Maybe some kind of Pokemon."

The Venonat squealed, then turned to look out the front window. The two humans did as well in time to see something. But, was that something nothing? The snow that was piling on the roof ever since they skidded off the road crunched down under the weight of two triangular shaped paws, yet there was nothing there. The air over the hood rippled strangely before turning into the pink and white Pokemon.

On seeing her, neither of the humans knew what they were dealing with. She was bird-like, with a coating of feathers and winds. But her face was like a mammal's, smoothly rounded without a beak. And her body structure was more reminiscent of jet planes than birds. Leaning down to look in at them, she blinked her black eyes slowly, not seeming threatened or threatening at all.

"What is that?" the woman asked, clasping her Pokemon. The Teddiursa responded by relaxing again.

"It's like no Pokemon I've ever seen," he replied.

"Kurrreee!" The pink Pokemon smiled at that, her amused cry coming through to them. She then tapped the windshield, seemingly curious.

The Venonat decided to reply with a series of clicks and antennae twitches. On hearing that, the strange Pokemon seemed surprised, then concerned. She nodded, then scrunched down on the hood and closed her eyes.

"I always wondered what Pokemon were saying to each other," the man said. Right then, the car abruptly moved without turning on. "Huh?" He grabbed the steering wheel.

On the windows, the snow started tumbling off. Then the piles of snow began to recede. No, the car was getting lifted out off the ground and into the air. As there was no other reason that the car should suddenly be levitating, it had to be the doing of the strange Pokemon on the hood. They looked out the windows to see where they were going, but the thick snow obscured everything, even making it hard to see their rescuer sometimes. At least, the humans that the Venonat tried to see. The Teddiursa mumbled to himself and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Then the car was jostled again as it hit the ground. "Shuuessasii," the pink Pokemon said, then ruffled her feathers. In a moment, she had vanished again. A shifting of the car indicated that the now invisible Pokemon had taken off.

And there was a dark haze in front of them, perhaps solid. A building? "Hang on," the man said, pushing off his blanket and starting to open the door.

"Be careful," the woman said, trying not to disturb her sleepy Pokemon.

He nodded, then got out of the car. Immediately, he was assaulted by snowflakes. After closing the door, he walked to the front of the car. He paused, then came back and opened his door back up. "It's that McDonalds and it seems to be open."

"Of course they would be," she said, smiling. She nudged her Pokemon a bit. "Come on, Teddiursa, we're getting out of this car finally." She put the jar of honey back, then picked up her bag to get out of the car. The Venonat tried to fly out, but soon had to be returned so that he didn't get blown away in the strong winds.

The man looked above them and thought he might have seen a bit of pink through the white snow. "Thank you!" he called out.

"She rasa!" came a cheery reply.

They found out much later that their rescuer was a Latias.

…

Sapphire entry: Latias is highly intelligent and capable of understanding human speech. It is covered in a glass-like down. This Pokemon enfolds its body with its down and refracts light to alter its appearance.

Emerald entry: It licks its paws that are sweetened by being soaked in honey. A Teddiursa makes its own honey by blending fruits and pollen collected by Beedrill.

Venonat Fire Red entry: Its eyes act as radar, enabling it to be active in darkness. The eyes can also shoot powerful beams.


	190. Glaceon, Weavile, Shinx

Sinnoh was sometimes called the land of four seasons. There was the warm and sunny southern portion that often seemed like summer, with its beaches and the dry region near Oreburgh. There was the spring-like color and wind in the western area of Floaroma and Eterna. Over to the east, there were the autumn-esque chilled rains and trees that tended to turn color early (and stay colored late) around Veilstone. And then there was the northern area of Snowpoint, almost constantly snowy.

It was the official start of winter by the calendar, but Snowpoint had already been cloaked in snow for months. Those who lived there for long enough got used to it, wearing sweaters and snow pants all the time. Except for the local Gym Leader, Candice, who often wore haut couture fashions that were usually more suited for hotter climates. Like today's outfit of a blue gingham mini skirt, a sleeveless white blouse, and a pale blue scarf. A silk scarf, at that. It was quite distinctive and cute on her, but it should not have been appropriate for the ice rink of a gym she ran.

'Someday, I'm going to find out her secret,' Tracy thought. She was a Trainer of the Ice Gym, had been one for ten months now. She wasn't quite as hardy against the cold, so she came to work in various colored parkas or patterned sweaters. While she did her best to put together things that looked good, it wasn't nearly as daring as anything that Candice wore.

Near the end of the day, she was checking over her two Pokemon, a Glaceon named Purdita and a Weavile named Gabriel. There hadn't been many challengers today, so they didn't seem too tired. She and the other Gym Trainers were in a room in back, preparing to close the building for the night.

But the others were gossiping about something. "Yeah, it roams the forests between here and Lake Acuity," one boy said. "We saw it last night, a strange flash that's here and gone."

"But are you sure it's a ghost?" another boy asked. "It could be a Ghost Pokemon."

"Of course it's a ghost. Haven't you heard the story of the girl in white? She was drowned in Lake Acuity over a hundred years ago when her jealous boyfriend pushed her in. Her ghost flickers across the forests in brief flashes, just like me and my brother saw. It is her."

"Creepy," a girl said.

"Isn't the girl in white supposed to be wearing a white dress?" Tracy asked. "You just said it was a low flash along the ground. It's probably some Pokemon."

" _I can be the girl in white,"_ Purdita said, swishing her tail smugly.

" _No you can't_ ," Gabriel said. " _I'm more human shaped than you."_

" _But I can be_!" the Glaceon insisted.

"You could go find out," Candice suggested. "There is an Ice typed Ghost Pokemon which could be mistaken for a girl's ghost. If it is a ghost, you might have an interesting discovery on hand. That is, if you're not too scared."

"I'm not scared," one of the boys insisted. "I'll get proof of that ghost."

Tracy considered the informal challenge. Different Pokemon did come out at night. But it would be so much colder too. At any rate, Gabriel would be able to see in the darkness, so she was less likely to get lost. "You two want to go out for an hour or so?" she asked her Pokemon.

The Weavile smiled and nodded. " _Finding a ghost ought to be fun."_

Yipping, Purdita stood on her hind legs. _"Yeah, I like going outside! Can we go see the rock again?"_

" _That's a little far,"_ Gabriel pointed out.

Tracy patted Purdita, then put on her gloves. "Okay, let me get prepared and we'll go looking around the forest."

* * *

After picking up some potions and Pokeballs from the store, Tracy and her Pokemon followed the west road out of Snowpoint. There was a full moon in the dark sky, so the darkness wasn't that much of a problem. Still, the moonlight caused the snowy forest to have an otherworldly glow, with the sparkles of water crystals and the spots of evergreen in the white. The air would be quiet, then there would be crunches of snow of in the distance, a snap of a frozen stick, or a Pokemon's call seeking something out.

"This is the kind of night you would expect to see ghosts," Tracy said. "That or the lake guardian casting illusions near the water."

Purdita sniffed around the snow, moving about in uneven spurts. _"Lots of Pokemon about,"_ she mumbled. _"Not sure about ghosts, though."_

By the human's side, Gabriel ruffled his natural fur collar and searched all around them. His ears twitched. _"I've never seen a Ghost Pokemon in the forest. There were tales of other spirits, though, not just the girl in white."_

" _Are they friendly?"_

He snickered and snapped his claws. _"Not all of them."_ He then hopped towards an icy rock and looked it over. _"Hmm…"_

" _What is it?"_ The Glaceon looked over at her partner.

" _Territory disputes,"_ the Weavile stated, moving his claws above some markings. He scratched out a few of his own. _"That ought to throw them for a loop."_

" _Silly,"_ she muttered, then moved ahead. On sniffing again, her ears pricked up. _"Oh, here's something not like the rest. The smell is fresh too."_

Gabriel came over and checked it out. _"Definitely not a native,"_ he said. Then he waved to Tracy as a signal that they had found something.

"Got a trail then?" she asked. "Good, let's see what it leads us too."

The three went off the regular route and into the evergreen forest itself. Purdita kept to the front, sniffing around to keep track of where the strange Pokemon had gone. Staying with their Trainer in case of trouble, Gabriel looked around for other signs, whether disturbed plants or markings from his kin warning or discussing some stranger. There was a few nibbled plants, stray blue hairs, prints from a Pokemon not used to the snow. But most lost Pokemon wouldn't get this far north of Mount Coronet.

Then the Glaceon stopped, looking up. There was a dark colored Pokemon ahead. There was a spot that flashed, then a mass of bright sparks came off it. After a moment of moving, the flash vanished, leaving just crunches in the snow. _"Ack, bright!"_ Purdita whined.

" _Then don't look,"_ Gabriel said, closing his eyes and dropping down on all fours to run after the sound. Purdita yipped at him, then waited for Tracy to start running before chasing him.

"I knew it was some Pokemon," Tracy said, then stumbled briefly. She regained her balance as she kept chasing after her Glaceon.

Ahead of them, Gabriel flicked his collar back to dash under a fir tree. He heard a crackle ahead as the stranger tried to use its flash to throw him off. He kept running, though, until he heard the Pokemon breathing. Then he leaped at it, pinning it down into the snow. Briefly, he opened his eyes to see a small black and blue feline under him. _"What are you doing here?"_ he demanded.

" _Let me go!"_ he replied, struggling in a panic. His fur began to crackle.

"Gabriel!" Tracy called out.

" _Hmph."_ He kept his front paws on the stranger to keep him there, then stepped aside _. "You're lucky I'm not one of the wild ones."_

" _A human?"_ he said, puzzled.

"Oh, it's a Shinx," Tracy said, coming into view. "That explains the flashes. That's weird, though. You don't see them around here."

The Shinx stilled. _"Oh thank goodness. I wasn't sure if I'd find another human."_

" _The town isn't that far from here,"_ Purdita said, looking to the northeast.

" _Uh, really?"_ He sounded embarrassed, but quickly lost that to his concern. _"My Trainer is in trouble; he got hurt in this forest. Can you guys help him get to town?"_

" _We could get help,"_ Gabriel said, letting the Shinx go. He held his right paw up and made some signs to indicate that this one belonged to another Trainer and that they ought to follow him. _"Will you lead us to where your Trainer is?"_

He got up _. "Yeah, sure. I didn't want to get too far from him. That must be why I didn't find town."_

Tracy came up to the Shinx. "With a human, then. That makes more sense; you're hurt, though. Hang on, and then you can lead us where you want." She brought out a potion and sprayed it over the cut on his back. He sniffed it, then started off deeper into the woods.

Fifteen minutes later, they came to a snow cave dug into a drift by a cluster of pines. _"He can't move far, so I dug this out for him,"_ the Shinx said.

" _Ooo, nice work on it,"_ Pudita noted.

Tracy knelt down by the entrance. "Hello, are you in there?"

A confused male voice answered, "Huh? Are you with the rescue team?"

"No, but I can call them for you. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, I think I broke my foot a while ago."

"Well stay in there for now; it's probably warmer in there." She pulled her cell phone out of her bag. It had large type buttons, which was useful when making calls in the cold.

While she made the call, Purdita grinned. _"You had people thinking you were a ghost, Mr. Shinx, with all that flashing."_

" _Did I?"_ he asked. _"Oh, and call me Max."_

" _The observations weren't made by an observant human,"_ Gabriel noted. He flicked some snow at the Glaceon. _"But you still can't make yourself look like the girl in white."_

She huffed and tilted her diamond-shaped ears back. _"I can too! Just watch me."_

Moving off a few paces, Purdita closed her eyes to focus her power, then stood up on her hind legs and drew in warmth from the air around her. While it was freezing air, there was still some warm energy she could pull out. She was then surrounded by tiny sparkling icy crystals as the moisture in the air solidified into a diamond dust. And when she was standing like that, it did surround her almost like a dress. That is, until the ice crystals dropped down to the floor.

Max tilted his head. _"Wow, that was kind of ghostly_ ," he said.

Swishing her tail, she bounded back over. " _Told you I could."_

" _Maybe if the viewer was further off, it could be successful_ ," Gabriel teased.

* * *

The next day, Tracy got to the Gym late. She explained about what the flashes in the woods were. "I went to the hospital to check up on them," she added. "That's why I was late."

"How are they?" Candice asked.

"The Trainer's going to be in the hospital for a while, but the doctor thought that he should recover okay. And I gave the Shinx an extra fleece Pokemon blanket I had around, because the hospital's still cold to visitors."

"Well that's a good reason to be late," the Leader said. "But, you'll still have to close up with me tonight."

Tracy shrugged. "Sure thing."

…

Shinx Diamond entry: All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded.

Glaceon Platinum entry: By controlling its body heat, it can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond dust flurry.

Weavile Pearl entry: It sends signals to others by carving odd patterns in frost-covered trees and ice.


	191. Breloom, Poliwrath

It's Christmas, so let's all try to get along and not fight.

That's what they'd been told, and so there they were, not fighting. Not yet, anyhow. Over by the window, Breloom was grooming his green mushroom cap to get off some dust. It was gray and cloudy outside, but he didn't mind either way. On the other side of the room, Poliwrath was tearing apart some leftover present wrapping. She had been on edge for much of this visit. While she could endure the cold well enough, the dry indoors air did not agree with her blue amphibian skin. Even when she stayed near the humidifier, it was still too dry for her liking.

"Whatcha gonna do when you run out of paper to play with?" Breloom asked, shaking his head to see if any more loose skin or dust was there.

"I'll find something else," she answered. "Like maybe trying to take that cap off your head again."

He chuckled. "Not likely. You didn't even get close last time."

She clenched her white-gloved fist, then pointed at him. "I do have the strength to do it, if you would hold still in a fight."

"We're not supposed to fight," Breloom said. His grooming seemed to be done, so he had to find something else to do too. "That's what Mike's grandma said. And while we're here, we gotta do what she says."

Sighing, Poliwrath picked up the scraps of colorful paper she had and dropped them into a trash bag. "I know, I know. I'm just saying that you're always jumping about like some over-caffeinated Mankey in a fight. Someone could get nauseous in watching you."

He smirked. "I don't know if I'm like a Mankey. I don't rage quite that much. Anyhow, that's how I've always fought." He hopped from one foot to the other and back for a bit. "Keep on your toes and punch like the breeze."

"With no power?" she said, teasingly. She punched out a fist. "I fight with power, always."

Still hopping about, Breloom made a feint with his right fist, then punched with his left. "I fight with technique, always. Quick and to the weak spots. Some power, yeah, but I don't have big tree trunks for arms like you do."

Poliwrath got up; they were still twelve feet from each other, but she punched in his direction again. "You're the plant around here, bending to the will of the breeze. I am sturdy; nothing bends nor breaks me."

He winked. "I bend so that few can fully hit me. You cannot win if you cannot hit your foe, but you can win if they cannot hit you. It works even better if they are distracted and cannot do anything."

"You mean using dirty tricks like putting your foe to sleep, or paralyzing them. Hmph. I do not need such tactics to win."

There came an annoyed shout from the other room that there was to be no fighting in the house.

Poliwrath rolled her eyes. "We weren't fighting then. Just discussing matters." But although they could understand the humans, the humans couldn't understand them.

"And practicing taunts?" Smirking, Breloom hopped over and nudged her. "Well she just said no fighting in the house. Want to go out on a walk?"

"A walk would be nice," she agreed, so went into the other room. She had a human-like hand and could operate the doorknob; he only had paws with stubby fingers.

Outside was cold, with wet snow on the ground. Poliwrath's feet scrunched right through it, hitting the near-frozen mud underneath. But the wetness made up for any coldness and she was already more comfortable out here. Breloom hopped over the snow, barely leaving impressions there. Usually, Grass Pokemon didn't like winter's chill.

"You all right here in the snow?" she asked.

"I'm tough enough to withstand this chill," he replied, although he still kept from staying on one spot too long. "And I was the one to suggest this. Why, you worried about me?"

She snorted. "No, but I don't want to get yelled at by Mikey when you get frostbite." Well maybe she was concerned, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"Well I'll stand up for you if he does. Come on, there's a nice spot just over this hill; I remember it from last time." He bounded on ahead. She remembered it just fine, but let him take the lead anyhow.

Over the hill, there was a dip that couldn't be seen well from most of the house. That made it a good sparring ground when Mikey's grandparents didn't like Pokemon battles taking place. and they did often complain about that kind of thing, saying Pokemon battles were too noisy and rough. And why did Pokemon and kids these days always have to be so violent, the grandma would say. Both of the fighting Pokemon were certain that it must have been much the same in the past and the grandparents were just refusing to acknowledge it. Besides, they had more fun fighting than not.

The rim of the dip was lined with pine trees covered in snow, while the snow was at least a foot deep in there, maybe more. The sky was all gray, not going to snow now, but maybe later. And it was far enough from the house that the machine noises from the human devices was muffled, almost absent. A few wild Pokemon were calling out, but they were in the distance, keeping closer to their food sources.

"Kind of a romantic place, don't you think?" Breloom said teasingly.

"I didn't come out here to flirt," she said, then made a snatch for his head. "I came to snatch that silly cap off your head."

He had made a backwards tumble to get out of the way, but was soon back on his feet. "Hey, that's a part of my body and I'm very proud of it." He punched out one of his small fists. "I challenge you to a boxing match for that!"

"Boxing?" she said, sounding indignant (although it was really fun). "You're just a feather weight and I'm a heavy weight. I'll smash you to bits and then take that cap too."

"Bring it!" He hopped over, dodging her downward chop, then punching her side. "You couldn't hit me unless you were lucky."

Poliwrath then tried to sweep her arm to the side to catch him. He just hopped onto her arm, then jumped away. "But I can endure longer than you can. You'll wear yourself out within the hour bouncing around like that, while I can cross the whole ocean and not get tired one bit. Once you get tired, then I've as good as won."

"Hah, maybe you can, but that's swimming, not sparring! I'll land so many hits on you that you'll fall right over like the big lump you are." He laughed playfully and got in to punch her on her swirled stomach.

She went to feint like he did, but he dodged both the feint and the punch, then showed her his own double-feint punch. He was right in that he was really hard to hit physically when he was boxing like this. Then again, she would turn out right too if he made a mistake. But that was part of this sparring practice, to make sure both of them would make less mistakes in the battles that counted.

Breloom then managed to land an extra hard hit on her, to her face no less (after jumping onto her head, and while back-flipping off, he had punched her with his tail). It jarred her so much that she fell over into one of the snowdrifts on the side of the dip. While she'd seen (and felt) some of his tail punches before, this one proved that he was getting stronger too.

After a moment, he hopped over to beside her, looking concerned. "You okay? I don't want to get yelled at either if you fall unconscious. That'll be hard to explain."

"It's not too bad," she said, but stayed in the snow. So cold, but the dampness felt good. "And is that all? I wouldn't want either of us to get in trouble, because then Mikey might separate us. Then I couldn't see your beautiful sparring motion."

"Huh?" His tan faced turned a bit pink. "Well, uh, that's nice to hear, but we…"

Poliwrath grinned, snatched his foot, then threw him across the dip. "Got you!"

She heard a muffled shout. As she got up, he was pulling himself out of a snow pile that he had gotten half buried in. He shook the snow out of his mushroom cap. "Aw man, now I'm gonna have ice crystals up there! Thanks a lot… not. And you were the one complaining about dirty tactics."

Laughing, she replied, "Well you have shown me that it works."

"But this is boxing! And that was a bit much…" he scowled, looking off to the side.

One seeing the look on his face, and hearing the sharp tone in his voice, Poliwrath felt pretty bad. Maybe that had been too far. Although, she hadn't really thought about things in those terms. They were just friends. "Um… I'm sorry. I thought you might see that as a joke."

His mood calmed down at that. "It would be a nice joke, I suppose." Then Breloom shook himself and started hopping again. "Geez, and I shouldn't be letting myself stop and get chilly this time of year. Hey, want to build a snowman? It might be tough with this kind of snow, but that would be fun. And it would show how you and I can withstand anything, even winter games."

She laughed again, relieved. "Sure! We'll make a really big snowman and impress Mikey with it."

The two Pokemon then got to work gathering up snow and deciding on how to put it together.

…

Poliwrath Emerald entry: Its highly developed muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. This Pokemon can swim back and forth across the Pacific Ocean without effort.

Ruby entry: Breloom closes in on its foe with light and sprightly footwork, then throws punches with its stretchy arms. This Pokemon's fighting techniques put boxers to shame.


	192. Plusle, Minun, Electabuzz, Magmortar

It was New Years Eve and there seemed to be celebrations everywhere. In Ecruteak alone, there were at least eight parties going on, some by invitation only. But the one held below Bell Tower was open to anyone who came by. There were dozens of colorful paper lanterns, lots of good things to snack on, cheerful music playing, and many activities to join. However, the tower itself was closed off to the visitors, guarded by two local monks.

Pokemon were allowed to wander the party too. Unfortunately, that meant that their trainer was showing off her prized Snubbull and gushing over other people's fancy and dressed up Pokemon. Pan the Plusle and Mina the Minun found themselves looking for something to do on their own. "Well I suppose she's just excited about her new capture," Mina said, rubbing her blue-tipped ears. "We'll still be important to her."

"I wish I could tell her not to give me a girly ribbon to wear," Pan grumbled, tugging at a red ribbon around his neck; it had a bow behind his head. "We could have swapped colors."

"I guess," Mina said, touching her blue ribbon. "Want to try telling her?"

He shook his head. "Nah, humans never understand us Pokemon. Anyhow… hey, look at that!" He hopped off into the crowd.

"Pan!" Mina ran off after her friend. Weaving around the feet of other humans, she added, "Don't get in trouble!"

"I won't," he said, stopping by a tree. There was a Pokemon sleeping there, one that was much larger then they were. It was a bright yellow feline with jagged black stripes across his body. Unlike most of the other Pokemon, he wasn't dressed up for the occasion. "Man, how is he sleeping through this noise?" Pan poked at the larger Pokemon's side.

"Maybe he's really tired," Mina said quietly to him. She tugged at his pink-tipped tail. "So we should leave him be."

"Huh, no, I ain't sleeping," the other Pokemon grumbled, opening his eyes briefly. "Just resting my eyes." He looked over at the crowd. "Oh, has it started already?" He yawned and stretched his arms out, nearly knocking the Plusle over in the process.

"The party started over an hour ago," Pan told him. "Hopefully it can keep going, cause clouds have moved in. We don't want to get rained out. Hey mister, what are you? Why aren't you dressed up?"

"Clouds, huh?" He looked up through the leafless trees. "I live here, so I don't have to be all showy. I'm an Electrabuzz, by the way; call me Buzzard. I have an important duty." He grinned, showing sharp teeth. "Clouds… hah! Hey squirts, want to race me to the top of the tower?"

"The top of the tower?" Pan asked, sounding interested.

"See you there!" Buzzard then jumped up and dashed over to Bell Tower with incredible speed. He opened up a window to enter the building, then vanished inside.

"Oh man, we couldn't beat him," the Plusle said, twitching his ears. "Even with a head start. Hey, let's go in."

"What?" Mina asked, worried. "But nobody's supposed to go inside there. I mean, maybe if he really does have an important duty…"

He shrugged. "What else are we gonna do? Besides, they never open the doors, so when else are we going to get a chance to look around inside? Maybe we can find something nice too."

The Minun put her paw to her chin. "Well, you're right in that we probably won't get in any other time… it could be interesting inside."

"So let's go!" Pan bounded off towards the open window. After a second's hesitation, Mina followed after. No one noticed them going in.

Inside, they were reminded of Sprout Tower's interior. This place looked much the same, with wooden floors, a large swaying pillar, and wooden ladders. The differences were remarkable, though. Instead of statues of Bellsprout, there were beautiful statues of a strange bird Pokemon. The same Pokemon was on painted silhouettes on the walls. After admiring one of the statues, Pan and Mina went to the ladder and hopped up the steps to get to the next level.

And Bell Tower was much taller than Sprout Tower. There were Rattatas scavenging around, as well as the occasional Gastly in the shadows. Being small and nimble, the two were able to avoid most of the resident Pokemon. They could not avoid one Pokemon, though. He was even larger than the Electrabuzz, with brilliant orange and red feathers covering his bulky body. A large burlap sack was by his side, one that seemed nearly as big as him. But they had seen one like him before, a Magmortar. And that made him a very powerful Pokemon indeed, one they didn't want to fight.

Pan stopped briefly, then indicated to Mina that they should try sneaking by. She nodded; that's what she was thinking too. With the Magmortar sitting there, they should be able to dash for the next ladder if need be. However, his ears pricked up and the Magmortar looked to them. "What are you two doing skulking about?" he asked gruffly.

"Oh, um, we're just exploring," Mina said, crouching down closer to the floor.

"Yeah, Buzzard challenged us to a race, although there's no way we're going to win," Pan admitted. "But we want to see the top too."

"Hmph, so that explains that." He shook his head. "Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you if you're not looking for a fight. I've got enough work as it is lugging this thing to the top." He patted the burlap sack.

Now that he seemed friendly, or at least not malicious, Mina hopped over closer. He did look tired. "Why're you doing that, Mr. Magmortar?"

"My trainer asked me too, although he couldn't come in himself. I had to sneak in here in the middle of the day myself. There should just be one more level, and then we're at the roof. The weight's making my arms ache, though."

Pan pricked his ears and stood up. "I'd imagine. Hey, we can help you feel better if you want. We're trained therapeutic electricians."

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh yes," Mina said. "We use our powers to help our trainer every day. She wouldn't be able to travel otherwise. It doesn't hurt; it's just a little tingly at first."

"Hmm." He considered it, then nodded. "All right, if it would help me reach the top. I want to do this too."

"We need to see your arms," she said. Once he held them down, the Plusle and Minun checked over him. It seemed like it was as he said, his muscles aching due to the heavy load. They could find the important points of his nervous system, as their innate electrical sense could feel even those minute points of power. With those found, they applied small sparks of electricity to those points, giving his energy a fresh boost.

After working on both arms, Pan said, "Okay, that should do it. How're you feeling now?"

The Magmortar rubbed one arm, then smiled. "Oddly refreshed. I should be fine now; thank you, small ones. You may call me Magnar."

"That's a nice name," the Minun said, smiling back. "I'm Mina, and this is Pan. Well let's get going to the top before it's too late!"

"Right!" Pan agreed, then bounded over to the ladder.

Magnar got up, picked up his heavy sack, then followed them up the stairs. But at the next level, Pan and Mina found themselves facing a group of four Rattatas. The purple rodents seemed annoyed, grumbling at something. "Why does he always have to… hey, you! What do you think you're doing here?"

"Um, we're just exploring," Mina said. "We're not going to make trouble, honest."

The Rattattas laughed or sneered. "Oh yeah?" the one said, coming a step closer. "Well this is our floor, and we don't let intruders off lightly. You're gonna wish you never set foot in here!"

Behind them, there was a heavy thump as the burlap sack was tossed up onto the floor. The Magmortar then appeared through the ladder hole. Holding on with one hand, he adjusted the other until it looked as though he had a small cannon in place of his lower arm. "Hey," he said, looking calmly towards the Rattata group. "I can burn you to the bone in one shot. Feeling lucky, punk?"

That stopped their laughs. "He's with us," Mina said, standing up with more confidence.

"Oh, er, is that right?" The Rattata backed down. "Uh, in that case, I hope you like your visit. Um, leave us be, please." They then scattered off into holes along the floor.

Pan chuckled, then looked back to their companion. "Hey, thanks Magnar. That was cool."

"No problem," he said, coming up fully and picking up his sack again. Then he dropped his voice so only they could hear, "Not that I would really shoot fireballs inside. I might torch the place by accident and I wouldn't want that to happen."

"Of course not," Mina said. "So the next level is the roof… I'm excited!"

Pan laughed again. "And you're the one who didn't want to come in here."

"Well I hope that we aren't going to get in trouble," she added.

Past the next ladder, the Pokemon came to the rooftop of Bell Tower. It was an incredible place, with a staircase leading up to a large platform. A blue roof sloped down, then showed off a magnificent view of the land around them. While it was dark, Pan and Mina could make out a forest around the city below. There was one yellow light to the southeast that might have been the top of Sprout Tower, and a set of red lights that topped the Radio Tower to the southwest. And further southwest, the sweeping line of the Olivine lighthouse reached out even this far north. And in the center of the platform, there was a tall golden tower, topped with a yellow light of its own.

And up on the golden tower, Buzzard the Electrabuzz was hanging on by just two paws, searching the sky. He looked down and grinned at them. "Hey squirts! You're much too slow to race me. I've been waiting forever to see you again."

"We didn't take that long!" Pan insisted, jumping up.

"We stopped to help Mr. Magnar," Mina added, looking over as the Magmortar came up the stairs to the platform. "He wanted to see the top too."

After giving a shrug, Buzzard hopped down. "Eh, the more, the merrier. So long as you don't mean to harm the tower itself, I like the company."

"I'll be careful," Magnar said, setting his sack down before looking over the edge. "Which way would the plaza below be, where the party is?"

"Um," the Electrabuzz jumped down onto the roof and peered over the edge. Then he pointed towards the corner to the right of the stairway. "Over that way. Why do you ask?"

He nodded, then opened up his sack. Pan hopped over as he spoke, to investigate. "My trainer wants to try getting Ho-oh's attention in a certain way. I doubt it will actually work, but it's going to be a lot of fun." He smiled as he pulled out a white object that seemed like a soda can. "Certainly worth the effort to come up here." He reformed his cannon arm, then placed the object inside. After aiming over the crowd and at the sky, he fired it.

Moments later, there was a sharp noise, somewhere between a pop and a blast. A shower of orange and yellow sparkles appeared in the cloudy sky in the shape of a large orb. They glittered and fell, then disappeared.

"Oooo, nice fireworks," Mina said, hopping over to the edge of the platform with the rest.

"So long as you don't burn the tower down, I'm fine with that," Buzzard said. "I'm one of the Bell Tower Pokemon guardians, you know."

"I'll be careful," Magnar said, pulling out another fireworks shell to load it. "I've been doing this for several years now." He shot off another orb firework, this time in red and pink.

"What do you do as a guardian?" Pan asked, looking up to Buzzard.

In response, he grinned. "I come up here anytime there might be a storm and protect the tower from lightning strikes. That's how the last tower burned down, because a lightning bolt struck it just right. Or just wrong, I guess. I'm making sure it doesn't happen again, especially not before Ho-oh returns."

"Ho-oh?" Mina asked. "Is that the pretty bird Pokemon all the statues show?"

Buzzard nodded. "Sure is. Lots of people have tried to call the legendary sky guardian down, but I haven't seen it in person. And you're right; I don't think firing off explosives from the top of the tower will get Ho-oh to come. But it is a nice change of pace."

Magnar shrugged. "Who am I to say no to fireworks? Anyhow, how are you protecting the tower from lightning strikes? Don't you Electrics attract lightning? Especially from the tallest place around, like this tower."

"I got hit by lightning once," Pan said. "And it was awesome."

"I've been hit at least five dozen times," Buzzard boasted. "All on top of this place, no less. Yeah, I call the lightning down; sometimes I even insult the clouds to get them all worked up too. But if the lightning strikes me, it doesn't hurt me and I divert it from the tower. I swore that I'd never let Bell Tower get struck by lightning while I was alive, and so far, I've kept my oath perfectly."

"That's great," Mina said, smiling.

Pan hopped onto the ledge. "Hey, you think if we make enough festive noise, with the party, and the fireworks, and even more, then that Ho-oh might come?" He clapped his paws together, sending off a small orb of sparks that mimicked the larger fireworks. "Make 'em awesome, Magnar!"

The Magmortar chuckled. "It couldn't hurt to try," he said.

Mina got up with him, making sparkling pom-poms to match her friend's. "Yeah, let's make up a cheer to welcome Ho-oh! Wheee!" She spun around.

"We're calling in the new year, so it's a new chance to show off your might!" Pan added, hopping over Mina and clashing his pom-poms into hers to make a larger crack and sparkle.

"Aw yeah, this is gonna be awesome, squirts!" Buzzard cheered along.

They never did see Ho-oh that night. But the four did put on a spectacular light show which was much appreciated by the crowds below them.

…

Plusle Emerald entry: It has a trait of cheering on its fellow Pokemon. By shorting out the electricity it releases from its paws, it creates pom-poms for cheering.

Minun Emerald entry: At a meeting of Pokemon academics, it was announced that simultaneous exposure to electricity from a Plusle and Minun will promote circulation and boost vitality.

Emerald entry: When a storm approaches, it competes with others to scale heights that are likely to be stricken by lightning. Some towns use Electabuzz in place of lightning rods.

Magmortar HG/SS entry: It blasts fireballs of over 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit out of its arms. Its breath also sears and sizzles.


	193. Venomoth, Nidoking

While the museum was dark, there were just enough security spotlights to navigate the building by. It helped that he had visited the place enough times to memorize the layout. He made his way through, sticking to the shadows. After all, it wouldn't fit for him to get caught before his thieving career could really take off.

Sure, he had taken a few valuables here and there from peoples' homes and he'd been going along well. But he liked drama. He would observe his victims beforehand, learning what items they help sentimentally valuable. When he went in for the steal, he always took those sentimental items, along with small valuable items that didn't hold as much importance to the owner. The next day, he would return the sentimental items, either in a box on the victim's porch or dropped off at a police station anonymously. That gave him the anguish he liked to see, but then kept the victims from pursuing his trail as intently.

That still wasn't dramatic enough. He wanted to be able to take something in broad daylight, something major and public. However, that would take force, and a lot of it, to pull of a heist as dramatic as he wanted. He had a Pokemon partner, but it was just a Raticate, not powerful enough. And the Raticate wasn't that good at stealthy jobs, as it liked to be noisy and pick fights. What he needed for his plans was a Pokemon strong enough and awesome enough that people would back off immediately. Or, a trio of such Pokemon.

And in this museum, there was something that could help him immensely: the Glory Flute. It was an antique artifact that was said to tame the three strongest and wildest bird Pokemon in Kanto, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. While he figured he'd need to catch more than a single Raticate to ultimately capture those three, when he had the legendary birds, then everyone would be in awe of him. And he could able to get away with anything he wanted after that.

Getting the flute was his current challenge. And there it was, on a solitary table underneath one of those security spotlights. It rested on a blue velvet base, a white flute apparently carved from a single bone. Thin engravings filled with blue, yellow, or red dye wound all around it, making it a beautiful piece as well as powerful.

It was going to be protected too. The thief had found out about what securities they used. Against the spotlight, he was simply going to use a thin black piece of silk to disguise his face while still able to see his work. Against the pressure plates on the pedestal, the alarm tiles past the security chain, the automated cameras, he had already hacked into the security network and disarmed them (that only gave him an hour's time frame to do the job). That left just some barely visible wires, like fishing line, that held down the flute itself.

And a fine layer of dust, he noticed as he came up to the pedestal. That struck him as odd, since this museum was active and immaculately tended to. He barely saw the dark particles, but they had a dull violet look on the soft blue of the velvet. Could this be another security measure, to acquire fingerprints easier? Nevertheless, he didn't want to back out now. He started unwinding the wires from their hidden screws, with his black gloves keeping prints from being left even with the dust there.

The dust was stirred up by his activity and was soon tickling his nose. The thief paused, waiting for it to settle, then worked slower. But, if he was too slow, the securities would be turned back on and he'd have an alarm wailing in his ears. He got the first thread done, then the second. As he worked on the third, he hurried up some, only to stir the violet dust up again. This time, he sneezed.

There was a flutter of wings from nearby. Quickly, he undid the final thread, even though that made the dust irritate his nose even more. He grabbed the flute, then saw something at the edge of the security spotlight: a blank lavender mask, sharp in features but without any eyes. Spooked, the thief bolted, crashing into a metal post and sending it with its chain barrier onto the floor.

In this silent place, it was a massive noise, one that caused strips of lights to turn on along all edges of the walls. By that, he finally saw the eyes of the creature, below the 'mask'. It had a thick furry body and large insect wings, all in various shades of violet. A Venomoth. Not much to worry about, as his Raticate could easily beat it. But that would give the guards enough time to get to him, probably with stronger Pokemon. The thief ran out of the room.

Okay, his previous escape route wouldn't be as useful. Instead, he went to the end of the outer hall (which was nearby) and shoved open a fire escape door. That set off the fire alarm, but he didn't care. It would cause panic and confusion, letting him slip away easier.

It should have let him get away. However, that Venomoth was soon out with him, flying after him. It dove at his head, causing him to stumble as he tried to scare it off with his arms. But he hadn't realized how huge one would seem when it was attacking his head, filling his vision with pale violet wings. Sneezing again, the thief felt his nose and throat start to tingle. That tingle turned into a mild burning, which threw him into a coughing fit. But all that did was worsen the pain.

Was he getting sick? He grabbed some mud from an earlier rainfall and threw it at the Bug Pokemon. That caused it to squeal, wildly shaking its head to get rid of the muck. From its wings, a large quantity of violet dust fell off. This Pokemon must have coated the Flute's display for some reason. Not caring to know why, the thief got up and kept running.

As the pain in his nose and throat got worse, he considered getting to a pharmacy and getting something for a sore throat. Maybe even stealing it, although he disliked such petty shop-lifting (no drama whatsoever). Then there was a bestial roar from right next to him. Something near the ground came at him fast, but before he could jump it, it struck his lower legs hard enough to make him crash face first onto the hard ground. For a moment, all he was aware of was the smell of dirt and recently cut grass, as well as the burning pain inside and the new shock of pain all over.

Then he was kicked over roughly with a large foot. The thief looked up into the intimidating face of a Nidoking, dark violet with harsh black eyes and large pointed horns. How in the world had he missed this Pokemon coming at him? The beast then snatched him up roughly with its coarse paws. It pulled him close to its body, latching onto his legs with its tail, holding his torso securely with one arm, and placing its other paw lightly against his head. Now smelling the sweat of this creature, the thief was terrified. He tried to escape, or move in any fashion, but the Nidoking did not let him.

"If you squirm too much, it could get you poisoned even worse," a woman's voice said. "Drop the flute."

The thief tried to look for the speaker, but could hardly see anything past the Nidoking. And it seemed strong enough to crush his head without adjusting its hold. "Fine, but you wouldn't have caught me if it wasn't for your Nidoking," he grumbled, dropping the flute. He would have to find some other way to a rare and impressively powerful Pokemon… when he escaped from jail, of course.

"No, he just made things go faster," she replied. "Do you remember the dust on the Flute's display area? That was from Venomoth's scales. And you feel sick now, don't you? With a burning nose and throat, maybe even in your lungs. Before long, things will start to swell, especially in your nose, making you breathe through your mouth. But that isn't it. No, because then the poison would enter your bloodstream, spreading the pain throughout your body. You would be in utter agony, and it would have been quickened by the fact that you were running. You're going to spend days with that poison in your body. That is, unless you take the antidote. I have one with me, but then you're going to have to tell me exactly how you got into the museum and deactivated the alarms. I could catch thieves with her alone; I'm just generous in giving you a chance to avoid the worst of the pain."

"I'm not one to reveal my methods," he said defiantly. He prided himself on his thieving abilities and wasn't about to share his secrets.

"Fine, if you want to stay poisoned. Nido, move your hand please." When the Pokemon did, the thief briefly saw her face. But then she blew a pile of pale violet dust at his face, causing him to sneeze hard. "And those scales are going to make sure that you don't get away before the police come. Let's bring him inside." She turned and walked back to the museum.

The Nidoking loosened his hold on the thief slightly to follow after his master. By the time they got inside, the thief found that his limbs felt heavy and sluggish. He wasn't getting away now, and the pain was indeed starting to spread. But he wasn't going to ruin his pride just because of some pain.

He hoped he wouldn't.

…

Nidoking Soul Silver entry: Its tail is thick and powerful. If it binds an enemy, it can render the victim helpless quite easily.

Venomoth Soul Silver entry: The powder on its wings is poisonous if it is dark in hue. If it is light in hue, it causes paralysis.


	194. Armaldo, Swampert, Whiscash

It flew beneath the seas, its colored membrane wings sending bright warnings of danger. Its rough rocky armor looked tough to break through, even through the wiles of water. Showing no fear, the predator swam in the open, watching schools of small fish for a straggler soon-to-be meal. It was an alien not just to this shore, but to this time; nothing like it existed in the memories of the native Pokemon. And when it got to the sandy shore, it did not hesitate to put down its thick legs and raise up its strong body to walk straight out of the ocean. This beast, the Armaldo, could strike fear into those who saw it for the first time.

If they spent any longer with this creature, they would find out that she wasn't quite so threatening. Buzzing her wings briefly to shake the water droplets off, Armaldo glanced around the beach. She saw a few familiar Pokemon, sunning themselves under a clear blue sky. There weren't any humans about. "Hoooo," she sighed softly. She was supposed to belong to a human, but he had left her here and had not come back yet. Sometimes, she thought of going to look for him.

But for now, she would wait. That, and build a sand castle. It was something she'd wanted to do for a while now. She curled her body downward and began scooping wet sand into a pile. It would be nice if she had one of those shaped buckets that made the turret top so nice, but there were none of those around.

Before long, the surf had crept up and washed over her sand pile as she tried sculpting it. The salt water pushed the pile over, smoothing it out. "Kizzz zibitta zrabbit!" she squealed in the tone of one who was cursing. "Feh." She scuttled further up the beach. The yellow-tan sand was drier there, and harder to form. But the tides wouldn't be demolishing her castle so soon.

Armaldo spent a little while gathering a pile of sand again, then went back to the wet stuff to help compact the dry into a better form. It took more work, but as bricks of sand started taking shape, she was pleased with herself. She hummed and kept at her work, blithely ignoring the other Pokemon at the beach.

That is, until one forced her to pay attention. She must not have meant it that way, but the ringleader of the beach Pokemon, both on the sands and in the shallows, burst out of the ocean at high speed. Swampert shot out like a jet, leaping far above the wet sand and landing right next to Armaldo's line of sand bricks. Much of the piled up dry sand tumbled over, while a few of the bricks cracked.

"Eeee!" Armaldo squealed. Then she glared at the large blue amphibian. "Sccrrii zii bashu zzrribbitt!"

"Oh, sorry Miss Armaldo," Swampert replied, bowing her head. She might have had authority over the rest, but that didn't mean that she wasn't kind. "I'm in a bit of a hurry to take care of things with my nest." She looked over the structure Armaldo had made thus far. It was two lines of bricks almost at a ninety degree angle from each other, with four rows piled on top of each other currently. "I didn't mean to interrupt your project."

"Curzat," Armaldo replied in a huff, then began sweeping the dry sand back into a pile.

I really wish I knew what she was saying, Swampert thought again. Relaxing her fins, she hoped that the strange Pokemon understood her. "I don't think this is a good time to be building things of sand. The ocean is troubled and tense. Something bad could happen. You may wish to move further inland to be safe."

But Armaldo was already focused on her sand castle again, scuttling down to the wet stuff to gather material to fix up the cracks. Swampert sighed. Hoping that her odd neighbor didn't get too badly hurt in what was to come, she dropped down on all fours and hurried along for more supplies. She had a couple of eggs to watch over, after all, and her priority was keeping them safe.

The ancient alien kept on working through the day, slowly building up walls. She didn't know how to put windows or doors in like the humans could, so she contented herself with two walls to decorate in a castle-type manner later on. As time went on, other beach Pokemon started leaving, seeking out holes for shelter or going inland towards the swamp, looking for rock outcroppings to get on. They tried to warn Armaldo too, but she cooed at them happily, or squabbled, or just plain ignored them. Swampert came back, rolling a large rock through the sand and into the ocean. While she warned others away that weren't feeling it, she still couldn't get through to Armaldo.

Then, there was a thumping felt in the ground. Armaldo tensed, watching over her sand brick walls and worrying about cracks. When they lessened, she turned to see a large blue fish from the swamp flopping over the ground. As Whiscash flipped his body about in curves, he forced himself to move forward despite not having true legs. He weighed so much and was so powerful that his movements caused tremors in the ground. And he ruled the swamp areas like Swampert ruled the beach.

But his tremors could have knocked down her sand castle walls. Armaldo hissed at him. "Gochibai zang!" She moved closer to the walls, holding a foreleg up to them protectively.

Whiscash pushed himself closer despite how the sand was sticking to the mucus he used to keep his scales properly wet. "Here you are, Armaldo," he said. "You know, I don't have a clue about what you're saying half the time, but you're not that bad of a neighbor. You kill and eat those parasite fish in the swamp and share ripe berries you find. So, I decided that I had to come out and warn you that you need to come back with me and get to higher ground."

She relaxed at his tone, as he didn't seem to be threatening her structure. She leaned down and patted his head, as her mouth wasn't made to smile well. Then she focused on getting another damp sand brick on top of the walls.

Lacking arms too, Whiscash lightly clamped on her fanned tail with his lips and tugged to keep her attention. He let go again when she looked back. "If you can understand me, then know that the earth is grinding and beginning to shake. Somewhere out to sea, it will release that tension in an earthquake, and then the ocean will respond with a tsunami. I'll be all right when the earth moves and even when the water comes. But you are going to be in trouble if you remain here on the low sands. Armaldo, come back with me."

She tilted her head at him curiously. Armaldo could tell that he felt serious about something. But, she couldn't understand his words. She couldn't understand any other Pokemon on this beach. It usually didn't bother her, as she hadn't been able to understand her human either. Why was he so serious, though?

Then, it struck. The ground trembled and shook stronger than anything Whiscash had been able to pound out. Trees shook back and forth while the water rippled violently. As it was just made of sand and a little water, Armaldo's brick walls crumbled, collapsing into a pile of damp sand once more. It only took a few seconds, but it was so strong.

Armaldo drew her limbs in and hunkered down, shaken by the experience. Then she saw the state her sand castle walls were in. After staring at them wide-eyed for a moment, she wailed. After all the effort she had put into it, her castle was gone, just like that.

"This is not good," Whiscash said, glancing about. "The center of that one wasn't that far off. You may not have long enough to make it to higher ground."

By him, Armaldo put her head down on the sand. She was rattled and a bit hurt after that quake, yes. But she was having such trouble with sand castles lately. She thought she might really get one accomplished today.

Then, Swampert emerged from the ocean again. The tides were receding at an odd time, leaving a large quantity of seaweed strewn about. "You're still here?" she asked. Save for Armaldo and Whiscash, the beach was now vacant. She tensed at seeing her rival for the swamp-beach territory, but then wondered. "Have you been trying to get her away too?"

"Right," he replied, trying to push his head higher off the ground by putting his fins down. "But we have no way to communicate with her. And, well, I can't really make gestures to help."

"She is a strange creature," Swampert agreed. "Still, she's a neighbor and I don't want to see her suffer. I left one of my 'kips to watch over my nest so nothing gets lost to the tsunami. But it's going to come quickly, and it may even return."

Looking over Armaldo, upset over her castle, Whiscash got an idea. "Hey, do you think we can build this pile into a sturdy enough sandbar for her to hide behind? She might understand it as a safe spot when the tsunami appears."

"I don't know how safe it will be," she considered. "But, it's better than nothing." She went up to Armaldo and patted her rocky hide. "Come on, miss, we'll work with you."

Whiscash took a deep breath, then summoned some water to slap into the sand, causing it to turn muddy and splat onto the sand pile. Swampert had rolled large rocks around her underwater nest to protect it, but she was quite used to moving sand about to make a wave break. On seeing them building up her sand pile, Armaldo stopped crying. She cooed, then moved over to help pile sand up. it wasn't as elegant a way of building as her brick method. However, it would get a big structure up quickly.

Then the water line receded quickly. The two modern Pokemon recognized this as a bad sign while Armaldo continued patting sand together to strengthen it. But when the water bulged in the distance, starting to build into an enormous wave, she finally recognized the danger. Had that been what these two were worried about? She ducked down and curled up by the sand pile, quivering. While she could swim underneath the water with no trouble, that amount of water rushing right at her would surely do some serious damage.

Whiscash flipped himself closer to the sand pile too, biting down on one of Armaldo's armor plates to stay in place. On her other side, Swampert put an arm over Armaldo's curled form, hoping that her bulk could take some of the blow for her odd neighbor. The monster wave built, and then roared right over them, blasting salt water all over the beach and the swamp. It was violent, trying to tear them from behind their sand pile in order to shove them along the ground. Much of the sand pile melted into the water, abrasively pouring over them. Whiscash nearly lost his grip, but they all managed to stay in place, even while the water pulled back nearly as hard as it had pushed forward.

Then, it was past. Debris littered the beach, including a battered wooden boat, a lot of seaweed, a lot of swamp weeds, and discarded shells. The sand pile they had hurriedly put together was half its former size. Still, it had been enough to direct much of the water away from the three Pokemon. Armaldo was still curled up, trembling.

Swampert stood up, looking to the ocean. "Wish we had more warning of these things, though."

"The earthquake's been a long time in coming," Whiscash said, after letting go of Armaldo. "There might be more in coming days. The earth is still tense, but it has let some energy free."

"Is that so? Thanks for telling me." She looked down at their neighbor. "Will you look after her, then? Find some Pokemon that can get her to understand and keep her on high ground until things settle down. I'm fairly certain there will be another wave coming, but you should have time."

He flopped in the sand. "All right. I wish I knew why she's like this, though."

Swampert dropped down, nudging Armaldo with her nose. "It's okay for now, but you've got to move. Whiscash, I think I know what the deal with her is. I've heard from some of the young ones that the humans can bring ancient Pokemon back to life. I think she's one of them, originally born in a time before we developed a language for common use. That's why she shows intelligence, yet is not nearly as developed as the rest of us Pokemon."

"They can do that, really?" He looked over at Armaldo, cautiously uncurling. "Still, makes it extra tough for one to be released where they don't belong. Even when, if that's the case with her. I'll look after her, but you'll have to gesture her to follow."

Nodding, Swampert did her best to reassure Armaldo and point her into following Whiscash further inland. Although overwhelmed, she got the point and now was fine with going along with their suggestions. She would have to leave her sand castle building for another time, when things were safer.

And thus an alliance between the river delta swamp Pokemon and the sandy seashore Pokemon began, all because of a strange ancient alien in their midst.

…

Emerald entry: Armaldo usually lives on land. However, when it hunts for prey, it dives beneath the ocean. It swims around using its two large wings.

Swampert Emerald entry: If it senses the approach of a storm and a tidal wave, it protects its seaside nest by piling up boulders. It swims as fast as a jet ski.

Whiscash Pearl entry: As a result of causing tremors by thrashing about, it developed the ability to foretell real quakes.


	195. Tyrogue, Hariyama, Infernape, Hitmontop

Once upon a time, there was a small boy named Ash Ketchem. His mother said that she named him after a famous human character in a popular cartoon show (although she would never share the fanfics she wrote of that cartoon). However, the Ash that is the hero of this story was actually a Tyrogue, not a human. And he never felt that the name was fitting of him. So when he came of age, he went to the local courthouse to change his name to Ash Kicksbutt and left town to seek his fortune.

Ash Kicksbutt the Tyrogue wasn't quite sure what his fortune would be. He was a little humanlike Pokemon with purple skin and red shell armor in the form of boxers and sneakers. Whatever it was, he knew he had to get strong fast in order to claim it. So as he traveled along the road, he punched and kicked things on the way to keep in shape. He hit boulders, pebbles, trees, bushes, leaves, signs, other Pokemon, bridges, light posts, buildings, cars, trucks, trains, planes (never mind how he reached them), fences, statues, caves, books, and even pillows. For good measure, he tipped over some sleeping Tauros and Miltanks, because they put up a good fight when enraged.

One day, he spotted a large round mass of flesh at the side of the road, all yellow-tan and dark blue. "Excellent," he said to himself, "a Snorlax to challenge!" So he ran over and punched the massive Pokemon. But it was peculiar. Instead of hitting a mass of blubber and skin, he found himself hitting a mass of muscle and skin. This was no Snorlax.

The Hariyama got up in response, dusting off the armor flaps around his waist with its large hands. Bright orange bands had been tied around his arms and decorated the tan flaps. Stranger than that, he wore a bright and flashy mask over his face, a fierce dark blue visage with bright orange stripes. White feathers came off the sides of it and arched over the Hariyama's head.

Then the large Pokemon looked down at him. "What are you waking me for?" he asked in a booming deep voice.

That didn't intimidate the Tyrogue hero, even though he had to tilt his head back to look in his new opponent's face. He stomped his foot down and punched his fist in the air. "I am Ash Kicksbutt and I'm on a journey to find my fortune! I'm challenging you to a fight."

After a moment of just looking, the Hariyama laughed, shaking his belly. Then he stomped down with his foot, striking the ground hard enough to bounce Ash into the air. "El niño, I am the great wrestler Sanchez Grande, Grand Champion of the ring five years running. I slam down foes bigger and more armored than myself on a regular basis. And you, little one, you wish to challenge me?"

"Of course," Ash shouted, punching his fist into the air again.

"Hmph." Sanchez brought one fist in to his chest, then knocked it to the side, striking a milk truck and sending it soaring; after landing, it tumbled down the road for another three hundred yards. "So be it then, el niño Ash." He then leapt into the air, aimed to come down right on top of Ash to squash him.

Ash scrambled out of the way, but still got knocked over by the force of Sanchez hitting the ground. One hit from this guy and he could be toast! No worse than that, a toasted cracker because he'd be so thin! But he had a plan and the danger of become squashed made it all the more exciting.

As he turned around, the masked Hariyama kept his stance low, so that he could punch the Tyrogue into the air, then get back up to a better stance to give an arm thrust that would knock the little one into a tree. But that didn't happen. Instead, Ash darted forward, kicked his feet into Sanchez' ankle, then rolled out of the way. This unbalanced the giant Pokemon, making him topple over and crash into the ground.

The Tyrogue then jumped on top of the Hariyama's back. "Three… two…one… you're out! I am the victor once more!" He then hopped off to beside his foe's face.

Sanchez chuckled, then pushed himself back up. "Si, el niño. You are a good deal trickier than you appear, and stronger. I do not know what fortune you may find, but I would like to call you amigo, if you will allow me to come along."

While he didn't know exactly what the Hariyama meant, Ash grinned and nodded. "Sure! You can help teach me to be stronger. Let's go!" And so Sanchez Grande joined Ash Kicksbutt on his journey.

A few days later, the mighty pair were walking and fighting along their way when they came across an unusual building. It was made of stone, with a red roof, so it could have been hit as usual. But the sign hanging by the door named it a dojo. A second sign below it stated, 'The Master of this dojo requests that any and all challengers come inside to fight and prove their worth.'

"That sounds like your kind of place, amigo," Sanchez said.

"Right on!" Ash said, pumping his fist in the air. He then kicked in the door. "I am Ash Kicksbutt! I am off to find my fortune, but first I'm going to find your butt and kick it!"

"Believe you that is so?" a feminine voice called out from within the dojo. The building looked empty, a wide open space with bamboo mats on the floor and strange Asian scrolls on the wall. Then a Pokemon dropped down from the ceiling, a white and lithe Infernape that had a flow of red flames coming off the top of her head. Swiftly, she spun around to face him, dropping to sit in a lotus position.

"Yeah!" Ash said, not letting himself be intimidated by anything. "I don't care if you're a Master, I'm still gonna teach you some tricks."

"That is the Master of this place?" Sanchez asked, a little skeptical.

"Right, that is," the Infernape said. She brought her hands together and bowed her head. "Master of the Monkey Fist, Lotus Strike am I. In my domain, none has won in battle with me. Burn you, shall I." She then flipped herself onto her hands, clapped her feet together, then sent a ring of flames whirling at them.

Ash darted out of the way while Sanchez simply braced himself for the hit. He was going to stay out of this fight, unless his friend lost. In the meantime, the Tyrogue soon found himself outmaneuvered by Lotus. She tumbled along, leapt to the ceiling to launch herself off the beams, rolled and kicked her legs out, all while bringing her fires to her fists and feet. It was a highly chaotic style that was nothing like Ash had ever seen before.

But, he might be able to take advantage of the complexity. After getting hit yet again by a flaming fist, Ash rushed at her with a simple tackle. Then he tried something Sanchez had been advising him to try out; focusing on all the injuries she had induced, he lashed out in a revenge strike while she was trying to regain her footing from the tackle. Lotus got thrown upside-down into a nearby rock wall, stunned.

Ash ran up to her. "Three… two… one… and you're out! I win in your domain."

All of a sudden, she flipped off the wall, vaulted over him, and landed behind Ash. "Perhaps," Lotus said. "Perhaps not. Great talent, you possess. Never a student had I. Terrified them all away. Perhaps, travel with you do I, teach you do I, Master too you become. Say you what?"

"Uh…" he spent a moment unraveling her words, then beamed. "Sure! I could be a Master without you, but it would be faster with you. Well we don't know where we're going, but we'll know when we get there, right? Let's go!" And so Lotus Strike joined Ash Kicksbutt and Sanchez Grande on their journey.

A few days later, the trio were walking along the road, discussing how best to knock cars off it, when they came across an amazing sight. They had been leaving wrecks in their wake, true enough, but nothing like this. A pyramid of ten cars was sitting off the side of the road, all damaged and abandoned. What could have caused this wreckage? After looking about, they only saw one potential source: a brown and blue humanlike Pokemon that was sitting in the middle of the road, spinning about hypnotically on the tip of his pointed head. He had such grace and power to his kicks just to keep spinning that it enchanted both Sanchez and Lotus.

But the Tyrogue hero just grinned, seeing someone else to challenge. "Hail there, car wrecker!" he shouted, striking a pose. "I am Ash Kicksbutt, a fortune seeker and rising star among fighters. I'm in the top percentile of all Tyrogues, and you're the next to be knocked on your bum!"

The Hitmontop sent out a wide leg thrust to counter his spinning motion. Remaining upside-down, he crossed his arms over his chest as he contemplated the challenge. "A little confident, are we?" he asked. "How precious. If you want to defeat me, Joe Elegante, you'd better have the skills to back up those words, cutie."

Instead of leaping into the fight as usual, Ash widened his eyes. "Wait, you're Joe Elegante?"

He snapped his fingers. "Yes. What of it?"

"That's what my mom said was my dad's name! You know of Casey the Ditto, right?"

"Miss Casey? How interesting." Joe smirked, then made a cross slash with his arms, without tipping himself over. "Well then, son, are you ready to show off your stuff?"

Ash grinned widely. "Yeah! Let's rock!" He rushed forward and tried to use his low kick attack to knock Joe off his point.

However, Joe swung himself around the attack and sent a whirlwind of punches and kicks at the Tyrogue. His spiked hands and feet were as tough as steel, it seemed, and his limbs were nimble. Ash found himself hard pressed to dodge the strikes, although it helped that Lotus had taught him how to move more like her. He dropped down and used his revenge technique to kick Joe upwards. Letting the motion of his kick flip him over, he then jumped up and punched his father in the head. The Hitmontop landed on his back, hard.

Ash then hopped onto his forehead, to make it harder for him to get up. "Three… two… one… you're out! I beat you good and quick."

He then got knocked onto the ground himself when Joe flipped himself back onto his point. "You're a little quick to call the end of the battle too," he commented. "But your moves are so refined, remarkable in power."

"I got help from my friend and teacher there," Ash said, looking back over to the other two. They had broken out of their awe by then.

"El niño over there takes on any fight, no matter how much bigger and stronger the foe seems," Sanchez said, pounding his chest with a fist. "Even me."

"Cunning has he too," Lotus said. "When raw power no good, weak spots seeks out he."

"That is wonderful," Joe said, smiling. "And to knock me off my tip, that is a feat that few can claim. I would be proud to claim you as my heritage. But, what are you doing?"

Ash shrugged. "Just going, for now," he admitted. "I wanted to find my fortune, but I wasn't sure where to start looking. So I started fighting while searching."

"That's in your blood. Hmmm…" Joe put his hand to his chin. "There is supposed to be a grand tournament coming up. It requires a team of four; I couldn't find anyone willing to fight alongside my fabulous self, so I wasn't going to bother. And then I heard that nearly everyone else has been sacred away from entering. It seems that a terrifying team has registered and no one wishes to go up against them. But that just really made me want to enter even more than before. Would you three be willing to enter the tournament if I were with you?"

"To fight something that scared off everyone else?" Ash asked. "Of course we will! Right guys?"

"Si, el niño," Sanchez said.

"As the cherry blossoms always come in spring, so shall we to this tournament come," Lotus added.

"Awesome, then let's go!" And so Joe Elegante joined Ash Kicksbutt, Sanchez Grande, and Lotus Strike on their journey. But now they had a goal.

A week later, they were passing through the gate into a grand stadium to the excited roar of the crowd. The opponent team had bullied every possible opposition away so that it was only Team Kicksbutt that was willing to participate against them. Ash led the way proudly as the other three walked (or spun) in a line behind him. Before them was a large oval arena lined with dirt and edged by tall walls. Above those sat hundreds of spectators from all around the land. It included the powerful King and the young Princess, said to be one of the most beautiful Pokemon of the world.

Coming in the far entrance was the infamous Team Shade. In front, there was a lanky Alakazam, floating their way using only telekinesis. In a line behind him were his teammates: a long scaly Gyrados, a mysterious floating Bronzong, and a strange whirling Porygon-Z. But they didn't scare Ash any.

The Alakazam twirled his silver spoons in his hands, looking unimpressed. "So, the only team of imbeciles that were foolish enough to come up against Shade is a bunch of nobodies lead by punk child? This is ridiculous. You ought to just give up now."

"No way!" Ash said. "We ain't nobody! We're Team Kicksbutt! We have the monster wrestler from the south and ground-pounder extraordinaire, Sanchez Grande! We have the Master of the Monkey Fist and acrobatic fire-eater, Lotus Strike! We have the one-mon army, road block, and pyramid maker, Joe Elegante! And there's me, the one who needs no introduction, Ash Kicksbutt! You are going down!"

The other team leader rolled his eyes. "Abuser of exclamation marks too? Very well. We are Team Shade, your worst nightmare. This is the end of the line for you; know this and despair." He flicked his hand as if shooing a fly and the battle began.

Then, to the cheers of the packed stadium, something extraordinary happened. Lotus was on the other side first, making fiery attacks with every one of her limbs to the Bronzong. Once she struck hard enough, it vanished. Joe whirled himself over to the Porygon-Z, grabbed it with his feet, then somersaulted into the air and smashed it into the ground. As he landed on his tip, it vanished too. And when Sanchez snatched up the Gyrados' tail and smacked it into the wall like a whip, it too disappeared.

"Like shades of the night to the morning dawn, they go?" Lotus asked.

"Aw, this ain't no real fight," Joe said, snorting.

"Si, amigos," Sanchez said, turning to the Alakazam. "Someone else here is the real nobody."

"Yeah, show yourself, coward!" Ash challenged, jumping to kick the 'leader' of Team Shade in the head.

He sailed right through thin air and turned to see a mere Abra, sitting on the ground. The Abra turned his head, shrinking down. "Eep," he said softly.

"And now you'll learn why my name fits now!" the Tyrogue shouted. He then proceeded to punt the trickster Abra into the air. He teleported away before he hit the ground, to the jeers and laughter of the stadium crowd.

But then the noise died down as the King came up to the microphone. "Well done, Team Kicksbutt," he said. "As a reward for winning the Grand Battle Tournament, you may have anything you ask for. What is it that you want?"

Ash turned to the King and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think we want?" he replied. "Reschedule the battle tournament so that we can really show off our stuff! That was a total waste of time."

And thus a new tournament was called. Ash led his team to a proper victory. This time, he had them all knighted so that they could travel the lands and kick bad guy butt in the name of the kingdom. And they lived (and fought) happily ever after.

…

Tyrogue Soul Silver entry: Even though it is small, it can't be ignored as it will slug any handy target without warning.

Hariyama FR/LG entry: It stomps on the ground to build power. It can send a 10-ton truck flying with a straight-arm punch.

Infernape Platinum entry: It uses unique fighting moves with fire on its hands and feet. It will take on any opponent.

Hitmontop Heart Gold entry: If you are enchanted by its smooth dance-like kicks, you may get a closer experience with one than you'd like.


	196. Dewgong, Grovyle

The trip had been long and difficult, passing through the warm seas. He didn't like the warmth at all. Any time that the waters went over forty degrees Fahrenheit, he felt sluggish. There had been points where it had been close to eighty, with no relief in sight. But he kept on, swimming along the route given to him. It was easier now that this river had grown cold. Above him, there was a thin layer of ice. It was a good sign that his goal was near.

He was Arden, a mighty Dewgong and hero of the arctic seas. He had explored the deep depths and the high glaciers. If someone went missing, he was one of the first (if not the first) who went searching not matter where the Pokemon was thought to be. He had discovered many treasures, or recovered them from thieves. And this looked to be one of the great, if not the greatest, adventures of his life.

And to think that he hadn't originally been the one asked to search.

Three months ago, a thief broke into an ice palace made to honor Articuno. He could have taken a great many treasures, but only took one: the Everlastice. There were rare treasures known as Nevermeltice that enhanced the powers of Ice, but they were found by adventures willing to go deep in icy dungeons. Only one Everlastice had ever been discovered.

He had helped catch the thief, a Sableye who didn't seem right in the head (what with all the giggling it did). While the Sableye did admit to stealing the Everlastice, he said that it had already passed out of his paws, headed south. After locking the Sableye up in a prison of ice, the best of the local explorers gathered to decide what to do about the missing treasure.

Arden had remained behind, patrolling the ice palace in case of more trouble. A good friend of his, a Wailord, had gone south to investigate the matter. Her kind traveled between the tropical belt and the arctic belt already, so she was used to it. However, the leads she got led her to the mouth of this river, which she could not navigate. Not knowing who to trust there, she came back north and asked a Huntail to travel up the river. He had gotten up to this point and then had gotten stuck. The Everlastice seemed to be on land, where the Huntail could not go.

And so, it fell to the Dewgong to come this far south and retrieve the stolen treasure. The presence of ice in the river was proof that the artifact was around. He was going downriver at the moment. Earlier, he had encountered the edge of the ice layer. The Huntail had said that he searched all over the riverbed, but found nothing. Looking up at the ice, he found the place where it was thickest. Arden swam up and struck it with his horn to break through. it wasn't nearly as thick as some arctic ice sheets, breaking up immediately. He then emerged from the water and into a thick forest.

The trees were still full of green leaves, although snow and icicles sat on the branches. A foot of fresh snow cover lay on the ground; he would blend in readily. Looking over the frozen river, Arden could see that the cover wasn't as thick there. Figuring that he should stay on his side to find the Everlastice, he began scooting across the land with his flippers.

It was much harder for him to move here. The snow was loose and had no hard pack underneath it. Instead, it had rough and uneven dirt, tree roots, and small plants. The trees were closely packed together, sometimes to where he couldn't slide between them. There were paths, but they seemed narrow and crooked.

As he went along, he looked around for other Pokemon. This place would be full of Grass types, which were a special danger to him. But if he ran into another civilized Pokemon, it would most likely be friendly and willing to cooperate. A couple of hours into his search, though, he hadn't run into any other Pokemon. He didn't even hear any others, as it was near silent. The snow cover had gotten deeper, making it a bit easier to move. But not as easy as being underwater or on slick ice.

Then, he encountered falling snow. It had to be close now, he thought. He looked around for the edges of the snowfall, then headed right for the center of the storm. While it was tame compared to what he was used to, he knew it would be trouble to these Pokemon who were unused to it.

There was a crunch of snow behind him, as if someone had dropped into it. Arden twisted his upper body about to look, but a flash of green moved from that spot. It jumped over him and landed in his path. Noting how fast this Pokemon was, he went on guard just as she struck him with a whirling leaf. That eased the pain of the attack somewhat.

She was reptilian in form, with green scales on her thin build and long dark green leaves on her arms and tail. More importantly, she was wearing a strange necklace. It was a simple cord that held onto a pendant of shimmering crystals of ice. All together, they formed a shape like that of a snowflake, six-pointed with many intricate small fronds mirroring each other. That was the missing treasure.

Unfortunately, she didn't look to be in a kindly mood. "So you've finally come to invade our jungle?" She brought her arms up, flaring out the leaves in an aggressive fashion. "The others may hide, but I will stop you and your kin, even if I must fight alone." She then leaped up onto the side of the tree and clung there.

"Wait, hold on please, miss," he said, trying to make a show of peace by lowering his head.

"I'm not going to be fooled by your wicked words," she hissed. "I am Sonja the Grovyle, daughter of the jungle's master. And I fight for justice!" She then bounded off across the path and into another tree. This time, she went into the leaves, seemingly vanishing.

Arden looked around. While he couldn't see her, every now and then, he heard the shaking of a snowy tree branch, with the occasional crash of ice. If it wasn't for the winter weather, he'd have no idea where she was until she threw her leaf blades at him. He decided to keep on guard. "Listen, I have no intentions of harming you," he called out after guarding another attack. "I am Arden the Dewgong, hero of the arctic seas."

"One side's hero is another side's villain," Sonja pointed out.

"But we don't have to be on opposing sides," he countered. "I want to help you; I need to speak with you about your necklace and get it back."

"Then you're a thief too!" She dropped back in front of him, prepared to attack at close range again.

"I haven't fought back yet, jungle princess," Arden said sternly, preparing to guard (although he seriously needed a healing berry right about now). "But I will if you keep attacking me. isn't that proof enough?"

She did hold off on attacking, but gave him a look that clearly said that she didn't like him. "Usually only cowards and weaklings don't fight," she said. "Fine, what do you have to say for yourself, ice creature?"

To make his point, he flicked some snow aside with his left flipper. "I know why your jungle is covered in snow now. You're supposed to be in summer, right? Maybe even never seeing snow. That's because that necklace you wear brings snow with it."

"Are you sure about that?" She clutched the shimmering snowflake. "It just looks pretty."

"It is nice, but have you been able to escape the snowfall ever since it started? And it must have started when you got it, at some point around then. The snowfall will keep following you while you wear it."

"Th-that's just bad luck," she stated, shifting her poise from aggressive to defensive.

"The stone is called Everlastice," Arden went on. "Last year, I discovered it in the depths of a labyrinthine glacier dungeon. When I got out, I brought it to a Jynx to find out what it was. She said that it was a unique treasure, unlike anything that had been discovered. It brings about a state of winter wherever it goes. When it's up north where I come from, you don't notice much difference, as it's always snowy. But here when it's supposed to be sunny, it will make the jungle be in winter, permanently. At least, permanent until the Everlastice is taken out of your jungle."

Sonja glowered. "So you are going to invade, and made it winter so that it's easier on you."

He shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I'm a hero, not an invader. Many of us agreed to keep the Everlastice with us, so that other places weren't affected badly. But then a Sableye thief stole it from being on display. We caught him, but he had already passed off the stone. I came down here tracking it because I'm the only one strong enough to get down here, and I am able to navigate the river and the land. How did you get it?"

Stubbornly, she didn't say anything for a minute. Then she grimaced. "There was a Sableye merchant who came into town. It was a strange day, as that was when it had first started snowing. Everyone thought it was magical, with large fluffy white flakes falling from the summer sky. And this merchant, he set up a tent on the main street and sold all sorts of foreign objects. And he said he would normally not sell this necklace, but thought I was pretty enough to deserve it."

Arden nodded. "I see. Some group may wish to cause trouble for your jungle, but I wouldn't know who. I'll take the Everlastice back to make the snow return north with me." When she still seemed reluctant, he felt a bit annoyed, but added, "I could trade for it if you really want. I have a mother-of-pearl pendant on a necklace that is just a pretty accessory; my Jynx friend says that it doesn't have any enchantments or the like on it."

He shifted his weight so that he could dig in his sidebag with his right flipper, then brought out the mother-of-pearl necklace and tossed it between them. He had no use for it himself, so he had kept it around for trading purposes. Quite often, the things he found in dungeons were of more use to others than himself. But that made for a good income.

On seeing it, her attitude changed. It was a misshapen circle, but one side had a silver gray background while the other had a creamy white. On both sides, there were iridescent reflections that appeared when any light struck them. Some of the girls back home might be jealous to learn that he had traded it away, but he didn't have a true sweetheart. No big loss.

"That's quite kind of you," she said, picking up the mother-of-pearl necklace. She then took off the Everlastice necklace and passed it over. "Okay, I'll agree to that. Thank you."

Arden smiled. "And thank you, Miss Sonja." He put it back into his bag. "I'll be going now so that winter doesn't stick around. I probably won't be returning, though; this area isn't suitable for me."

"I guess not. Have a safe journey home then." She put on her new necklace, then bounded away into the trees.

Listening to her move off, the Dewgong turned around and headed back towards the river. The warmth of the waters shouldn't bother him now. But he would have to move quickly back north, so that the Everlastice didn't trouble more Pokemon for now. "I do pity whoever has to deal with a spoiled one like you every day," he said softly.

...

Emerald entry: Leaves grow out of this Pokemon's body. They help obscure a Grovyle from the eyes of its enemies while it is in a thickly overgrown forest.

Dewgong Fire Red entry: Its body is covered in a pure white fur. The colder the weather, the more active it becomes.


	197. Nidorina, Nidorino

Juliet and Janet were twin girls, both Pokemon Trainers. They were fraternal twins, which suited them just fine because they would hate to be mistaken for one another. Even though they had grown up in near-identical lives, the two girls were different in nearly every way. Juliet had reddish-pink hair and acted so feminine and refined that people often thought she was older than she was. Janet had wheat blond hair and was such a tomboy that she always wore jeans and practiced often for the Pokeathlon.

Yet there was one thing that both the girls agreed on, and it was becoming a source of contention. They both agreed that a certain blue-haired boy named Keith was absolutely dreamy and they both wanted to be his girlfriend. However, he had shown no signs of special affection for them yet.

This was a bad thing, especially in the minds of the Nidorina and Nidorino the girls owned. Allison was the Nidorina; she belonged to Juliet and often wore a dark green ribbon around her neck. Between both teams, she was something of the caretaker, the one who encouraged new members and kept the peace. Venom was the Nidorino; he belonged to Janet and often wore a black band around his forehead which helped him train. He was looking to prove himself as the strongest of the girls' Pokemon as well as the natural leader, although he had competition in two others. As the girls had traveled together, their Pokemon had grown close.

Especially these two. "If either of them manages to get that boy, then the other might hate her," Allison said, worriedly hunkered down on the ground. "Then we won't be traveling together anymore."

As he munched on some grass, Venom considered that possibility. One of his rivals was on Juliet's team, so he wouldn't miss him much. But so was Allison, and he would miss her. "That would stink. What could we do about it?"

"I'm not sure." She pushed her nose onto the ground, smelling the dirt. Sometimes, that helped her think. "I've been trying to figure out something. I don't want to be apart from you."

The Nidorino twitched his ears. "Mmm… they like him because he's pretty, right? We could disfigure him."

"Venom, that's an awful idea," Allison cried, shuddering. "Then they would hate us, not to mention how everyone else would too because we hurt a human."

"Good point. Maybe we can find out something about him that they won't like, so that they don't like him anymore."

She considered it, but couldn't feel her heart in it. "I don't know about blackmail either. I mean, love is a special thing and it could hurt them."

"They're just at a crush stage," he noted, looking over at the two girls. Janet and Juliet were discussing about returning to the Pokeathlon stadium for a special event. However, both kept trying to sneakily glance at Keith, who was nearby lounging in a bench. They didn't seem sure about leaving the area when they knew that he was here. "It's not really love yet."

"Losing a crush could hurt too," Allison pointed out. "I thought about trying to dissuade one girl or the other, but I'm not sure which one to choose. They both like him, and I can't tell anything about him that would cause him to pick one over the other. But even that might get the girls to part ways." She sighed and looked over to Venom. "I love them, and I love you, and I don't want to think of what will happen if we're apart."

"I don't want to consider that either," he said. "If things get desperate, we might consider convincing them to trade one of us so that we stay together."

"That wouldn't be the same. Besides, I'm not sure you'd be happy being one of Juliet's Pokemon. She likes frills and cuteness and doesn't really like your rugged savageness. And then, I don't like to fight much and I like the frills, so I wouldn't like being one of Janet's Pokemon either. And the Pokeathlon, well, it's so competitive…"

"It's fun that way," Venom said. "But I see your point. We could just let them be."

The Nidorina sighed. "We probably should. Then again, I don't like seeing them on the brink of arguments all the time." She looked over to where Keith was. "Maybe we could find something about him that would solve the issue."

"He is right there," the Nidorino said, and started walking quietly across the park.

She hesitated, then came after him. "We have to be careful…"

"Shh."

The two Pokemon snuck over to the bench that Keith was laying on. After a moment, they could determine that he was asleep, using his baseball cap to keep the sunlight out of his eyes. On the ground, he had left his backpack partly opened. There could be something interesting inside. But if that thing would solve the issue or not, they wouldn't know until they looked.

A few feet away from the bench, Venom stopped, taking a deep sniff of the air. The poisonous barbs on his body began to stand on end and he growled softly. "One of his is standing watch," he whispered to his partner. "I'll fight it off. You grab his pack and run."

"The whole thing?" she whispered back, stunned. Wouldn't that make her a thief?

Before she could protest any further, Venom rushed for a patch of tall grass opposite the bench. A Nuzleaf jumped out of the way and attacked him. It tried to pay attention to her too, but Venom quickly had it turned about. Allison hurried over to the backpack. But she didn't really want to take it all.

Nosing the top flap off, she glanced in. A medicine sprayer, some assorted accessories, a random Pokeball… all normal Trainer stuff. There was also a photo album. That would do. She bit its cardboard cover carefully to pull it out, then ran off towards her girl with it. Behind her, the Nuzleaf yelped in pain. Venom must have struck with his horn, Allison guessed. He could break through many defenses with it.

" _Venom!"_ Janet yelled, running across to the fight as Keith was startled awake. _"No fighting in the park; the staff said so!"_

" _That Nidorino would fight anybody,"_ Juliet commented, although her sister was already out of hearing. Then she looked down at her Nidorina. _"Oh, what have you got there, missy? I hope you haven't been trouble too, Allison."_

She put down the album. "I hope it's not too much trouble," she said, feeling a bit guilty. She just wanted to help. Besides, it wasn't like she really meant to steal it. Keith would get it back.

Curious, Juliet opened up the album to look. " _Oh, this must belong to Keith."_ She flipped a page; her eyes went wide. " _Huh? What's he doing?"_ She shut the album, turning a bit pink. _"Weird."_

Allison tilted her ears back. "Is it bad? I hope not."

The two of them crossed back over to where Janet was apologizing to Keith. _"Oh, it's no biggie,"_ he said, picking up his backpack. _"Pokemon will do that… hmm? Aw, where'd it go?"_

" _Where did what go?"_ Janet asked, sounding eager to help.

" _Did you lose this?"_ Juliet asked, handing over the album.

Grinning, Keith took it back. _"Yeah, that's it! Thanks, I need it."_

" _I saw the first few pictures to figure out who it belonged to,"_ she said, a bit embarrassed. _"What was all that about?"_

" _It's from my LARPing group,"_ he said. _"We do medieval and fantasy battling. I'm trying to get in as an organizer in the Ren Fest coming up and this goes along with my application."_

" _Oh, you actually battle with swords and stuff?"_ Janet asked. " _That's so cool! Can I learn?"_

He laughed. _"I could help you get registered for the classes even if I don't get the organizer job. You want to try?"_

" _Sure,"_ she said, excited at the potential to impress him and win his heart.

" _I'm not sure,"_ Juliet said, reluctant. _"I wouldn't like that kind of battling."_

" _There's some positions for the court ladies,"_ he offered. _"As long as you don't mind trying on a corset, I'm sure you'll do well with that. And you can get your Pokemon all dressed up for the period too."_

She considered it. _"Maybe. I could try it."_

While they kept talking over it, Venom came over to Allison's side. "So did we make things better or worse? Or not do a thing?"

The Nidorina tilted her head. "I'm not sure. It will make things interesting, at least."

…

Nidorina Soul Silver entry: It has a calm and caring nature. Because its horn grows slowly, it prefers not to fight.

Nidorino Emerald entry: Its horn is harder than a diamond. If it senses a hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up at once, and it challenges the foe with all its might.


	198. Combusken, Floatzel, Staryu

Blitz the Combusken let out a dramatic sigh, bringing his orange wing arm up to his forehead. Yellow sand scatted from his feathers, as he was lying down on the beach. "This day has come out to be a total tragedy," he said to no one in particular. "Me and my loyal teammates, my old war buddy Jetsam the Floatzel and a native newcomer Celine the Staryu, are now lost and unable to call for rescue…"

"Hey Blitz," Jetsam said, coming over and knocking some more sand onto him.

"Quiet, I'm starting a soliloquy," Blitz snapped. He looked up into the bright and cheery blue sky which, by the rules of drama, should actually be gray and treacherous. "After our resounding successes in the Sapphire Reef dungeon, including the recruitment of our newest member, we were headed back to the mainland when we were waylaid by pirates. Dozens of them!"

"Four is dozens?" Celine queried, hopping in the sand closer to the team leader.

"Yes!" Blitz insisted, back-punching the sand with his fist.

Jetsam leaned down and held his paw up to whisper, "He won't want to admit that he got beat by a Grass type, even if it was a Ludicolo."

"A mass of pirates on a strange and threatening ship, bearing an enormous black sail and twenty cannons," the Combusken went on. Celine nearly mentioned that the pirates only had a raft with a small yellow sail, but the Floatzel stopped her. "We first tried to outrun them, but they overcame us. We fought bravely of course, with mighty kicks, sharp ice, blasts of water, bursts of fire, and all the usual attacks. But to no avail; they stole a good chunk of our treasure and destroyed our ship. We managed to wash up on this lone deserted island, but it's too small for even a mini dungeon to form. It looks as though we're going to be stuck here for several days until the Guild realizes that Team Champs has been gone for much too long."

Coming into his vision, Jetsam gave him a questioning look. "Done now?"

Blitz clicked his beak before replying, "For now."

The Floatzel then pointed out to the ocean. "And of course, two of us can swim this ocean without breaking a sweat."

"But that's not as dramatic as being shipwrecked!" Blitz said.

"Dramatic?" Celine asked.

"He thinks his life is a movie," Jetsam said, sitting down in the sand and opening up their map. "So he's always looking to do things that will entertain his audience."

The Combusken threw his arms up, pointing off to where he thought Treasure Town was. "The guild master is in on it! Ever since the day that I hatched, I've been followed by invisible Shuppets with cameras. And many people get messages from the director to put obstacles in my path, and to keep me from suspecting that things are off. I've caught onto them, so I'm giving them a good show. But someday, I'll flush them all out, even the director." He looked over to the Staryu, with her red gem showing a glare spot form the sun. "Didn't you get contacted?"

Scrunching three of her arms in shyly, she replied, "No…"

"Ah. Well sorry to drag you into this. It's no big deal, really. It's a kind of reality show, but I have to exaggerate things so they can make the movies more interesting in editing."

Next to him, Jetsam put down the Wonder Map and pointed out a route. "The tides shouldn't be too bad on our way, and there's a full moon tonight. It'll be a longer trip than having our raft, but we can make it. You agree?"

Celine looked at it. "The distance is not as short as here."

"It's a map," he said. "It can't be full scale, or we couldn't carry it around. This is, oh, around twenty-nine miles."

"How long is a mile?" she asked, reminding them that she had been a wild Pokemon up until this morning.

Jetsam flipped his tail in the sand (working to hold back an insult) before folding the map back up. "You should be fine," he said. "You'll be able to keep up with me."

"You swim fast," she said, uncertain.

"I won't be able to swim as fast this time." He nudged Blitz with his foot after getting up. "Come on, celebrity boy. We're going back home."

The Combusken sat up, looking at him incredulously. "Oh sure, you two can just swim. But what about me?"

Chuckling, Jetsam tapped the yellow sacs on his shoulders and back. They began taking in air to puff up to a fully inflated state. It gave him quite a boost in size, which would be enough to ferry Blitz across, barely. "I'd like to see your crew hide out on the open ocean."

"They're invisible Ghosts; of course they can hide." Blitz got up and shook sand out of his feathers. "Fine, if you're offering, I'll be brave and cross with you."

They entered the shallows of the sea. With his flotation sacs inflated, Jetsam stayed right on the surface. He flipped around in the water to get sand off, then swam in place to let Blitz clamber onto his back. Celine used all of her body muscles to swim around them, then followed close by as the Floatzel lead the way.

Being in the open ocean, they didn't run into many wild Pokemon. It wasn't a boring trip, though. Blitz would have none of that. As the sun lowered in the sky, he recounted many of the greater exploits of Team Champs. Ever since he had founded the group as an enthusiastic young Torchic, Blitz wanted to go on the most dramatic and amazing adventures ever. It was all for the sake of the 'audience', of course. Jetsam often corrected his partner's exaggerations, but the pair was amused by exchange.

As the night took over, the red gem of Celine's body began to glow red. It drifted in and out of brightness, giving the dark waters a red glow. "Could be night predators out," the Staryu said quietly.

"Don't worry about that none," Blitz said. "I'll kick them in the jaws and send them packing."

"From my back?" Jetsam teased, holding his snout above the water to speak. "You might fall in. On the other paw, I could dive down and hunt them; it's in my ancestral blood. But not right now. I still wouldn't worry; they're not likely to come out with this noisy windbag yapping."

The Combusken sat up straight and proud. "Yeah, I'll intimidate them all. Especially if I do this: RAAAAHHHKKK!"

In response, Celine's gem pulsed quicker. The waves sent back faint echoes of the cry. "That would intimidate," she said, a bit shakily.

"You're one of us," the Floatzel said. "We wouldn't hurt a teammate."

"Hmm?" Blitz leaned forward. "Hey, are there aliens under the seas? That would make such an awesome subplot."

"Not that I know of," Celine replied, puzzled.

"Are you talking about those lights in the water?" Jetsam asked. "I think that's her kin."

She made a splash on the surface. "Oh yes, it's another group of them. The brighter light is a Starmie too."

Making another splash with his paw, he asked, "Well could you go down and ask for directions to the nearest shore, Celine? There isn't another island in sight to check the map."

"I can see the shoreline," Blitz said, pointing towards a black mass ahead of them.

"Yes, but I'd like to know where it's closest," Jetsam said. "I do have to swim and carry you, so you surely don't want me to get exhausted."

"Okay, I'll be back," Celine said, just before diving down to send light signals down to the other Staryu.

"She's a pretty good novice," the Combusken said. "She'll get used to our ways in time, I think."

"I hope so. You've gained and lost more novices than any other team leader."

He crossed his wings over his chest. "It's not my fault if they can't deal with the pressure of being on a reality show movie."

A minute later, Celine came back to the surface. "They say we're not far," she said, indicating a particular direction by jabbing one arm. "And the tide is low, so sandbanks will be high."

"Good, then let's get there," Blitz said. "Don't worry; I'll fight anything on the trek back to town."

Not far turned out to be nearly an hour later, but the three Pokemon got onto the sandy shore. Blitz hopped off as soon as he found it feasible, even though he ended up waist deep in water. He hurried out and onto less sandy grounds, to use his fires to dry off quicker. Jetsam and Celine took their time going up the beach. "Is he really your team leader?" Celine asked. "He seems… odd."

The Floatzel chuckled. "We don't call Blitz crazy," he said. "He's harmlessly eccentric. I call him the team leader, although I'm the one who always fills out the mission reports and makes official decisions. He can hardly be counted on to retell a story accurately."

"He-ey, you'd better not be tired yet!" Blitz called out to them. "We're going to arrive in town proud and strong, even if we only have a few treasures left from the pirate attack. It's gonna make for a great story arc."

"Of course, boss," Jetsam called back.

Celine did her best to twist her body and waddle faster. "Be right there."

…

Sapphire entry: Combusken battles with intensely hot flames it spews from its beak and outstandingly destructive kicks. This Pokemon's cry is very loud and distracting.

Floatzel Pearl entry: Its flotation device developed as a result of pursuing aquatic prey. It can doubt as a rubber raft.

Staryu Heart Gold entry: At night, the middle of its body slowly flickers with the same rhythm as a human heartbeat.


	199. Skuntank, Swalot, Slaking

BEEEELLLLCCCHHH!

It was a rather horrific day in the Simple Woods. Normally, it was the most pleasant, sweetest, and nicest place in the entire Pokemon world, where cute Pokemon came to play and sing. There were never any battles, because that just wasn't how things happened in Simple Woods. Everyone was so kind, helpful, and cheerful here that battle-thirsty Pokemon couldn't stand to be anywhere near the place. It was all too cutesy… but not today.

A Skuntank snickered. "Nice one. Did you hear the birds just fall out of the sky to it?"

The Swalot next to him smacked his enormous gooey lips. "They got no guts if they can't appreciate a good belch."

Close to the Simple Woods, there was a place called the Gurgling Goo Swamp. Its inhabitants were mostly the venomous kind, but all disgusting and repulsive. And they took great pride in this, negating all manners in order to achieve the grossest level of behaviors. Most of the time, they never bothered with the cute inhabitants of Simple Woods. But for some reason, these two had come out of Gurgling Goo today to torment them.

A horrid stench hung around the two, something like rotted cabbage, spoiled eggs, and burning plastic. But although it made the Cleffas and the Budews cry, Skuntank and Swalot seemed to enjoy it. They even hung around the place where the former had marked a tree so that the smell got even worse.

"They're not getting this out for at least two weeks," Skuntank said proudly on sniffing the progress. "Such a magnificent stanky odor, one that proves my power."

Swalot moved along the path, although it was more of an oozy glide than a walk. "Do you want to spray somewhere else to encourage the swamp's growth?"

Although he shook his head, he trotted along after his buddy. His wide furry tail swished along his back and on top of his tail, as he felt that was the rudest way to walk. "Nah, I need some time to build up to a full power stink again. But we should look around for another good place to return to tomorrow."

He made a weird burbling sound before saying, "Is this going to take a while? The swamp's getting crowded; we need to make more space quickly."

"I know, I know. But the time will make them suffer more." He laughed sharply. "It'll make things better when this happy fun place turns over to our slimy goopy swamp, to have that extra touch of tears and despair."

They were going to take over the woods? There was whispering in the trees following those statements. What should the cute residents do about them? Or what could they do? None of them liked to fight and these two had already beaten up a pair of Buneary that happened to be on their way in. One Clefairy thought that maybe a powerfully cute song could win them over. But as soon as she took in a deep breath, she breathed in a large whiff of the stench and promptly gagged. She fell right out of the tree into their path.

"Oh look, it's a puffball," Skuntank said. He then thwacked her away with his tail, sending her back into the trees. "Fore!"

"I think you're supposed to yell that before you swing," Swalot commented.

"Pffft, what difference does it make? Doesn't sound like I made her hit anything."

"I fought one of them one time." He paused, thinking. "It was a girl who'd come into the swamp after some flowers, but she was gutsier than these wimps. And quite the belcher too, given that her mouth can't unhinge and open up completely like mine can. She wasn't making stuff wilt by burping, but she could do musical burps. Anyhow, when we started fighting, she kept waggling her fingers and using weird moves. One time, she attacked with Gastro Acid. The scent of it made her puke."

Skuntank laughed. "Sounds just like these weaklings! Shouldn't be trying to cheat and use moves you're not supposed to."

Swalot gave a wet burp, although not anything like the one he'd made earlier. "I just swallowed the attack," he rambled on. "Nothing can dissolve my stomach. Although, it gave me a nasty heartburn for the rest of the day. Probably because it wasn't my acid. But the point of my story about the fight is… hey, what's this place?"

Stopping to look around, the pair saw a large opening. It was a place that the residents like to hold group dances and sing-a-longs, as there was plenty of space for a crowd. Many flowers bloomed here every day in the spring and summer; sometimes they even showed up in winter. But as the invaders' poisonous presence came into the grassy meadow, the flowers nearest to them started to wilt and droop. Even the plants here were used to cheerful happiness, not devious rudeness.

There was something odd about the meadow, though. In two areas, there were large patches of brown dirt and faded smashed grass. Both areas were almost circular, with the trampled plants in the middle. A third area was starting to become like this. In that patch, there was a large tan Pokemon lounging with her eyes half closed. The Slaking had moved into the Simple Woods months ago, getting in the way and tearing up grass. The residents had tried to get her to move out, as she clearly was not cute. But Slaking wasn't affected by anything they did. No amount of pleading, singing, poking, or talking would get her to leave.

"Hey punk, what're you doing here?" Skuntank asked, walking right up to her. "You don't look like you belong."

"We don't belong here either," Swalot mentioned, oozing over but keeping his distance. "I don't know if you want to mess with this one, though."

"Bah, I'll do what I want. So what are you doing here?"

Slaking blinked before opening her eyes fully to look at them. She said nothing. After a moment of that, she reached out, grabbed a fistful of grass, and ate it. Some green flecks of spit appeared on her hand and chin.

"Oh, you one of us then?" Skuntank asked. "Funny; I never seen you around Gurgling Goo before. You helping us to turn this place into a swamp, then?" He blew on some of the bright grass, causing it to instantly dull from the poison on his breath. "We're gonna make this place murky!"

"Mmm?" Slaking mumbled, looking wide-eyed at the dulled grass. That was in her reach, so it was part of her ten day long meal. Angered at the ruined food, she furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Skuntank.

"What, did I say something to offend you?" he replied tauntingly. "I'm a master at that."

A gloopy arm reached out to him as Swalot tried to get his attention. "Hey smelly, I really think you should be careful around her. I've heard stories…"

"Never mind your stories," Skuntank interrupted. "You take forever to tell them and seemingly never get to the point you were trying to make. She's got quite the grasp of rudeness to not speak to me yet, but must have thin skin to let what I have said get to her. That's right," he said, looking back to her. "You're a sissy and probably a crybaby too. In that case, you fit right in with these pacifist dorks!" He laughed.

Slaking grumbled. Figuring that it wasn't worth the effort to get up for this, she lifted her thick arm and snatched Skuntank's tail. And for a moment, she just lay there on the ground, holding onto him in that way.

"Hey, leggo of my tail!" He tried to tug it away, but her grip was too strong. "Lazy bum; can't even get up to fight properly, huh? Hey Swalot, why don't you try to eat her?"

The slimeball Pokemon gave him a questioning look. "Eat her? I don't think that'll work."

"She ain't moving fast; I can even make her smell really ripe. Besides, I've seen you eat a car."

"That took me a whole day," Swalot pointed out. "And it made my jaw ache. Unlike the car, she's alive, and I don't particularly like eating foods that raw. They squirm nastily before my stomach acid can digest them."

"You're just a scaredy… whaaa!" In the middle of his insult, Slaking lifted Skuntank off the ground. Having built up the will to move, she whirled him around by the tail several times to build up momentum. Then she flung him through the canopy and far into the sky, at such an arc that he might have traveled for over a mile before he came back down to earth.

Slaking then dropped her arm back onto her side and looked at Swalot blankly.

Oily looking sweat came from his body. "Uh, I'll be going then. This, uh, place is too sweet for someone like me to hang around for too long. It'll give me a stomachache." The oozy Pokemon then made his way out of the Simple Woods, silently telling himself that he wouldn't be coming here again any time soon.

With that bother gone, Slaking looked down at the wilted grass. Such a waste. She ripped it out and ate it anyhow. She didn't do nearly enough to make it much of a bother.

When it became clear that the swamp Pokemon weren't going to try taking over again, the residents of the Simple Woods were thrilled with their unexpected hero. They named Slaking an honorary cute Pokemon and a great friend to the woods. As the days went by, the younger ones like to play around Slaking, jumping onto her side and dancing as if on a stage.

Slaking herself didn't really care if they did so. As long as nobody fussed about her being there and eating the grass, she didn't have the energy to fuss about them playing around her. Besides, it was kind of nice to have mealtime entertainment.

…

Slaking FR/LG entry: It is the worlds most slothful Pokemon. However, it can exert horrifying power by releasing pent-up energy all at once.

Skuntank Pearl entry: It sprays a stinky fluid from its tail. The fluid smells worse the longer it is allowed to fester.

Emerald entry: Its powerful stomach acid is capable of digesting almost anything. The one thing in the whole world that Swalot can't digest is its own stomach.


	200. Ho-oh, Lugia

A rainbow descended from the cloudy sky. Softly glowing, the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet kept in a ribbon, bound in white. But it did not behave as the usual rainbows. It curved and twisted, turned and dropped, more like a fluttering ribbon than a perfect curve. Ahead of the rainbow, there flew a legendary bird of fantastic colors. Bright red tipped with green, a few golden curls… Ho-oh had heard a beautiful music, and knew there was a sacred dance. She had come.

It had been a long time since she had last come home. Her roosting tower had been struck by lightning and set ablaze. However, few seemed to remember the source of that lightning. Because of that source, she had declined to come back, even after they had built an impressive new tower to replace the old one. But a ringing of that quality, coming across in supernatural means, meant that someone of a pure heart was there, calling her home. She would answer.

And yet, as she circled the human town in its gray drizzle, something didn't seem right. Her mind's eye was not so powerful compared to others of her level, although it was far above the mortal Pokemon who lived with the humans. Through this, she could see that a black shadow pervaded the land. The hearts of people and Pokemon alike were beating in fear. Violence and greed were controlling them from secret places. Even the sacred dance had an undertone of fear, as if they couldn't fully let the world go in favor of the music.

Ho-oh considered leaving. The darkness wasn't a world for her. Then again, there was that pure heart and the song had reached out to her on supernatural levels. That could mean that one of the greater powers, far above any Pokemon she knew of, wished her to return. Perhaps her presence was meant to put a crack in the shadow so that the light of justice could shine.

She came to the top of the new tower and began to descend in a hover, to see who was calling. It turned out to be one of the kimono girls, while her four peers were closing up the dance now that she had appeared. Although Ho-oh had come, the one with the clear bell was anxious, as if not really wanting to see her. At least, not like this. Near her, there were four men. Three wore waterproof black uniforms that had a bright red R on them; those uniforms were unsettlingly like the darkness that held everyone in fear. The fourth was not well, a man with a purple scarf who was being threatened with some kind of small weapon.

This was definitely not how she was meant to be called on.

Reasonably, she wasn't supposed to interfere with human matters. But they were involving her, whether she liked it or not. If she returned to the rainclouds, the black uniformed men might kill their captive, or even the kimono girls. She didn't like the thought of that. Maybe if they meant to capture her, it would be fine if she fought back.

Ho-oh came closer, calling out a challenge to the thugs. One came forward with a small device and activated something. On the rod atop the tower, a black box began to glow, then fired a red beam at her. It struck her legs, but instead of harming her, the energy beam latched on and would not let go. She beat her wings and tried to pull it off, but it pulled back tighter, briefly making her lose feeling in her feet. They had her, but for what purpose?

Realizing that she was in deep trouble, she cried out across the heavens.

* * *

Off the southern shores of Johto, there lay a confusing patch of sea. Whirlpools and rocky reefs created a surface maze that few could navigate. Below the rough waters, there were caves and tunnels, many of which led to dead ends. And underneath all that, in the deep waters, he kept to himself.

It wasn't out of malice that he hid, no. He loved the world above the waves too, and enjoyed flying through the blue skies. However, there were problems with this. He was simply too powerful for his own good. When he beat his wings against the air, he stirred up storms. The winds that came in his wake were destructive, tearing up that which the humans built. Feeling guilty because of this, Lugia had dove into the ocean. Now he only flew in the water.

It didn't help when he heard that those on land said that when hurricanes came, he must have been in the air. Given that he had been in the seas for nearly a century, it was never him. He wanted to make a better name for himself, so he looked to take care of the seas. He watched over ships that respected the waters and troubled those that did not. When he felt the fears of castaways, he encouraged the sea Pokemon to go assist them. But this never quite overcame his history as the storm maker.

Over the past five years, a creeping darkness had come across Johto. He had felt it even from beneath the waves. It had started in Kanto, a band of thieves that didn't seem dangerous. But its leader was much more than a thief and those who lived by crime began to take over. Now they controlled the human towns, the ones marked by the red R.

Lugia was troubled by their presence, but he did not interfere directly. He had warned the sea Pokemon to be cautious. While he wanted to hassle their ships, they had the cunning to travel along with innocent civilians. He wouldn't harm them, so there wasn't much he could do from underwater. At this point, staying out of their grasp seemed to be the wisest course.

And then a cry of fear reached out to him. The sound could not pierce from the sky to the sea, but the feel of it went right to his heart. Raising his head, he searched for the meaning of this. It seemed that she had returned and they were trying to capture her.

Why did she come back now? It was a dark time, and she was attracted to light. And they would have dangerous intents. From the Pokemon of Johto, he had often felt such suffering, like Slowpokes who were held captive in darkness to harvest their regrowing tails. They wouldn't hesitate to harm her for their own benefit. She could fight back though, even avoid capture. Right? Then why did she sound scared?

But it was her, and it didn't sit well with him that she was in trouble. It was dangerous for him to fly above waters. But maybe those of the red R needed to know the kind of power they were dealing with. They needed to see that their darkness was not welcome. Hoping for the forgiveness of the innocent people he was about to trouble, Lugia beat his wings and ascended through the dark depths.

Overhead, there was a light rain shower that spread itself over much of the land. He was the storm maker, though, and his anger was growing. The ocean waters gathered around him as he burst from the surface and headed for the clouds. From the shores, any witnesses would barely see him within the mass cloud of suddenly evaporating water. He rose and the water rose, joining the dark clouds overhead. As he beat his wings, the air stirred to life. Gusts started flying, causing particles to rub against each other and build static. When he reached the height he wanted, a bolt of lightning jumped within the clouds. The gentle rain shower was now his storm.

He flew straight for Ho-oh's tower, empowering the storm to begin wreaking havoc below.

* * *

She kept struggling with the bright leash on her feet, but every time she pulled, it pulled back tighter. She tried to fight the black uniformed men, but they had planned for her. With them were Pokemon that were effective against her power types. And they were powerful; in their eyes, she could see that they were driven by cruel training and a resulting madness. How could the humans have turned so abusive against their partners?

But there was still good. She could see that in the kimono girls, and even in the captive man. While he was flawed, it wasn't bad flaws. He could overcome them. That is, if they didn't kill him here. Some kind of poison seemed to be in his body, keeping him from fighting back. Ho-oh had managed to burn the one holding him, letting the girl with the bell pull him away. But the men seemed to be armed with dangerous tools and dangerous Pokemon.

Seeing that, she made a special call to the skies, asking for the blessings of the sun. The cloud cover began to thin in spots as bright sunlight pierced through. The coolness turned to warmth and the power of her flames grew. However, she was still fighting a Pokemon of rocks and a Pokemon of waters. Those kinds were not easily burned.

And then she saw it: a wall of wind and water that was barreling across the landscape. She knew that kind of storm. It only came when he was around. While it was a relief to have help, it was surprising. He had been out of the skies of Johto for longer than she had. Perhaps Lugia had remembered her and had come for her.

The approaching storm was dangerous, especially for those atop the tower. Ho-oh startled them briefly with a gust of hot dry wind from her wings, then dropped down to where the tower would block part of the winds. At first, she nearly couldn't get there. But then a ripple of power shot ahead of the storm, striking the black device and ending its hold on her. She was then able to brace herself.

The rain wall crashed into the city, turning a light drizzle into a heavy downpour. Lightning lit up the clouds that drastically darkened the sky. When it hit the tower, it shuddered but did not fall. The people on top were not as lucky. The men in black uniforms were knocked down to the floor, while the kimono girls yelped and grabbed hold of each other. As for the weakened man and the other girl, they weren't so lucky. The wind blasted them with enough force to blow them both completely off the tower. She managed to catch them on her back, but that meant she had to hover carefully so as not to drop them.

In a break of the thunderclaps, there was a fierce howl of anger from Lugia. Ignoring normal courtesy, he attacked the black uniformed men, keeping them from getting up. His power made the storm stay strong, but her power made the sun stay strong. Little shafts of golden light broke through the violent winds. In the presence of them both, the raindrops turned into prisms, sending forth all sorts of colors into the air so that it seemed to be pouring rainbows. Yet, this was dangerous. His cold waters and her hot fires would eventually turn the air so wild that it formed deadly cyclones.

She made a pleading cry to him. The R men had captured her, yes, but the kimono girls and the man she had were not at fault. They would be in danger if left here. And yes, she had come for one of the girls.

He relented readily; it must have been a hard decision for him to leave the waters to come after her. His mind's eye was enhanced by his power, which allowed him to suggest to the humans that they should leave with them. Carefully, he perched on the edge of the tower. The girls were initially reluctant, but went with it to get out of the danger.

Once they had the six secured, Ho-oh and Lugia flew off to the west.

* * *

His flight across Johto had done some damage. But it pleased Lugia some that the greatest damage he sensed was to a place where the red R group coordinated their efforts across the region. And people had seen them, not just these six with them. The tale of what happened today would hopefully inspire the humans to fight the darkness, not accept it.

They had landed on a quiet beach of an island southwest of the Johto mainland. Lugia had sent his storm to continue over the sea, to calm it out safely. Now that they were on land, the five kimono girls had tended to the man with them. Two got sent off to a nearby town for an antidote. Lugia considered returning to the sea, but Ho-oh had convinced him otherwise.

Even after all this time, she was much the same. She didn't like this darkness either, but she wanted to inspire the good people. She wanted to reward them, make the children happy. Even though the dark ones had tried to capture her, she had decided to stir up what light there was.

It had been so long since they had been together. He could remember why he liked being around her. While he still felt guilt over his storms and repulsion at the greedy men, she could make him feel hope for light and forgiveness again. The years when they had both been gone had been heavy with sadness. But did he dare come out of the seas more often to see her more often?

The man, whose name was Morty, began to stir again. He seemed to be in stunned awe on seeing the two guardian birds together, still there and waiting to see if he'd be all right. Such simple things causing wonder; that was the kind of things she liked.

And then Ho-oh sang for a short bit, directing his attention to the skies over mainland Johto. There was a bright and bold double rainbow out there. In her song, she told him that they ought to bring rainbows to this land more often. She could make them, but to make them so brilliant, she needed his support.

Lugia sang back to her softly. It would make him happy to help create rainbows with her.

…

Ho-oh Fire Red entry: A legend says that its body glows in seven colors. A rainbow is said to form behind it when it flies.

Lugia Soul Silver entry: It is said to be the guardian of the seas. It is rumored to have been seen on the night of a storm.


	201. Snivy, Litwick

The sun had set, but her travels weren't over. Sandra the Snivy scurried under the tall grasses, allowing them to disguise her green form. As the sun had shone all day, she could move across the land at her fastest. But as this was such a long trip which such a heavy pack on her back, she paced herself and did not press her energy. She could be there in a few hours, much better than her rival who certainly couldn't arrive until the next day. Especially not when he had taken the long road around.

There was just one problem with her route. As the grass thinned out at the top of a hill, she could see the last obstacle. It was a treacherous wasteland, a flat area where the rougher plants grew. While there were rock that could provide cover, the colors of this place were different, making her bright green show up more readily and there were patches of bare ground with no cover, from which nighttime predators might spot here. Worst of all, there were the shimmering patches all over. They appeared to reflect light like pools of water. But Sandra knew that this wasn't safe. Those were tar pits, deeply filled with a sticky thick substance that could swallow hapless Pokemon alive.

Yes, it was dangerous, and why most Pokemon who knew stuck to the main roads. But provided one kept alert and didn't allow oneself to be fooled, this place could be used as a shortcut to Silverleaf City. Picking out a route to start with, the Snivy moved down the hill and into the tar pit wastes.

Partway in, Sandra thought to herself that perhaps she had made a miscalculation. The moon was three-quarters full, so she had expected to have enough light to see the tar pits by. But it was still tough. When she found her front paw pressing against softer ground, she knew that she couldn't see all of them. She managed to avoid that one, but would have to move slower to get across safely. They did have a scent but as it permeated the whole area, it wasn't a reliable cue either.

"Feh, might be too dangerous tonight," she said softly. The problem was, she was already quite a ways into the wasteland. It wouldn't be much easier to go back how she'd come in. If she were really quick and if she ditched her backpack, she might be able to race across the pits without sinking. But, she had done a lot of work to get the goods she had, so wasn't ready to give them up just yet.

She then spotted a flickering light not too far off. It was like some kind of small purple flame. But what was that doing out in the wasteland? Even more puzzling, it began hopping in place, almost beckoning.

On observing things, she noticed a tar pit between her and the hopping light. It gave her an idea of what it might be. Sandra walked carefully around the tar pit, partly using the light as a hint. Since she seemed to be going in the right direction, she considered not going to the actual light. But once she started walking away, it began hopping towards her. Small rhythmic pats came into her hearing.

Then she met the creature itself, a gray-white candle Pokemon with a ghostly flame. It did not seem to have a mouth, but she heard something from it all the same. 'Hello, trader,' it said, having a bit of a masculine tone. 'It's a beautiful night for you to come out to this place.'

"There is an impressive amount of stars out," she said, still moving. "But I don't appreciate you trying to kill me, Litwick."

The candle Pokemon hopped after her. 'Pardon? That is a rude thing to accuse someone of when you've just met him.'

"You tried to lure me across a tar pit," she said, speaking in a matter-of-fact way. She didn't like to be seen losing her cool and collected manner, even if the Pokemon with her was a predator. Then again, "My name is Sandra. I would hope that you follow the common courtesy of not hunting someone that you know the name of."

'I don't eat flesh, Miss Sandra,' the Litwick said. 'Therefore, I'm not a hunter.'

"But you draw in the very essences of life, don't you? You hope to get others trapped in the goo so that you can sap their energy as they die." Some more gullible Pokemon might have believed him.

'I suppose you've got me there. I'm Chaucer, by the way. It is interesting to meet you.'

She paused to look back at him, nearly causing him to trip when he stopped his hops. "That is an oddly literary name for someone who lives in a wasteland."

He chuckled. 'My mother hung in a library. I'm just here to build my strength.'

"Ah. So how long have you been here?"

Seeming pleased at her new interest, Chaucer said, 'About two years now. Why?'

He might be light enough to stay safe from the tar pits, or his Ghost nature could protect him. Yet, perhaps in living here, he might know the ways around the pits. Sandra decided to give it a shot. "I need to get to Silverleaf City and I came down here because I'm in a hurry. I am a trader, so I could give you something if you agree to lead me through a safe path around all these tar pits."

His black eyes brightened as he heard the offer. 'Ah, is that all? Well I suppose for something nice, I could do so easily. What do you have?'

The Snivy studied him for a moment, then reviewed what she had for something that might interest him. "I have some incense cones," which he seemed a little interested in, but not enough to guarantee her safety. "Some fashion jewelry," definitely not, but one never could tell. "Chocolates."

Although she hadn't been sure if he could eat things like that, it did get his attention. 'Chocolates? I haven't had anything like that since I came out to the wild.'

"I could give you three pieces," she said. In the last town, she had gotten many of these treats, which needed to go quickly. The offer of three would leave her plenty to sell.

The Litwick made a little bow, nearly dripping some wax onto the ground. 'That sounds good. All right Miss Sandra. From this point, it will be faster to get you to a point on the main road that will put you a little over a mile from Silverleaf. Going directly to the city from here would force us around some of the largest tar pits. This way.' He hopped ahead of her

Feeling pleased with the deal, Sandra followed along after Chaucer's hopping gait. He did lead her safely through the tar pits to the main road, where she could see the lights of the city. Not one to back down on her word, she then pulled off her pack to get him three wrapped chocolates. The best deals were the ones that both sides were pleased with; it was a business philosophy that Sandra followed in everything, even in this night-time encounter.

Although by the time she got to an inn, she felt utterly exhausted.

…

Snivy Black entry: It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter.

Litwick White entry: While shining a light and pretending to be a guide, it leeches off the life force of any who follow it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a poll for which Pokémon should be the first for the fifth gen covered, and this is the pair that won.


	202. Mr. Mime, Rhydon

For today's performance, they had dragged a small player piano out to the park with them. It was a working antique, but the day was too nice for it to be ruined and it was too bulky for anyone to steal. It was made of wood and gears, requiring a good winding so that it would play. And it was such a pretty thing, with carvings of balloons and stars on all sides. In a box, there were over a dozen reels, so they had plenty of songs to let it play. And as a definite plus, it was an actual object.

The main reason that was a plus was that the two performers were a pair of Mr. Mime. They had a massive arsenal of items for their show: bananas, boxes, ropes, ladders, tin cans, paint cans, paint brushes, eggs, keys, doors, signs, and so on. However, these items were all imaginary. If they wanted to use them in a show, they would have to conjure them up by miming the items. The item wouldn't stick until someone watched their act and believed it. Then, the item was there for continued use until put away. It would still be invisible, though.

And they would have to remain silent throughout the performance. It was a point of pride for a Mr. Mime to be able to get by without ever speaking. Sometimes, it was difficult; getting the shopping done could be an ordeal if the shopkeeper wasn't used to them. There were some of their kin that held that they could speak if not in a performance. Not this pair. They never spoke if they could help it, not even by telepathy. Of course, they had their own way of speaking silently with each other.

Next to the piano, they placed a cheerfully painted sign (a real visible one) that said, 'Pete and Patty's Street Antics! Please donate so our show can keep running.' Next to it, they put a (real) coffee can for donations in. They loved showing off their skills, but it was hard making a living and keeping a regular act going.

Patty picked out a new music reel, then replaced it while Pete turned the crank to give the gears energy. It was a market day, so the piano was to lure shoppers into pausing to watch, then to drop off a few coins. As she got done before he did, Patty pulled out an imaginary hairbrush and brushed through her springs of curly red hair. An actor, even one of pantomime, had to keep looking good.

Once Pete flipped the switch, the player piano began belting out another tune. He clapped his hands, then waved out to Pokemon to get them to stop and watch. After thinking on what to do, Patty dropped down and picked up a nothing. Shape to be a round sphere… and large. She lifted it up, and then bounced it on the ground to catch again.

Before long, another audience formed, including a Rhydon that was wearing a red silk scarf around his neck. That scarf, with the white diamond pattern on the ends... normally, it was a bad sign. But she was pleased to see it this time, as he must have evolved recently. When Paul had been a Rhyhorn, he had been a terrible audience member because he didn't believe. He'd never been bright enough to have the imagination to figure out their pantomimes, and so his disbelief would extinguish so many invisible items. According to the books, his kind grew smarter upon evolution. So would he believe this time?

She continued bouncing her item until Pete turned to her. Indicating that she had a spherical object that was light, she tossed it to him. He winked and caught it, then tossed it back by holding it in one hand, then bumping it with his fist from the bottom. She watched it in surprise, then hurried back a few steps to push it back with her hands.

"Oh, you're playing volleyball!" one of the young members of the audience called out.

Pete grinned at that and tossed the ball back to Patty. And when she went to hit it, it had weight this time. It was real because it was believed. Jumping up, she indicated to her partner that she wanted to pull a juggling routine. He nodded, caught the ball and held it, then put it down to pick up another 'ball' while she did the same.

"Can you make a beach ball?" a young Piplup asked.

Sure enough; Patty nodded, then made sure to indicate that her new ball was larger than the volleyball, but lighter. A beach ball.

"You two are still at this every day?" Paul the Rhyhorn asked. "I don't get how… ow, hey!" He flinched and rubbed his face.

Patty and Pete grinned at each other. He had felt it; their disbeliever had felt one of their imaginary objects. As several more Pokemon came to see what was happening, the kids laughed. "You got hit by a basketball!" the Charmander said gleefully.

Paul looked puzzled. "Wha-what? That… that did feel like a basketball."

"And she's got a beach ball," the Piplup said, causing the ball in Patty's hands to form.

Pete waved at Paul, indicating where the basketball had ended up. Toss it back, he was motioning for. Toss the ball back. Then he would see.

Hesitating, the Rhydon looked at the spot. "I'm not sure about this. I mean, you guys never had any real objects before."

While the kids protested in their favor, Patty decided that she wanted to try something. A proof that their powers were real (as long as no one disbelieved). She spun the beach ball around in her hands; hopefully the kids at least believed it was sturdy. Then she twirled around to get the attention of the audience. The trick also wouldn't work if others weren't watching it.

They were watching her now, helped by Pete pointing. Patty then set her invisible beach ball on the ground. She pressed down on the top, indicating that it was of a good size. Thankfully, it felt strong, with good air pressure. She placed her hands firmly in place, then the Mr. Mime flipped herself up into a handstand on top of the beach ball. Expertly, she flipped herself again so that she was sitting upright and facing the audience. It might appear that she was levitating with her Psychic powers, but that wasn't right. She was using those powers to make an imaginary object real enough to sit on.

At that, the kids and the newer audience members clapped and cheered. Paul stared at her. She got a sense that he wasn't sure if he should believe this, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. To enforce his belief, Patty made a bowing gesture. It caused her to come off balance on the ball a bit, so she then widened her eyes and made a frantic motion to get centered. The kids laughed, but it was worth it to get Paul to believe.

"I don't get it," he said, scratching the side of his head. Now that he was going around on two legs instead of four, he could do that. "You never seemed to be doing anything real before."

Pete made a lavish arm spread to call attention to himself, then invited Paul to come over. This would be such fun, Patty thought. Now they could make the Rhydon a part of the show instead of getting things ruined by him.

"Um, I guess," Paul said, then started to walk over. Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten about the basketball and promptly tripped over it, falling onto his face. The kids laughed and one of them cried out that he would get it.

After going over to help him up, Pete brought Paul into their staging area. He had the Rhydon stand in one spot, then stepped back and held his hands spread out. Oh, he was going to pull the famous wall trick. Remaining balanced on the beach ball, Patty watched as her partner made to push against a wall that wasn't there in between him and Paul. He then leaned forward on the wall, looking to the Rhydon. Then… this was a tricky move while the wall was unformed… Pete shifted his weight so that he supported himself with one hand on the imaginary wall while he rapped on it with his other hand.

"What are you doing?" Paul asked. He moved to touch Pete's hand. However, enough of the audience believed in the wall that it was there to stop him. "Hey, where'd this wall come from?" the Rhydon asked, causing laughter while he hit the imaginary wall with his fist. "What kind of trickery is this?"

"They're always doing tricks like this," the Charmander child replied, then tossed the invisible basketball over to her. Patty caught it, made sure to keep balanced on the beach ball, then started bouncing the basketball against the ground.

The Rhydon hit the wall again; he snorted. "Well it's just an invisible wall. It can't be all that sturdy. I'll knock it down like I do any other!" He stepped back, then lowered his head so that his horn was pointed at the wall.

Patty watched in interest. The strength of a Mr. Mime's wall was tied to how strongly it was believed in and how strong the Mr. Mime was. While they had a still growing audience, was the belief enough to withstand the impact of a Rhydon? They could break down walls of brick easily, if she had heard right.

On the other side of the wall, Pete pushed himself back and stepped away. While his posture seemed nonchalant, even daring Paul to try his luck, Patty could feel that he was mentally bracing himself. A wall made by both of them could take such a hit and remain. Pete was doing his best to believe that a wall made by him alone could also.

The Rhyhorn grunted, then slammed his whole body, horn-first, into the wall. Remarkably, it held, forcing Paul to stumble back instead of burst through. From the look on Paul's face, it had been close. The wall was heavily cracked now. But as they were still acting, he smiled it off, then walked over, gently touching the wall.

"Owwww," Paul groaned, holding onto his horn. "Geez, what's that wall made out of?"

Pure imagination, Patty thought, smiling at her partner. Pete blew her a kiss. They would celebrate tonight at having converted a disbeliever. For now, he turned back and slapped the wall. Then he sneezed as it collapsed, kicking up dust.

…

Emerald entry: A Mr. Mime is a master of pantomime. Its gestures and motions convince watchers that something unseeable actually exists. Once believed, the imaginary object does become real.

Rhydon Platinum entry: Standing on its hind legs freed its forelegs and made it smarter. It is very forgetful, however.


	203. Cacnea, Maractus

He had been born in the desert, but had been captured by a Trainer early on. This gave the Cacnea insight into a myriad forms of weather. At his birthplace, it was always hot by day and cold at night. It could be blindingly sunny or occasionally cloudy, but rains were seldom and usually light. But in joining a Trainer's journey, he had seen it rain, thunder, fog, hail, snow, and even an odd mixture of all of that. He had seen cold days and hot nights. Still, this heavy downpour was interesting.

She found it to be absolutely fascinating and mind-blowing that it could rain so much at once.

Of course, she was from the desert too, a Maractus that his Trainer had caught only a couple of weeks back. It still made him angry. After all that talk of branching out and trying new Pokemon in the team, his human had to go out and catch another cactus. It was bad enough whenever a new Pokemon was caught. Cacnea was always working hard, training to swing his spiked arms faster and harder so that he could be a better fighter. But when the human caught a new Pokemon, he was always obsessing over the new one, paying attention exclusively to it and using it in battle more than the rest.

After a while, though, the human would get bored and release or trade the new capture, only to get all excited about the next. Somehow, Cacnea managed to stay on the team. He was proud of that, considering it proof that he was valuable. But he was always jealous of the newcomers, especially other Grass types. They stole the affection of his Trainer. It was worse this time because it was another cactus Pokemon. Was he looking to replace Cacnea with Maractus?

She had the human's attention, as usual. She was out in the heavy rain, dancing in a growing puddle. At this, the human laughed and took pictures. It had been a long while since he had taken pictures of him, Cacnea thought in irritation. Not since his yellow flower had last bloomed. It was a compact bud now, waiting for the right time.

But she always had flowers blooming, large flat purple ones that came off the two branches sticking out the top of her head. If one wilting, she shook it off and had another regrown in a matter of days. It seemed so pretentious, a cactus growing flowers so quickly. He spent an entire year making sure his flower was just right for blooming, while she just made another flat and floppy blossom like that. Yet, he was jealous that she could make them so fast.

And she was quite the dancer, making her own music by using the rain and the hollow rattling of her upper branches. Maractus twirled, sending water droplets flying off her dark green thorns. Leaning down to touch near her feet with her hand, she posed for a moment, then shook herself tightly to rattle louder. The rain caused her green skin to shine in a flattering manner. She was beautiful…

Cacnea frowned. He was jealous of her. She might be taking his spot on the team. Why should he be admiring her? That wouldn't help. In the next week or two, she might be gone like many of the Trainer's Pokemon before her. Or he might be gone. What was the use of having two cacti Pokemon on the team?

But seeing her dance, enjoying herself in the rain… she probably had no idea that he disliked her. Or liked her. Cacnea wasn't quite sure. While he was in the warm rain too in order to soak up water to store, he wasn't a dancer like her. He was a fighter, aiming to make himself stronger, invaluable to his human.

But she was having such fun it made him wonder what he would do if he were the next one released instead of her.

…

Emerald entry: Cacnea live in deserts with virtually no rainfall. It battles by swinging its thick, spiked arms. Once a year, a yellow flower blooms.

Maractus White entry: Arid regions are their habitat. They move rhythmically, making a sound similar to maracas.


	204. Haxorus, Krookodile

Lit by orange-tinted streetlights, the city seemed to be a strange place tonight. Fear and distress scented the air, as did a scent of old bones and arcane magic. There were no cars out on the streets. Instead, there were those monsters, the skeletons of mismatched bones and enigmatic power, capable of clubbing a large man to death and eating his flesh. It was said that most Pokemon could not affect these creatures: Surf would not sweep them away, Flamethrower would not incinerate them, even Psychic did not disturb the necromancy keeping them together. For some reason, they could not enter buildings unless called for. Most everyone hid inside.

Most.

They faced off against each other in the street; one had emerged from a private home, one had emerged from a Pokecenter. One was a dragon, with a natural green plate armor enveloping her body. On the sides of her head, there were long sharp red tusks that were often sharper than man-made blades. The other was a crocodile, with tough scales of red and black. He had a long jaw that was muscled to be a strong crushing force.

Both were uneasy on seeing each other. They belonged to two different Trainers, rivals as much as the humans were. Last time they had met on this street, it had been in an intense battle. They won and lost at about the same rate, but always strived to get better to prove themselves to the other. But there were more important things now, like the skeleton creatures and the one who controlled them. Right?

The Haxorus leaned her head back, bringing her forearms up in front of her. Lowering her head was an aggressive action, a threat to use her bladed tusks. This though, it was a gesture of a cautious truce. Battling her rival would be a waste of energy.

At that, the Krookodile nodded and patted his chest. It would be a waste. An unearthly cry from one of the skeleton creatures broke up the Pokemon's silent exchange. Four of them ran in a jerky manner, raising spiked clubs and broken blades for weapons. The Krookodile quickly gestured his hand out to the Haxorus, then at the skeleton creatures. In this fight, it seems they would be working together.

Haxorus brought her head back to its normal position. Then she quickly slashed an approaching skeleton creature in the ribcage with her tusk. It caused sparks while cutting through two of the bones. But the sparks meant that these weren't real bones. And it also didn't fully stop the creature. So she followed up with another slash, cutting across the thing's skull. Her tusk blade screeched in response, sending more sparks and leaving a deep groove.

While she did that, Krookodile took a deep breath, then bellowed at the skeletons. She knew that move, Swagger, which could empower and confuse. However, it didn't seem to affect the skeletons either way. It also didn't hurt her since it was directed her way. Grumbling at the lack of effect, he then stamped his foot down forcefully, causing an earthquake which did affect her. Although she chittered in annoyance, it did have a noticeable effect on the skeletons. Their bones started to come apart and fall to the ground. Soon, a yellow glow appeared around them, bringing their parts back together.

But Haxorus noted a point in the skull where the yellow glow was strongest. Bracing herself, she pulled her neck away, then slammed the back point of her tusk blade into the skull through an eye socket. The blade made a shriek and gave an unpleasant vibration into her armor. Normally, she didn't get that effect unless she was attacking a Steel Pokemon. But it would still be sharp; she knew that with certainty.

Once she struck the strong part of the glow, the magic was shattered. The bones collapsed onto the road into a useless pile, although the skull managed to stick to Haxorus' tusk. But she was pleased with the result. The monsters weren't as invulnerable as claimed.

On the other side of the road, Krookodile turned his head and snapped his jaws at one of the skeleton's neck. The hardness of the false bones surprised him too; he was able to crush them into small pieces and dust, but it still jarring. Also jarring was seeing the pieces pulled back into place by the dark magic that animated the bones. The strongest glow was the skull part (apparently part of some kind of monkey Pokemon, not a human skull). That would be tough to crush. Then again, he knew of an uncle who had once ripped a car's engine out of its frame with just his jaw power. He could do it. After a smile, he chomped onto the skull and crushed it with all his strength.

Haxorus shook the skull off her tusk, then scuttled aside as another Skeleton tried to club her with its spiked weapon. She could feel that vibration, but it didn't really hurt. Since there would be more, she experimented by focusing the power of her Dragon heritage into her tusks, then slamming them, one after the other, into the undead monster's skull. The fourth skeleton raised its club to strike her.

But then Krookodile spat out the skull fragments at the two skeletons, distracting them. Haxorus quickly destroyed her target while her rival summoned a wad of mud and slammed it into last skeleton's skull. Even that worked.

"Haazooo," Haxorus said in a tone of respect. They could work together on this. Unless he used Earthquake again.

Grunting, he nodded. Not that his power attack could do much against these things. It was destroy their skulls or nothing.

"Krookodile!" a teen boy called out from the Pokecenter door. He was wearing a blue jacket and looking worried. "Get back in here; it's too dangerous."

As he went to pick up the skull that the other had pierced, another teenaged boy opened up the window to the house across the street. "Haxorus, what are you doing out there?"

Krookodile held up the skull and grinned proudly. In the meantime, Haxorus felt it more satisfying to step onto one of the bones. Without the magic, it was weak and crushed easily. They could do something, if they would get brave and come out here with the rest of their Pokemon.

Minutes later, the two boys gathered other Trainers that had been in hiding, then set out to destroy the undead invasion force.

...

Haxorus White entry: Their sturdy tusks will stay sharp even if used to cut steel beams. These Pokemon are covered in hard armor.

Krookodile Black entry: They never allow prey to escape. Their jaws are so powerful, they can crush the body of an automobile.


	205. Kecleon

Some people working on the Pokedex got all the glory: the professors, the kids who became Champions. But there were a lot of folks who did work and were only known as names in the contributors list (which very few people actually read). There were technicians who kept the internet database available and up-to-date. There were the analysts and editors who looked over tables of raw data and chose what to put as average statistics and general growth. And there were photographers who got all the pictures, both amateur and professional.

And then there were people like her, Pokemon watchers. Trainers were great for getting information about Pokemon; at least, info on captive Pokemon. Watchers were important for gathering data on Pokemon in the wild. Camping out in Pokemon territory, she saw how Pokemon interacted with each other, both their kin species and those who were not. Some species antagonized each other, like the Zangoose and Seviper populations. Others worked hand in hand (paw in paw?) like the Jigglypuff and Clefairy groups which occasionally gathered to sing in rounds. Still others would ignore any other Pokemon around.

Right now, she was preparing for an extended stay on Mount Pyre, to make observations of the Pokemon living there. A good number of the residents were Ghost types, including some who were rumored or known to go invisible. But that was no longer an obstacle. She now had special eyeglasses and a camera lens that would allow her to see normally invisible things.

She left Fortree heading east. Mount Pyre was actually southeast of here, but the route to get there from here meandered and was full of ledges. While one could cut out a good amount of time by cutting through the forest, there were only unmarked footpaths in there. Not being familiar enough to know to correct ones to take, she opted to take the official route instead. Even if that meant walking around a large crater lake and then walking back over it to the other side.

She paused right before the wooden bridge suspended over the lake. There were other log bridges built like this one around Hoenn, mostly over small rivers. However, this one was over a large lake. There was a twenty-five foot drop to the water's surface, and a good thirty feet at least to the bottom of the crater lake. Despite this, there were absolutely no guard rails on the sides. There were posts every few feet holding up the bridge, but nothing to prevent people from falling off. She hated crossing this particular bridge, but most sides of the lake were walled off by cliffs; the one shore was on the south edge.

Someday, she would earn the right to use Fly and avoid this bridge altogether. Or maybe find a Pokemon willing to Teleport her around things like this. Staying in the center of the bridge, the watcher walked briskly along. Just look ahead, she told herself. Look at the ribbons on the posts if you must. But don't look dow-ow!

Grimacing from her stubbed toes, she stumbled back until she regained her balance. She'd obviously walked into something. However, nothing was there. And whatever she had hit was off the surface, so it couldn't have been the logs. What was it? Nothing?

And she had just the thing to check. Smiling, she pulled out the glasses from her bag; they appeared to have a smoky gray tint to them, but it was actually a film that let her human eyes see just past their visible range. She looked down at the bridge.

There was a Pokemon there. But not a Ghost type. She would have walked right through a Ghost and just had a strange cold feeling. No, this was a large lizard type Pokemon, with a long curling tail and a frilled head. A Kecleon.

On realizing that, the watcher felt excited. It was known that Kecleons lived somewhere in this area, but few had been recorded wild. That was due to their ability to shift their scales to mimic any surface and any color. If one was caught, it was most likely due to the zigzag stripe on their belly, which could shift color, but not texture. This one was laying on its belly to bask in the sunlight, hiding its stripe. As a Normal-type, the watcher had walked right into it.

She was supposed to start a study of Mount Pyre's Pokemon… then again, who knew when she'd run into another Kecleon? Maybe she could use a quick observation of this one to request a search and study of them later. Even if it meant hanging around this bridge for a long period of time, it would be fascinating to study a rare Pokemon like this in the wild.

After taking its picture with and without the revealing lens, she took out a Pokeball to confirm that this was a wild Pokemon. The Kecleon turned its head to observe her when she brought it out. She didn't need to battle it, though. All she needed to do was get the Pokeball's status screen to indicate that it was a valid target. As captured Pokemon were stored as digital data, it changed them just enough for electronics to tell the unseen difference between a captive and wild Pokemon. As it confirmed that this Kecleon was indeed a valid target, she put the Pokeball away and looked for a place to sit for a bit.

On this crazy rail-less bridge, the best spot was near one of the support posts. The watcher walked around the invisible Pokemon and put herself by one of them, closer to the Pokemon's head. Most of them felt more secure if a human watcher was in their sight. This Kecelon eyed her, then put its head down and relaxed again.

There was a slight breeze, but nothing to worry about. The watcher became absorbed in recording data about the sighting. Granted, there wasn't much to write about when a Pokemon was just sleeping there, but any observation could turn out to be important. In the background, she heard footsteps running across the bridge. But she was busy transferring the pictures and sorting out a new file to really notice.

That is, until a teen girl ran right into the Kecleon, tripping right over it and falling on her face.

The watcher jumped, nearly tossing her notebook computer off the bridge and into the lake. A Sceptile turned around and bounded back to the girl in concern; it made a worried query about her condition. On the other hand, the Kecleon merely looked up, undisturbed that someone had just tripped over it.

"Are you okay?" the watcher asked, turning to her bag. "I can get you a first aid kit."

She got up onto her knees and felt her face. Nothing was bleeding, so it seemed. "No time," she said, getting onto her feet. "Gotta race."

But before she could run off, the Kecleon raised its upper body higher off the ground. Its tongue snapped out in the blink of an eye, snatching a candy treat out of the girl's pants pocket. While it lay back down and worked on getting the wrapper off, she jumped and nearly stumbled into her Sceptile turning around. She couldn't see the Kecleon, though.

She could see her. "Hey, what was that for, you weirdo?" she complained, rubbing her hip.

The watcher held her hand up. "I didn't do anything, I swear. You can't see it, but…"

"Gangway!" a boy yelled, rushing down the bridge with a Swampert right behind him.

That was kind of scary, the watcher thought, seeing a bulky Pokemon like that rushing right for her. She grabbed her bag and pulled her knees closer. Nearby, the Sceptile crouched down, ready to fight, or at least stall them. But then the boy tripped over the Kecleon too, crashing into the girl and causing her to yelp. Their combined motions sent them tumbling off the edge of the bridge and into the lake. The Swampert veered off the edge after its Trainer just before it hit the Kecleon. As the first crash sounded, the Sceptile leapt off the bridge too.

Stunned, the watcher just sat there for a moment, blinking. What were those kids up to? A race of some kind? She would never want to race across a bridge like this herself. When she looked over the side, she could see that the boy was clinging to his Swampert, while the girl had called out a Gyrados. The two were arguing.

And the drop left her feeling dizzy and sick to her stomach. She hated straight drops and agreed to the Mount Pyre watch primarily because it didn't have many steep grades. She would still have to avoid the cliffs, though. When she looked back, the Kecleon still looked unbothered by the fuss it was causing.

There was another pair of footsteps running across the bridge. Now, there was a boy and a Blaziken rushing across. That would really not end well, the watcher thought. So she waved her hand. "Watch out kid, there's a…"

"Stay outta my way!" the boy called back, moving himself to the other side.

Good, the watcher thought. He'd at least miss the Kecleon. But his Blaziken was still in the middle, so she tried to wave it over too.

No luck. Not only did the Fire Pokemon run right into the lounging lizard, but the Kecleon stretched its tail out at the right moment to catch the boy and cause him to fall over too. Out of concern for its Trainer, the Blaziken tried to grab hold of him to keep him from hitting the bridge. But their combined motions conspired to throw them off the bridge instead, and into the lake just like the pairs ahead of them.

The watcher looked to the Kecleon, who was still working at the hard candy and lazing about. It curled its tail in and settled its forelegs under its chin. A perfect picture of contentment. Or amusement?

"You really get a kick out of that, don't you?" the watcher asked.

"…cleon…" the Pokemon muttered softly. But there was a sparkle like laughter to its eyes.

Lesson of the Day: If you don't want to be the April Fool, don't hurry.

…

Kecleon Sapphire entry: Kecleon alters its body coloration to blend in with its surroundings, allowing it to sneak up on prey unnoticed. Then it lashes out with its long stretchy tongue to instantly ensnare the unsuspecting target.


	206. Leavanny, Klink

It was a blustery day, with a constant wind. Occasionally, they gusted up so strong that lighter Pokemon were hunkered down in holes, to avoid being blown away. The spring flowers where being battered, the forest trees were struggling to hold onto their buds, and sometimes the tall grass would lay flat. Despite this, Miss Zinnia the Leavanny had things to do. She braved the gusts and the slight chill to go fetch berries for her baking.

"Oh dear," she said, as another strong gust blasted through the trees. She had one hand on her leaf bonnet and another hand clutching her straw basket, even though that left her long skirt to flap on her left side. "I hope all the little Sewaddles are in a shelter. This would be a terrible day for the darlings to be out. I'd better get extra berries today, to make sure they don't go hungry."

Moving quickly she got to the berry patch. Normally, this was a lively place full of Pokemon . It was a place to meet with friends, talk about things, and take care of the plants so that they always gave the best berries. But there seemed to be no one else here today. Zinnia sought out berries that had fallen first, making sure that they weren't starting to rot. Then she gathered up specific ones she wanted for poffins: Bluk, Rawst, Pinap, Nomel… oh, and she should get some Orans too, as they would be comforting to young Pokemon anxious over the weather.

She was moving to the Oran bushes when her feet hit something hard on the ground. It felt like metal, but there usually wasn't metal around here. Looking down, she saw something gray poking out from under a fallen branch. The Leavanny knelt down to toss the branch away and saw what appear to be two interlocked gears. But they had faces on them, with the four eyes closed. It was still, with a single leaf caught between the gear's teeth.

"Hmm? It would be hard to sleep out here." She brushed her leafy hand over the little Pokemon, but didn't get a response. It must have gotten injured somehow, maybe in the branch falling on it. "Poor little one. I wonder if the Sitrus bush has ripe berries." She got up and went to investigate.

In the whole berry patch, there was one lone Sitrus bush. Several Pokemon had tried getting another going, but it was a tough one to start. And it took so long to produce fruit that an agreement had come up to only use the Sitrus berries if someone had been badly injured, like the gear Pokemon back there. A few would even preserve the Sitrus berries if no one needed them so they could be on hand later, but Zinnia didn't have any Sitrus preserves with her.

The bush was a curling stalk, like a vine with the strength to stand on its own. And yes, it did have bright yellow berries, six of them. However, on feeling one, she noticed that they were soft and very ripe. The main reason they hadn't fallen off in the wind was due to a brown husk that attached them to the vine. If they weren't used today, they'd go rotten.

"Well, I hope my neighbors don't mind," she said, then carefully plucked the six berries. To avoid damaging them, she placed them in the center of her basket. Five would make a small jar of preserves, while the sixth could revive the stranger in the field.

She walked back over and then had to decide which mouth she ought to feed. A Pokemon with two faces was unusual and neither was obviously the dominant one. So she picked the left one and squished the berry some, to get the juice to it at least. This managed to stir it enough to allow it to eat the berry itself. The right face moved its mouth to mirror the other, but it didn't seem bothered otherwise. However, it jerked, trying to move the two gears. Zinnia tugged at the stuck leaf to get it out. She could only rip a chunk of it off, but that allowed the gears to move and get rid of the leaf themselves.

Watching her with one set of eyes while examining the area with the other, it seemed wary and scared.

"Don't worry," Zinnia said gently. "I won't hurt you, little cutie. But where did you come from? I haven't seen a Pokemon like you around here. How are you doing?"

The two gears turned as the apparently single Pokemon pushed itself upright. It nearly flipped itself onto its faces, then wobbled as it tried to stay upright. "Klink, klink," one mouth mumbled while the other mouth followed a syllable late, "Klink, klink."

On hearing that, she guessed that it was too young to know how to speak properly. "I see; you must be a Klink." She smiled. "But my, you're quite a long ways from home. Did you get blown away?"

The two faces, even though one was upside-down due to their turning, shifted the inner part forward, nodding. But that made it wobble again.

"Looks like you need some time to rest and recuperate. Why don't you come home with me? I'm called Miss Zinnia. If it's not too windy tomorrow, I could walk with you back to the tower where your kin live." She wasn't sure if she could pick up a turning Pokemon like that comfortably, but she wasn't one to just leave a young one alone.

The Klink agreed to that, relieved to have found a safe person to be with. It bit onto the edge of her skirt with one mouth, letting the other gear rotate around it. It was heavy for a little Pokemon, but the Leavanny finished up her berry gathering and headed back home.

Miss Zinnia lived in a small cavern at the entrance to a deep cave system. Some of her kind preferred to live in hollow trees, but there were enough holes in the rocky roof to let in light, but not rain. And even if it was small for a cave room, it was bigger than the space inside a dead tree, which could collapse on its inhabitants.

Although she offered a bed of hay for a bed, the Klink stayed on the rocky floor, after clearing a space for itself. While she worked at her cooking, she had to admit that it made sense. If a little leaf getting stuck could cause so much trouble to it, then a piece of straw or a pebble could also hurt it. She made some of her poffins and started work on the Sitrus preserve. She even left for a while to visit some Sewaddle nests and give them some poffins and berries, so that they didn't have to go out to get something to eat. When she came back, the Klink was still asleep.

In fact, it wasn't until the next morning that she saw it awake again. The Klink seemed much better, floating around her cave home and nudging rocks, baskets, and any other interesting things. The sun weakly shone through one of the skylight holes and the rustle of trees was gentle, not fierce. From that, she could tell that it would be a good day for the long walk to the tower at the edge of the forest, where a powerful Klinklang was said to live.

"Klink, klink?' it queried, sniffing rows of glass jars. Various colored substances filled them.

"These are my berry and fruit preserves," Zinnia told him, putting up the new Sitrus preserve. "Well, that and some mint jellies over there. I like cooking and baking, so I make these to share with my neighbors in hard times like winter. I also sew a lot." She showed off her hands, which had very sharp cutting edges on them. But it was hardly a threat in this situation. "Why, if you were one of my young neighbors, I'd have sewn a leaf cloak for you to protect yourself from the wind."

"Ki-link, klik klik," the Klink replied, shaking his head but sounding polite about it. It probably didn't want another leaf stuck in its teeth.

"It's all right," she said cheerily. "I know now that it wouldn't work on you. So, I made these instead!" She pulled out a pair of little bowties. "Aren't they cute? I made them out of willow leaves and my silk. The back part is a little bit sticky so that you can take them on and off but they should stay on while you're moving around. I've got a mirror on the wall over there if you want to try putting them on."

The Klink seemed uncertain, but curious. So it went over to the mirror and took the two ties by static telekinesis. After it tried placing them in the middle of its faces, Zinnia giggled and indicated they were to go below its mouths. It spent a moment looking at itself.

Proud of her work, the Leavanny smiled. "There; you're simply adorable now. I don't think anybody would be able to resist you now. Well let's get ready to head out, child. We should be able to reach your home before noon if we don't lollygag."

A few weeks later, an older Klink showed up at her home and offered some nuts in exchange for a set of bowties too. Miss Zinnia happily accepted the job; she would sew for anyone who asked.

…

Leavanny Black entry: Upon finding a small Pokemon, it weaves clothing for it from leaves, using the cutters on its arms and sticky silk.

Klink White entry: Interlocking two bodies and spinning around generates the energy they need to live.


	207. Krabby

Mike the Krabby didn't feel good, but he didn't feel bad either, which was an improvement. A few days ago, he had lost his left claw when a much bigger and nastier sea Pokemon tried to eat him. Letting the claw snap off was worth it as he could escape with his life. But there was a price to be paid for that. It left him feeling drained when one of his claws was growing back in.

Not to mention how hard it was to get around with just one claw. It offset his balance terribly, making it difficult to walk straight. Especially when he tried going sideways; the missing claw would invariably cause one or more of his six legs to fumble. While he could still swim fairly well, that limited him to hunting for food underwater. When he didn't hunt, he had hid to conserve his energy for the regrowth process.

On the sandy sea bottom, he held his claws up and walked around for a while, assuring himself that things were back to normal. After another day, he might even be feeling good again. He was satisfied for now, so began swimming towards the shallower waters and shore. His buddies might be wondering where he was. As long as he didn't get into any fights, he should be okay.

As he swam along, he thought over a conversation he had while recovering. A Staryu had come by his hiding place, but it hadn't been interested in hunting him. Rather, it had tried to talk with him about the future, how he ought to plan in case things turned out even worse than just losing a claw. And how he should ask himself if he was really happy, among other such strange things.

That Staryu had been almost like an alien. Mike had never considered the future before. Most of the time, he was concerned with having a shelter, getting food, and trying to be impressive for the female Krabbies. He also spent a fair amount of time thinking on how to avoid fights and keep on living. But all that other stuff, about finding inner balance, searching for his soul, considering that life itself may be art… it was all hogwash. Mike wasn't even sure what exactly the word 'hogwash' meant, but the Staryu had said that his words were not hogwash, which made the Krabby think that it was.

He had his claw back and the ocean looked to be safe. That was all he needed to be content.

Along the way to the beach, Mike swam into a strange shadow in the water. He looked up to see the source and spotted a peculiar form up there. Thin but sturdy legs stood on a sandbar, one narrow foot just touching the ocean surface. From there, a black form stood over the water with a strange angular form that jutted out and extended beyond where he could easily see now. Whatever it was, it was big.

Was it a predator? Alarmed, Mike hastily blew bubbles, forming them into a cloak around his body. To the eyes of many of his fellow sea creatures, this made him look like a bigger threat. He then walked along the seafloor carefully, ready to scurry away should this thing lunge.

It didn't do anything. Considering that it could be a patient predator that would snap the moment he relaxed, Mike felt it might be smarter to stay away. But then, what was that thing? If it was a new predator, he wanted to know about it so that he could avoid it. And if it wasn't a predator, it would be good simply to confirm that.

Seeing that the sandbar was long, the Krabby crawled over to the far end of it and climbed out of the water's surface. After taking a moment to get used to seeing out of water, he checked on the other side. It turned out to be two black things sitting on the sand. One was smaller, on four legs with a long and narrow top, covered in some kind of padding. As for the bigger thing, it must have been what he saw from the water. It was also on four legs, but it was wide and deep, with its body standing high off the sand. On both things, their legs were perfectly straight, not jointed at all.

So this wasn't a predator, Mike concluded. It seemed to be some object. Probably made by the humans, as they were capable of strange things like this. But what was it doing here?"

His cloak was wearing thin in the air and some bubbles popped. It wasn't important now as he didn't seem to be in danger. Climbing some rocks near the foreign objects, Mike managed to jump onto the smaller thing. Although it too was up off the ground, it held him well. He could see now that the larger object had an extra strangeness. Right in front of him, there was a long row of was seemed to be long and flat teeth. Some were black too, but most were white. But they were on the outside and not attached to any mouth. There did seem to be a slit where a mouth could be. None of it had yet moved.

Feeling fairly certain that this was a non-living object, Mike readied himself, then jumped onto the large object. His landing pressed several of the teeth in, causing the thing to make a multi-tone plunk sound. This startled him, so he moved sideways; the teeth kept pressing in and causing those plunking sounds from inside the body of the object. However, this didn't seem to be anything bad. Just, strange.

He turned about with more plunking and climbed onto the main body. Finally, the noises stopped. The rapping of his feet against the wooden surface seemed to indicate that this thing was partly hollow inside. He rapped his claw against the surface, getting a vibration sound that was like the plunking. More importantly, there was no reaction other than nonthreatening sound. These things weren't dangerous.

Satisfied with that finding, Mike climbed back onto the bench, then hopped down onto the sands. He still had no clue as to why the humans would make something like that and then just leave it here. All that he could figure was that humans were even more alien than Staryu.

...

Krabby Heart Gold entry: If it senses danger approaching, it cloaks itself in bubbles from its mouth so it will look bigger.


	208. Buneary, Onix

At the stage, the Contest Hall was all glamour and style. The floors were kept at a high gloss finish, the vases were kept full of fresh colorful flowers, and the decorations were always high quality. The pictures on the wall kept changing to keep up with rising Pokemon stars and each stage changed appearance according to what type of contest was going on. Every day, hopes and dreams were tested, sometimes rewarded, by the crowds and judges.

Backstage, there was still opulence, but it was less dramatic. The floors were tiled, the walls were plain, and the rooms were small. The furnishings were nice and soft, but the only thing that mattered for her was that the trim on the couch was long, and good for hiding. Down there under the shadows, the Buneary trembled and curled her body up tight. Both of her ears were drawn in, to make her as small as possible. Now if she could just be missed for a little while…

"Lulu? Oh, there you are."

Nope, it was too good to last. She crawled closer to the wall. There, she ought to be out of reach.

The peach-colored trim was lifted up as the face of her Trainer and Coordinator peered in sideways. One of her eyes had silvery eye shadow, while the other hadn't been done yet. "Lulu, you've got to get ready too. Come on out; they keep this place pretty nice, but there might be dust bunearies under there."

Lulu shook her head, curling back up. There might be dust under here, but she didn't care. She did not want to go back on stage again. Not not not. And nothing was going to convince her otherwise.

The human crouched down. "It's your first big show, dear, and we've been practicing for so long. You could be the star this time and it's for a special holiday event. I know you've been eager for it; you can't let one bad experience keep you from contests forever."

Yes, it was one bad experience that frightened her. However, she knew that that Pokemon was going to be a part of this show. And that Pokemon was going to try to hurt her again. That's why she couldn't go out.

After looking elsewhere briefly, the human girl looked back to the Buneary. "Besides, Balboa's going to be with you this time. I know that if she gets aggressive again, then he'll stand up for you. It's going to be all right."

Lulu let one of her ears uncurl a bit. Oh right, there was her brother. If he was going to be with her, then things might be okay. They normally weren't entered in the same contests, as they appealed to two different Contest types. But would his presence be enough to keep her from attacking? It wasn't supposed to be a battle show, but she said that wasn't enough to stop her…

"You'll be fine, sis," her brother Balboa said, although she couldn't see him from under the couch. "I'll be right there on stage the whole time."

"O-okay," Lulu said, creeping out from under the couch.

"That's a good girl," her Trainer cooed, quickly bringing out a brush to make sure that there wasn't any dust in her brown and tan fur. "Maybe I'll train you in battles a bit more before the next show. It'll build up your courage."

Her brother slithered up to them. Half-brother, really, which made the relationship even stranger as their shared parent was a Ditto belonging to the girl's family. He was an Onix and many years older than her. That was evident in the naturally smooth rocky skin he had, which often gleaned dark gray and black under the stage lights. Around a year ago, the girl's parents had sent her on her journey with Balboa to start with, as well as Lulu herself when she was just an egg. They hadn't even known what she was, as their mother was notorious for escaping the house and not telling anyone where she had been. But the Onix had sworn that he would protect his younger sibling, no matter what the egg hatched out to be.

Balboa nudged her gently with his nose, avoiding hitting her with his horn. "Most Pokemon are good folks. And the bad ones won't always get away with being mean."

"But she's a really mean one," Lulu said, although she tried not to tremble again. "And really bad. I don't want to be mean."

"It's not mean to stand up for yourself," he pointed out.

Their girl looked up at the clock and got worried. "We can't stall much longer or we'll get a lateness penalty. Let's get you into your costumes and I need to finish my makeup."

Balboa held his head up and gave a happy rumble. "All right! I get to wear my awesome costume for a show!"

Lulu uncurled her other ear and twitched it. "But brother, you're playing the grass."

Undeterred, he grinned. "It's still an awesome costume. And it'll be fun to play against type."

Right on the hour, the special Easter show began. Balboa slithered out early, before the curtain even rose, to get into place. Lulu had to admit, his costume was really great. Build on a series of harnesses that went over his body, it had silk-made grasses of various heights and greens on top of a brown cover that helped the illusion that he was a natural part of the 'landscape'. Although, it was kind of funny that his whole role in the special contest was to simply lie still and stay awake.

Her costume was cute, as usual. She had a sunny yellow checked bonnet with a wide baby pink ribbon and white lace, a white lacy apron with a floral decoration on its front pocket, a painted pink egg in the pocket, and white slippers. While she didn't see the mean Pokemon, there were only two other Coordinators on this side of the stage.

"And welcome everyone to our special Easter Improv Contest!" the announcer called from the judges box. "Today, nine special Pokemon and six quality Coordinators will come together to tell a spontaneous story for the occasion. The Coordinators are to give their Pokemon instructions according to the storyteller's prompts, while the storyteller will adjust the story based on how well the Pokemon act. And here is our special mystery storyteller and the Coordinators."

Lulu clutched her paws together and waited nervously through the introductions of the storyteller and the Coordinators. Then, the story began as the white masked storyteller checked his notes for the Pokemon introductions. "For years upon years, the occasion of Easter has been marked by a special magical Chansey who decorates eggs and hides them to be found by children, offering rewards for those who return the eggs to her. And here is our lovely Easter Chansey!"

"Yaaaay!" came a spirited call from the other side of the stage as a pink Chansey came hopping out. She was dressed to look like a mess, strangely enough, with various colored dyes putting a rainbow of speckles all over her fur. Behind one ear, she wore a large paintbrush. And the egg she carried in her pouch was painted with colored pawprints. The audience laughed.

"And a very enthusiastic girl she is," the storyteller remarked. "But this year, she has decided to hide her eggs in more places than ever before. She can't make it to all those places alone, though, so she has called for assistants in her fellow Pokemon. And here they come, one by one, starting with a darling Bellsprout."

The Bellsprout near her, dressed in ribbons and flowers, came out onto the stage. Lulu watched and listened as the Pokemon cast was called out, one by one as he had said. So far, they all looked to be all right. She even recognized a few from regular shows. And then she got called to come out, as a 'cuddly Buneary'.

Feeling her insides twisted up in nervousness, Lulu came out. Use the Contest walk, she thought, and she smiled for the audience. But it didn't work too well this time. She didn't feel as confident as usual. About the best thing that happened was that she didn't trip and break the egg in her pocket.

And the storyteller picked up on that. "She's all eager to help, even bringing a decorated egg of her own, but she's very nervous about not getting picked. And finally, there came a second Buneary, a pretty and fluffy one."

Oh no, that was her. Lulu stepped closer to her brother as she came in. Fluffs was indeed pretty, with thick fluffy fur that was the envy of many Cute competitors. And she was dressed very prettily today, in a candy pink bonnet with a red ribbon, pink slippers, and a basket under one arm holding onto real clovers and cute little flowers. She walked with confidence, and smiled at the audience. Although when Fluffs saw Lulu, her smile briefly turned wicked.

The Chansey was clapping, oblivious to any tension among the others. The storyteller went along with it. "Ah yes, seven sweet young Pokemon have answered the Easter Chansey's call for help. Now they must prove their enthusiasm and artistry to become the Easter Chansey's assistants."

For several minutes, they went through various actions. The storyteller would suggest something, like singing a song. The Chansey's Coordinator would give her instructions to sing something, then the others would have their Pokemon copy what she had done (save for Balboa, who had to stay still and be grass). While Lulu did her best to do a good job, Fluffs was all attitude, acting snobbish. She took the cues, but didn't always follow exactly.

And then there came a game, which the Chansey decided would be Patty-cake for some reason. Lulu ended up paired up with Fluffs. Knowing that the humans wouldn't understand them, the other Buneary smirked at her. "Oh, it's the coward again. I thought I told you to get out of Contests." She shifted the clover in her basket, revealing a small knife hidden in there. Then she whispered, "I can make sure that your career is absolutely ruined if you decide to keep going."

Curling both her ears up at the sight of the knife, Lulu hopped back. "Um, um, the play…"

"I don't care," she whispered again.

"Hey," Balboa said, breaking his character to lift his head up and glare at her.

Although he looked a bit goofy wearing that serious expression with the ruffles of grass, it startled Fluffs enough that she dropped her basket. "Eek! Where'd you come from?"

"And an Onix unexpectedly digs up through the ground, interrupting the games," the storyteller said, accompanied by laughter from the audience. "What is he up to, I wonder? Trying to stop the Easter egg hiding?"

Balboa was still glaring at Fluffs. "Don't mess with my little sister," he said sternly.

"Hey, hey, what's up?" the paint-speckled Chansey called out, hopping over. She spotted the glitter of metal among the spilled clover. "Oh, what's this?" She picked up the knife to where everyone, the audience, the judges, the Coordinators, and the storyteller, could tell it. Seeing that it had come out of Fluffs' basket, she fumed. "Now what are you doing threatening another Pokemon during an improv play? That's horrible manners."

"It seems a strange twist has come up," the storyteller said, working his mind quickly to explain the situation. "The fluffy Buneary wants to be the best Buneary and is willing to threaten others to back down, so she's tried to scare the cuddly Buneary into giving up. But the legendary guardian of the Earth has noticed and sent a champion to keep anyone from being hurt. And I don't think the Easter Chansey is too happy with someone bringing a weapon to her gathering."

The Chansey picked up the basket, put the knife in it, then handed it to Fluffs' Coordinator. "Now you leave the play," she ordered. "Miss Lulu can play with Vicky instead. That gives us even numbers."

"Sure," the Bellsprout said, waddling over to center stage on her thin roots.

"Now I'll go back to being grass," Balboa said, then put his head back down and closed his eyes. However, he remained alert in case of further trouble.

At the end of the show, both Lulu and Balboa earned special occasion ribbons for their efforts, while Fluffs was banned from ever entering Contests again.

…

Buneary HG/SS entry: You can tell how it feels by the way it rolls its ears. When it's scared, both ears are rolled up.

Onix Leaf Green entry: As it grows, the stone portions of its body harden to become similar to black-colored diamonds.


	209. Makuhita, Darumaka

As it was morning, many of the farm Pokemon had been let out to roam the pastures. But the barn wasn't quite empty. At the table, a Makuhita was finishing off its traditional big breakfast. He would become a guard when older and evolved, but for now he prepared and did miscellaneous tasks. A Darumaka was also inside, but he was bounding all over: hopping off the walls, racing around the hay-lined straws, and running along beams. Although he had been brought in by one of the kids, he didn't have a permanent assignment on the farm.

"I hope they don't release me," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "I like my boy, I like traveling, but what do I do here when my boy is here? I don't want to leave, but I've got to do something. What do I do today? They don't like me chasing the Mareep." His rushing around brought him to land on the table that the Makuhita was eating at. "Hey, hey, what're you gonna do now, Frankie? Fritz needs to do something important."

The Makuhita twitched the ears on top of his head, then picked up his food dish to put it away. "Train."

Fritz darted off the table and on top of the food cabinet. "Train? You always train when awake. But you eat so much that you stay fat-sy. I don't mind doing chores, because it's important, and some training is important, but training all the time? What do you do for fun? I always have some fun every day. What do you have fun doing?"

"Training," Frankie replied. Now that his things were set aside to be washed, he headed for the door.

"How can so much training be fun?" the Darumaka said, bounding off the cabinet. "I mean, some training is fun, but after a while, I get tired and bored with it, so I stop."

"Sleep more," he advised.

Before the conversation could continue, the farmer appeared in front of the barn door. He was pushing a wheelbarrow with two large bags, several small bags, and an assortment of tools in it. "Ah, Frankie, Fritz, I found you both in the same spot. Good. I have something I need you two to get done."

Fritz yapped his agreement and rushed over to the other side of the wheelbarrow. Putting his paws on the edge, he peered in. "Oh, yes, yes! I'll help if it means that I can stay with my boy here at the farm. What do I do, huh? I'll do whatever it is as best I can."

Smiling, the farmer patted the red furred Pokemon. "Easy now, Fritz. Here, I have some goods that need to be taken to the town market today." He picked up the two large bags and set one down. "I'm gonna put these bags of goods on you two, so don't get them damaged. And take these bracelets so that the market workers know which vendor you're taking things to. Get them there before noon; the vendor might have some things to return, so wait until you know you have them, then come right back home." He knelt down to put one backpack onto the Darumaka.

Fritz saluted with his right paw. "Oh yes, I can make deliveries! I'll get there good and quick, and not damage anything! You just watch my fiery trail." Once he had the backpack and bracelet, he darted off towards the road.

The farmer chuckled, then helped Frankie put his pack on. "Enthusiastic little guy. Okay, Frankie, I gave you a few things that might bruise if you handle them roughly, so be careful. And make sure that little fellow stays on track and gets the job done. He's a good Pokemon, I can tell, but he doesn't keep his focus well."

Nodding, the Makuhita got the bracelet on his own wrist. "Will do." He picked up a few supplies for himself, then started off towards the road at a quick walk. If he had things that could get bruised (probably fruits and berries), he didn't want to be running.

At the road, he found Fritz looking down both ways. On seeing him, the younger Pokemon looked sheepish. "Um, uh, I haven't been to town except with my boy. Which way is town? And how far is it?"

Frankie pointed with a gloved hand to the east. "Stay on the road and we will get there."

Fritz laughed. "Hey, that's more words than usual out of you! Okay, I'll race you there! And I'll be there first!" He took off down the road, with the Makuhita following at a less hurried pace.

Rushing along, the Darumaka was in high spirits. The air was nice and warm, with a happy sun shining overhead. The dirt road felt great as it passed underneath his paws. Inside, he could feel the fires burning (but this was entirely a good thing, since he lived by and loved fire). Oh yes, he could be a delivery Pokemon? He would get parcels distributed fast. Sure, he'd have to figure out how to get them all to the right spots, but they would arrive as fast as a wildfire driven by the wind!

But… this road was so long. He saw fences and farms pass by on either side. There were several trees around, but not many buildings. Before, he hadn't really noticed, as he'd been focused on entertaining his boy and fighting battles for him. But where was town? And Fritz was starting to feel tired.

On pausing to take a break, he felt his internal fires cool down. Maybe there would be time for a quick nap? Fritz closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Some time later, Frankie came upon the Darumaka sleeping at the side of the road. He knew the farmer's son liked this Pokemon a lot, but also knew that his kind wasn't all that suited for farm life. Sure, his fires would be nice in the winter, but not if he couldn't sit still. The Makuhita still hoped that the younger Pokemon could find the discipline to be a good worker. Maybe when he evolved.

He nudged him with his foot. "Fritz."

"Hmm?" The Darumaka opened his eyes and got up. "Oh, hey Frankie. What're you doing here…? Oh, the deliveries! You caught up! Well that's not gonna last. I'm still gonna get there first and beat you! Catch me if you can!" Then he hurried off once again.

Frankie shrugged and went back to his quick walk. He was fairly certain that he'd encounter Fritz again, before they reached the market. Actually, it would be better that way.

As he thought, he came across the Darumaka again. He wasn't asleep this time, just drinking carefully out of a stream. But he did look and sound weary. "Oh, no good, no good. There's nothing to eat around here and I so hungry… the road is so long, why does it have to be so long. Town should be just right there; it's more fun with the humans around."

"Patience," the Makuhita said, coming over to get a drink himself. The water wasn't quite as nice as the good stuff humans got out of bottles, but it was suitable.

"This is a long trip," Fritz complained. "Why you seem so awake and ready still? I've been trying to find nuts or berries, but there's nothing edible around. Why you still going?"

"Good breakfast," Frankie explained. Wanting to help, he pulled out an oatmeal and berry bar that he had grabbed before he left the farm and offered it to him. It was something the human women made, and they were great travel food. "Eat well."

The Darumaka took it with glee. "Oh, thank you! You have saved me! I must learn to be better prepared, be like you. You don't mind, right?" He took the bar out of its plastic wrap and chomped off a quarter of it. "Iff wovfff disfff stuffff." Then he swallowed. "It's hard to live on a farm, right? Cause on the road, you mostly battle and that comes naturally. But farm stuff, that's not always easy. I didn't think town was so far away. But! I will get there first, to show that I'm still worthy!" He bit off another piece of the oatmeal bar, then took off running.

Frankie twitched his ears. "Don't get sick," he said. Then he took out another bar and ate it while walking along.

An hour after that, the Makuhita caught up with the Darumaka a third time. This time, Fritz was huddled by a rock, shivering. "Oh no, oh no… no, I can be brave, I am brave for my boy. But he is so tough; there is no way around him. What do I do, what do I do?"

"What happened?" Frankie asked, stopping by the rock.

Fritz pointed with a shaky small paw. "Th-there's a BIG tough Pokemon blocking the road. I can see town, yes, yes, but he is blocking the road and will let no one pass. I would have jump past the fence, run, then jump the fence into town, but he gives me the evil eye and I run away. I fight good, yeah, but not good enough to beat him."

Nodding, the Makuhita waved him to come out. "Then, we both fight. Come."

"You sure?" When he got another nod, Fritz came out. "Um, okay. I'll try. But he's big, and tough. I hope we don't get smushed."

A bit further down the road, they came to a place where the fences came right up alongside the road. In the center of the road, there was indeed a great big and tough looking Pokemon standing there, stirring up dust with his front hoof. A large bulk of fluffy brown fur surrounded his head, but the long sharp-pointed horns made sure it was taken for a credible threat.

When he saw them, the Bouffalant bellowed. "I am a road block!" he yelled. "None shall pass by me! Be gone, heathen invaders!"

"Eep," the Darumaka said in a little squeal, drawing his limbs in closer to become compact. He was trembling.

On the other hand, Frankie took off his backpack and set it on the side of the road. Then he pounded his fist into his chest, making the bulk of his stomach area wobble. "Delusional," he said, then rushed down the road at the Bouffalant.

The other Pokemon snorted and lowered his head, putting his horns in the Makuhita's way. While Fritz watched wide-eyed, Frankie ignored the horns and rammed his stomach into the Bouffalant's head. The blow was powerful enough to knock the larger Pokemon back a few feet. Then, the Makuhita pounded his chest again.

"Get out of the way," he said sternly.

Now it was the Bouffalant who seemed frightened. He sniffled. "Bully." Then he trotted off, running when he felt himself out of sight.

Coming out of his defensive curl, Fritz hopped over to Frankie. "Oh, you're amazing! I have to learn to be brave like you. I have to be a great Pokemon so that they don't ever release me and I can stay with my boy. How do you do it, huh? Will you teach me?"

"Never give up," Frankie said, going back for his backpack.

Fritz scratched his head. "Ah, okay. I will get better, you will see." Looking at the gate into town, the Darumaka grinned, then rushed to get past it. "And hah! I got to town before you did! It was very close, though, and you probably did a better job. Um, where's the market?"

Frankie chuckled as he walked into town too. "Come with me."

…

Sapphire entry: Makuhita has a tireless spirit – it will never give up hope. It eats a lot of food, gets plenty of sleep, and it trains very rigorously. By living this way, this Pokemon packs its body with energy.

Darumaka Black entry: When its internal fire is burning, it cannot calm down and it runs around. When the fire diminishes, it falls asleep.


	210. Cacturne

A pair of humans walked across the desert. Since this place was remote, days of travel from the nearest town, this was unusual enough. But these two looked foreign… smelled foreign. They wore clothes that were not faded from the sun, and did not have any sand grains, thorns, or stickler seeds on them. And they smelled faintly of oil, smoke, and harsh chemicals. The only scent that was common of that in the desert was smoke, and even their smoke was different than what the fire Pokemon produced.

Standing alongside a footpath, the Cacturne closed her eyes as they approached. Standing as she was, she blended into the landscape, matching the non-moving tall cactuses. It was late day, so she was awake but not ready to move yet. There was still sunshine falling onto her tough green skin.

"Are you sure we ended up in another world, instead of just teleporting to a place in our own?" the smaller man asked. He smelled nervous, but he didn't seem to notice her.

"Of course we ended up in another world!" the taller man snapped. "I was the one who set up the portal to do that, so this must be a different place. And we're going to bring back proof of this, once we find something that is definitely different."

"Can't we just take back a sample of one of the plants? Its genetic structure would likely be different from anything on Earth."

"If you think I'm going to be satisfied with something mundane like that, you clearly don't know me well enough." They stopped near her, in the shadow she cast.

The Cacturne opened her eyes a slit to see the pair checking some kind of machine. The shorter one said, "I don't see why you had to drag me along. And close the portal back. If you can't target where we'd end up, how are you going to target our home world?"

The taller man grumbled, "It's easy, but the explanation would fly over your daft head. I know what I'm doing, even in bringing someone like you along." He then looked around, so she closed her eyes again. "Of all the places we could have shown up, we had to get a dead desert. I should have sent a camera on a pole in first. That's the only problem," he quickly said the last part. "Targeting these portals is going to be a pain, but that's the only fault of my technology."

"Yes sir," the smaller man said in a defeated tone of voice. It was like one who knew he was with a mad man and knew better than to argue sense into him. But then, why would he be following a mad man? The Cacturne lived out in the desert, but even she had better sense than that. "This place doesn't look all that dead, though."

"This desert is going to cause us only minor obstacles," the mad one said. "I know all about survival. Like if you need water, all you have to do is this."

The Cacturne then felt a sharp metal object slice into her hip. The shock of the unexpected pain was so intense that she froze up in fright. Although she knew it was metal, she felt that there was something different about it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have cut in so deeply. Perhaps in being human made instead of something a Pokemon grew.

"Well doesn't that just beat all," the tall man grumbled. "You're supposed to get water out of these things, not rusty sand."

"D-did that cactus just move?" the other asked. He stepped further up the path, away from her.

"It's a dumb old plant," he said, walking away briskly. "We've barely been here an hour and you're already experiencing heat delusions? Worthless. Come on; I'm not responsible for what happens if a pansy like you gets lost."

Opening her eyes back up, she saw them continue down the footpath. Normally, Pokemon did not hurt humans. It was allowable if it was in self-defense. However, she hadn't acted in time. Perhaps it was okay if she made him feel the hurt she did.

But the cut hurt enough that she didn't want to move her legs. She focused her energy on transforming the sun's energy into healing energy for her. With time, her sandy blood stopped flowing and the cut closed up tight. The pain relented some, but she still felt an ache there. By that time, the sun was down.

Good. Night was the best time to move. Carefully, the Cacturne moved her injured hip to step onto the path. It wasn't too bad until she had to move her other leg and got an increase in pain from the cut. After a few steps, she figured out how to adjust her stride so that she didn't have weight on her injury for long. Then she limped along the path, following the foreigners' scents.

Even though some time had passed, their smells were strange enough hat she easily picked them out over everything else. She was quite used to tracking this way. When she was out hunting, the Cacturne would follower her prey throughout the night, and even into the day some, until they grew too weary from the harsh desert. She usually didn't have to deal with a pain in her hip, though. But she did not want to give up on this pair unless she absolutely had to.

They had wandered around in places, but always returned to the path. It was not like a trail of a prey animal, which would try to confuse her if it knew she was there. No, this was the trail of a pair of oblivious beings. What were they doing here? If they kept on like this, they would perish before reaching civilization. Not that it would be a bad thing to her. Pokemon weren't supposed to hurt humans… but if they died, well, meat was meat. That was the ruling of the predators.

After getting over a hill, the Cacturne spotted the two strange humans examining an item. They had objects that cast out a beam of light in front of them. The tall one dropped it. "It's just a boot," he said, disgusted. "Who would ever just leave one old boot in the middle of a desert? I can understand if it was a pair near an old skeleton, but why one?"

"Maybe it has a manufacturing mark?" the other suggested. "That would prove that this was a different world."

"Make my proof an old boot? How ridiculous."

The short guy was trying to be helpful, the Cacturne noticed. But why was he hanging around the obnoxious tall one? Whatever the case was, she made sure she had plenty of needles, then fired them at the jerk's hip. They were small, gray, and thin, probably not like the weapon that had hurt her.

But they were still effective, causing him to yelp when blood was drawn. "Who the..?" the tall one shouted, turning around and stopping his threat when he cast his light at her. It was nearly as bright as the sun, causing her to wince and briefly lose vision of anything beyond the whiteness. Still, she limped a few steps down the hill towards them, growing a new set of throwing thorns.

"I think it's that cactus you tried cutting for water earlier," the short man said, nervously backing away again. "So this really is a different world."

"Well what right does it have to attack me?" he demanded, now aiming his light beam at her eyes. In response, she closed them and threw her next set of thorns towards the sound of his voice.

There was scrambling to get out of the way. "You did slash into it and hurt it."

He snorted. "We ought to capture it; it may be a plant, but it would be perfect proof!"

"And how do you intend to capture an angry walking cactus that can throw thorns at us?"

"Shut up, imbecile. This is not the time to turn into a wise cracker." He aimed the light beam away from her, so she risked opening her eyes again. Her view was vague, but quickly sharpened as he pulled out another handheld machine. "I do have a bunch of its thorns now. We can use genetic tests to prove that we were here. I am a genius." Then he fired the other machine off behind the two men.

A glowing blue orb traveled several feet from the machine, then stopped and formed a number of spinning rings around it. Quickly, the rings expanded. A strange black space appeared there; the Cacturne sensed an intense power of time and space concentrated in those rings.

"Right," the short man said to his companion, then fled with him through the portal. After they were both gone, the blue orb swallowed up its rings and vanished.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark again, the Cacturne looked down at the footprints of the two men. Hopefully, that was the last she would see of them. Since no other creature seemed to be about, she limped over to a tall plain cactus and stood there with her back to it. The desert was a dangerous place, even to its inhabitants. A predator who displayed a prominent limp like she had now could become prey itself.

…

Cacturne Emerald entry: After spending thousands of years in harsh deserts, its blood transformed into the same substances as sand. It is nocturnal, so it hunts at night.


	211. Finneon, Lumineon

At night, the world seas often sparkled, holding little lights like shimmering stars in their depths. Some areas had a great many Staryu and Starmie causing this. Other areas held populations of Chinchou and Lanturns. In this part of the world, it was the Finneon and Lumineons that made the waters of night shine. While the older ones remained on the sea beds, many Finneons came up to the surface and could be seen from land.

One Finneon in particular kept coming close to the low bridge that sat between a small island and the mainland. Humans came up to the bridge often, and they would fish for Pokemon. For several nights now, he had been getting himself caught on purpose. He wanted to be a Trainer's Pokemon. It was an exciting prospect. If he got captured, he could go on a journey to see the world, become stronger, and be well-known throughout the world! He could also wind up as just somebody's house pet, but that was fine too. Anything would be better than staying in the sea.

However, the fishermen kept throwing in him back. They had plenty of other fish Pokemon, but none seemed interested in keeping him. It was frustrating. What did he have to do to leave? Was he just not good enough? Attractive enough? If he knew what would get a fisherman to keep him, he'd do whatever it took.

Tonight, it seemed like all the usual humans on the bridge tonight. That was disappointing; he already knew that none of them would take him. As he considered taking a trip to find another fishing spot, another blue and black Finneon surfaced beside him. "Hey Mark," she said, "Your Mom's asking to see you soon."

He frowned. "Is she? I'm a grown Pokemon now; I wish she'd quit nagging me."

The girl Finneon splashed him with her fin. "Aw, she just worries about you a lot. I wish my mother would worry about me too. She practically shoved me away. So be glad you have one that cares enough to nag."

"You say that because you're not the one who has to deal with it," Mark muttered. "Okay, fine, I'll go down and see her."

"Good." She then dove back down.

Not long after, he followed suit. There was something that bugged him about the Lumineons. Why did they always stick to the bottom of the ocean? A Pokemon couldn't be seen well down there. If they were up at the surface, other Pokemon and the humans would admire them more. Sure, prey was easier to catch down there, as the low-light denizens were attracted to or hypnotized by their natural glow. But the opinion of one's food didn't matter.

Once he got to the murky sea bed, he then spent some time trying to figure out where his mother was. It wasn't as easy as finding yellow-green glows, as that could be any Lumineon down here. Eventually, he did spot her familiar pattern and swam over. Mark increased the glow of his line markings to get her to notice.

She was soon by his side. "Ah, there you are Mark. Look, I found an area with some pretty pearls." She handed over a small one. "You could go look for a larger one to be a treasure to keep. Or to give away to a sweet girl." At that, she winked and smiled.

He examined the pearl in his fin. It was white with a faint pink blush to it, but it was much to small to be a worthwhile gift. "Mom, I don't have time for those kid games now," he said. "I'm trying to find myself a Trainer. I think I might have to swim far off to find one who will take me."

Shaking her head, she sighed. "Oh Mark, I've told you many times before: that isn't a good idea. You'll only end up disappointed, maybe even heartbroken. The humans don't care for our kind much. Best you could get is being put into an aquarium and then we'd never see each other again."

"I can prove how great I am, once a Trainer captures me. I'll prove everyone wrong. So I can't be wasting time."

The Lumineon bumped her head against his side. "I'm just concerned about your well being. But if you must do this…"

She was finally starting to give in? Excited and not wanting to let her change her mind, Mark gave her a head bump back. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "I love you too, Mom, and I'll remember you. Bye!" He then darted off back to the surface.

"I suppose I couldn't have kept you around forever," his mother said sadly, although he didn't hear.

Back at the surface, the Finneon considered which way to go to find another fishing spot. But on looking at the low bridge, he spotted a new human. This one didn't look like the other fishermen: he was younger and didn't wear the same things. Yet he was pulling out a fishing pole and a Pokemon was waiting by his side. One last chance at being caught here? Mark decided to take it by watching where the teenager threw his line.

He swam right for that area to search for the hook. Or rather, the bait. It looked like a small non-Pokemon fish floating around. However, it didn't swim like it should and it smelled far more tasty. Mark already knew from experience that he couldn't really eat it. But to be caught, he bit down on the fake fish.

That familiar force of the hook grabbed onto his mouth, then the human started reeling him in. He was rougher with it than the others. By the time Mark broke through the surface, he was hurting a bit already. He was left flopping on the bridge looking up at an unfamiliar Pokemon.

"Well that's a new one," the human said. "Crusher, False Swipe it."

"Sure thing, boss," the Pokemon said in a sarcastic tone. Mark put up a show of a fight, hoping he made himself look good. Still, it was hard to be cool when he was being attacked painfully and didn't seem to have much of an effect on his foe.

Right as he thought that he might faint, he felt a force similar to the hook energy. The world went blurry; was he finally being captured? Mark accepted it, but it was so disorienting. The energy dug deep into his body and seemed to be changing it. Once it had absorbed into him fully, it healed the damage he had taken and calmed his nerves.

"Hey newbie!" a loud voice called out. "Welcome to the lunatic asylum!" It laughed.

"Huh?" Mark opened his eyes and found himself swimming in place, in the air. He saw a Mr. Mime there, standing on the gray cobblestone ground. All around them, there were well trimmed bushes and trees. Several other Pokemon were milling around too. "Lunatic asylum?"

The Mr. Mime clapped his hands together and grinned. "Yeah, this is where you are going to go crazy, just like the rest of us."

"I told you to stop greeting the new ones like that," a Buizel said while walking over. "There's a reason that nobody likes you."

Crossing his arms over his chest, the Mr. Mime sniffed. "I'm just giving them the truth. There's no escape. You're stuck here forever."

"You don't know that."

"Where are we exactly?" the Finneon asked, swimming closer to the Buizel.

"We're inside of a computer storage device for Pokemon, a Box," he said. "That guy who caught you, Jim, he caught everybody in here. But he only keeps a few out with him. The rest of us are waiting until he decides to use us too."

"But he won't, ever," the Mr. Mime said. "We're stuck in the Box."

Mark figured that the Mr. Mime was messing with him, so he struck up a friendship with the Buizel. Some of the other Pokemon in the Box were friendly, but there were others that did seem a bit on the crazy side. To himself, the Finneon promised that when he got taken back out, he would prove himself to be a great Pokemon, worthy of being kept out of the Box.

* * *

Time was incredibly hard to tell in the Box. The light changed from time to time, but it didn't feel right to Mark. From time to time, new Pokemon came in and others left. Some spoke of having been moved from a different Box without going back to the 'real world'. But he and the Buizel stayed, as did the Mr. Mime.

One time, Mark woke up to find his small pearl missing. The Mr. Mime taunted him that the Trainer Jim stole anything that the captured Pokemon came with. he wasn't the only one who lost a precious item coming in. Trying to ignore the teasing, the Finneon told himself that once he got free again, he could get another pearl easily. He could even get a bigger and prettier one.

But in thinking of that, as time went on in the Box, Mark grew discouraged. When was he getting out? It seemed harder and harder to get excited about growing strong. More often than not, he found himself missing his mother and his home waters. Maybe she was right.

Then one day, he got withdrawn from the Box.

He found himself back in the real world, outside of a Pokecenter with Jim and another strange unfamiliar Pokemon. Mark found himself able to swim in the air, thanks to the mysterious power of the Pokeball. Swishing his large tail fins, he felt his excitement peak again. "Oh, you're finally going to use me? Great! You'll see how good I am."

The strange Pokemon laughed. "Dream on, wimp."

Kneeling down, Jim started to attach a band to Mark. "All right, you're the next one." When the band clicked, he slipped his fingers underneath to check how secure it was. Then he recalled the Finneon to his Pokeball. "Let's go," he said, sounding weary. "This is taking forever."

Mark wondered what was going on. He wasn't sure how he was going to be released from the Pokeball, as he had gone from being caught straight to the Box. How was he going to prove himself if he was going to stay in the ball? He closed his eyes.

And then, something peculiar happened. The band emitted a warm energy and Mark began to experience something. He was walking (walking!) along a dirt path, right beside Jim the Trainer. He was a different shape, a different body. However, he couldn't control anything he did. Was he actually experiencing what the other Pokemon was doing?

"Okay, let's find a fight," Jim said as the pair walked into a patch of tall grass. "I hope this doesn't take forever like the last one did."

"More fights for me," the Pokemon with him said. "I don't care." He spotted a movement in the grass and rushed forward to attack. Mark had a brief glimpse of a frightened Pokemon before it was knocked unconscious.

Such power… it was nothing like Mark had ever known! This was how he wanted to be, able to defeat opponents easily, barely breaking a sweat. And with this band, it was like he was fighting the battles himself. While the other was a land Pokemon that fought much differently than he did, the Finneon felt that he was learning much quicker than he did when he was fighting on his own in the sea. This seemed to confirm that he had made the right decision to be captured.

After several hours of this, including times when the other Pokemon was briefly rested and healed, Mark felt a well of energy burst from within. Was it already time? He thought that it would take a couple more years before he was ready. But no, he was evolving now. It was like the time he had been captured, but the power that invaded him felt much more natural and less invasive. It took over his body and changed it, shifting the positions of his fins, making them bigger, changing the glowing portions, and bulking up his body. When the energy calmed down, Mark was released once more, but as a Lumineon.

And I won't be one to hide on the bottom of the sea bed, he thought proudly. I'll get to be out in the sun and show off the majesty of my kind to all of the humans. With that, surely he would change how the whole world viewed him and his kin.

Jim had the Pokeball Mark resided in attached to another device and was quietly reviewing the information. Then, he frowned. "Hmm… disappointing."

Wait, what? Mark looked up to the human, wondering what could make him say that. He'd never fought for him, had never gotten a chance to show his stuff. How could he disappoint without ever doing anything.

"Those stats aren't good enough to compare with what I've already got; not enough potential." Grumbling, he detached the Pokeball, then took the band off Mark's outer right front fin, where it had moved when he evolved. "At least the Experience Share is helping get data for the Professor. Otherwise, this doesn't seem to be worth the bother as I seem to have picked right in the first place." He then recalled Mark to his Pokeball and headed off.

And not even an hour later, he was back in the Box.

* * *

Buizel was now a Floatzel, as he had gone through the Experience Share ordeal too. The two of them had been moved to a Box that was like a shallow sea bed. Also in the sea bed Box, there were many other underwater Pokemon inhabiting the virtual landscape. While it was closer to home, Mark somehow felt more homesick while in there.

At least they didn't have to deal with the horrid Mr. Mime anymore. Not that some of the other ones weren't crazy too. The Lumineon began to get depressed.

And then, after a great deal more time, Mark and the Floatzel were removed from the Box again. Neither of them was optimistic about their prospects, so it was a surprise to be called out into the sea. They and a number of their Box neighbors were there, but Jim was not. Instead, there was a young woman with very short orange-red hair.

"I'm hoping this makes me worthy," she said, kneeling down at the edge. "I'm going off to join that Team Plasma, but I want to make sure that they'll take me So I hacked into my dumb brother's account and I'm going to release all you Pokemon that he's got wasting away in there. I was told how… let's see if I've got this right." She started fiddling with a wrist device and the Pokeballs, getting the Pokemon detached from them.

It took some time as she had to do them one by one. "So we get to go back to the wild?" his friend asked. "I'm not sure where my home is from here."

"This is my home area," the Lumineon said. "I was caught right here, actually. I want to go see my mother."

"Hmm… maybe I'll live here for a little while instead."

Then Mark felt that energy filling his body again. But this time, it departed as it changed him once last time. When he knew he was free, he swam underwater briefly. He came back up to tell the Floatzel, "I'll come back to see you once I talk with her. I have to apologize… she was right about my wish to leave." Then he dove underwater.

At the sea bed, he spotted a glowing yellow-green pattern. It wasn't like his mother's, but he tried to brighten his own. However, he had been out of the sun for so long that his patterns were dim. He wouldn't get anyone's attention that way, kin or prey.

"Hey," he called out into the murky waters. "Have you seen… a Lumineon named Laura?" He nearly said 'my mother', but then felt that they would not recognize him. How long had he been away?

He came up to the other Lumineon, who was looking up from searching around the sand. "Huh? Dunno who you're talking about. Who're you?"

"I'm Mark," he said. "I lived here some time ago, but I got captured by a human."

"I think I remember Laura," another Lumineon said, coming into view. "But she died several years ago, after her son disappeared."

Died? No… Mark didn't want to believe that. "Are you sure? She has to be all right." He then dashed off to find someone else to ask.

But they all told the same story: she had died several years ago, after he had left her.

When evening fell, he came back to the surface. There were still a few of the Pokemon from the Box milling around, trying to figure out what to do. This included his friend the Floatzel, who was floating with his yellow skins fully inflated, looking at the starry sky. When Mark came up, he lifted his head to glance at him. "Did you find her?"

"No," he said, trying to keep from crying again. "But she was right. I thought I could be something great, but nothing came of it." He sighed. "Maybe I'll come with you to find your home waters. I, I don't feel like staying around here anymore."

…

Finneon Diamond entry: After long exposure to sunlight, the patterns on its fin shine vividly when darkness arrives.

Lumineon Diamond entry: It lives on the deep sea floor. It attracts prey by flashing the patterns on its four tail fins.


	212. Meloetta

Along the banks of the wandering Kestral River, there was a village called Chartreuse. It was many miles from any city, surrounded by rich farmland. It received produce from the farmers and shipped it to the distant cities, then sold them goods and tools in exchange. As it was far from any major conflicts, Chartreuse was peaceful and stable, giving a decent life to those who didn't like the hustle and bustle of the great walled cities. The King taxed fairly, so life should have been fine.

But while the King taxed fairly, the local lord did not. Lord Brayden was a man obsessed with money. He constantly sought ways to make more money, keep what he had, and spare any expense he could. Over the years, he acquired lands from neighboring lords and made sure that the peasants working there grew the most valuable crops. Sometimes he bought valuable things, but would then lock them away and never consider using them. He owned a fine and large house, but many of its rooms were kept vacant or locked so that he didn't have to hire as many servants to clean. In all the things that he did, money was always a consideration.

The thing that was worst of all, in the minds of the villagers, was that Brayden forbid any festivities from taking place in Chartreuse. It was all a waste of time and money, he told them. Everyone was to work hard, every day, no exceptions. Over time, this wore down the spirits of the villagers. Sometimes they managed to get together a celebration outside the village, to have some fun and get a break from constant work. But if Brayden heard of these parties, he would invariably come disrupt them and berate those attending.

There wasn't much the villagers of Chartreuse could do about their strict lord. He had the King's favor and owned a group of disciplined and strong Pokemon. Over time, the villagers grew dull and unhappy. This attracted spirits that fed on negativity, which compounded the problems. Many of the people lost hope that things would ever change. it was almost like the village itself was turning grey.

One day, a strange little Pokemon came into Chartreuse Village. She seemed like an elegant lady, but she was only two feet tall. She had thin black arms shaped almost like musical notes and long flowing green hair. Although no one had ever seen her like before, only the children stopped to look and wonder. All of the adults were busy trying to get work done when their spirits were dim and low. No one even stopped her as she hopped up the steps that led to Lord Brayden's home.

A maid did eventually find her in one of the storage rooms, looking into a locked cabinet. "Who brought you in here, little Pokemon?" she asked. "I did not know we had guests."

She looked up to the maid and, to the woman's surprised, answered in clear words. "I brought myself here," she said. "I am Meloetta." Then she took part of her black gown and curtsied.

Gasping, the maid stepped back. "You speak?"

"Of course," she said, as if the fact were unimportant. Then she looked into the cabinet again. "Is there someone in the village who can play the violin?"

The maid considered that Lord Brayden would want a rarity like a talking Pokemon to own. "I believe so," she answered. Then she looked through the glass cover of the cabinet at what Meloetta was looking at: a rare and priceless antique violin. "But he plays his own, not this one, and only during church."

"Does anyone play this one?" Meloetta asked, touching the glass lightly. "There is no music lingering in its frame."

"No, never," the maid said. "It is too valuable to play, the lord says. It is in perfect condition and there are few others masterwork violins in existence."

"It's a waste to have an unplayed instrument," the Pokemon said, sounding sad. "It feels nor brings any joy just sitting in there. It seems like no one even admires it anymore. And this village is suffocating from lack of joy. This violin ought to be played, where everyone can hear it."

"I'm afraid that Lord Brayden won't allow that," the maid said.

"How terrible," she murmured. Then she turned and left the room. "Then I shall have to do something to convince him otherwise."

The maid moved quickly to follow; Meloetta was surprisingly fast for her petite size. "Do you want to meet with the lord?" she asked, thinking that she might get a bonus for bringing a valuable Pokemon to him.

But she shook her head and waved a black hand. "No. He will have to meet with me."

Then Meloetta went through Chartreuse and found all the musicians that she could. Due to the long years with few celebrations, it was hard to talk them into coming out to play. But she was the spirit of music itself, and they were eventually drawn to follow her because of that. She brought them to the open space in front of the church and had them begin to play.

There were ten of them: the violinist, two flautists, three guitarists, two drummers, a harpist, and a bugle player. They were nervous at first, for Brayden had punished them for playing without 'proper' reason before. But then Meloetta hopped onto the base of a saint's statue and began to sing. Her voice was so pure that it tickled the souls of all who heard it. And despite her small size, she managed to project her song for a great distance. Others stopped in their tracks while the musicians felt a great spark of inspiration. They began to play along with Meloetta.

They played common songs that they had all learned with and people began to come to the church to listen. Then there was a song that the harpist and a drummer didn't know, but they felt the Pokemon's power so strongly that they were able to keep up. Some listeners went out to get people who had not yet heard, while a few children began to dance. The songs grew more obscure, but no one lost the beat and the crowd kept growing. Off in the shadows of eaves and allies, the negative spirits gathered and whispered. Things suddenly weren't going their way.

Finally, Lord Brayden noticed that his servants had left the house without saying anything. Angered that they would abandon their work, he left as well and searched for them. It didn't take him long to hear strains of music coming from the churchyard. This made his temper burn. After all, the villagers knew that he did not allow festivities, and they were having one right in the middle of Chartreuse. He stormed over there, preparing a harsh scolding and punishment for the offending musicians.

And then he heard the voice, with all the beauty of dawn and all the joy of playing child. It stirred up memories that he had long ago buried, times when he had felt happiness and love. It reminded him of things that could not be bought with money. For a moment, his soul reawakened.

In that moment, the outer edges of the crowd saw him. they were afraid that he would stop this and moved aside. Brayden was able to come into the crowd, where people and Pokemon were dancing. While they did not notice him, Meloetta did.

And she smiled, then began singing another song. None of the village musicians had ever played this song before, or even heard it. But in playing along with the Pokemon, they had fallen into a trance of music. They knew the song as soon as Meloetta began singing it, and they played it perfectly.

The Pokemon then twirled off the statue; it seemed like the notes of the song were swirling around her. When she landed, her hair had rolled up to on top of her head, and had turned red. With her skirt whirling about her waist, she stopped singing and began dancing, leaving the musicians to carry on her song on their own. And everyone, even Lord Brayden, fell into the trance and danced along with her.

No one could ever say afterward how long it lasted, but the trance was eventually broken and the music stopped. Meloetta was standing there in front of Brayden, her hands on her hips. "Do you understand what you have forgotten that you missed?"

Although his heart seemed to be soaring, his mind seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

She twirled around, sweeping her outward arm out. "Is a joyless life worth living? You let greed blind you to the need of happiness in everyone's life. Music is expressive, uplifting, touching. It also speaks that which we cannot say, touches on the complexity of emotion. You made your life cold and hard; you took anything that could give you joy, like the masterwork violin, and locked them away so that they could never be used.

"In doing so, you made your life gray, without any feelings. You made everyone's life turn gray and emotionless. Everyone just worked to survive and behaved to keep from punishment. No one was happy and some even despaired of it. What do you plan to do with your money, your things? They will just sit there and gather dust, and you will eventually pass on without feeling satisfied. If you must be like that, that is your choice. But don't force everyone to live that way. their work will actually improve if you let them have time to celebrate and express themselves with music, for they will be happier and more enthusiastic in life. And please, stop punishing your musicians for doing what they love. It was the sad and secret song of one that brought me here, to give them a happier song to play."

At the time, Brayden didn't know what to say. That wasn't the way he lived his life. Besides, how could some Pokemon think she had the right to tell him what to do? Then again, he felt better than he had in many many years, just from a time of music and dance.

Meloetta curtsied again. "I'll come back in a year's time and when I do, I want to hear a song on that violin you have. Please do, and you'll find your lands blessed." Then she danced to silence and faded away.

In a year's time, there was a grand music festival in Chartreuse Village. The town's violinist was allowed to borrow Lord Brayden's antique violin to play many songs with, ones that he had practiced throughout the year so that he could play at his best. That time, fewer people saw Meloetta, but there was no denying that she had been there. And that was how the annual Chartreuse Festival of Music began.

...

Meloetta Black entry: Its melodies are sung with a special vocalization method that can control the feelings of those who hear it.


	213. Scrafty, Genesect

They were hanging out by the chain link fence, a whole gang of them. They were accused of defacing property, attacking travelers without provocation, playing loud heavy metal music, and causing random acts of destruction. Low hung pants, gaunt frames, frilled red mohawks, toothy grins… surprisingly, they weren't a group of teenage miscreants. No, these were Pokemon. Six of them, all Scrafties, and they were watching her in turns.

The reporter did her best to stay calm while she and her cameraman filmed the news segment. But if the Pokemon started coming over here, then they would have to move. "Trainers often report finding a Scrafty or two in grassy patches to the south of this route," she said as the camera man recorded the six Pokemon. "But there have been no reports of them coming onto the road itself and claiming it as their own territory. While it is an entirely natural thing for them to do, it makes travel here more dangerous for those with no or weak Pokemon. Officials have put out a request to Trainers to capture these Scrafties to move them off of public property."

Over by the fence, one Scrafty snorted. "What're they going on about?"

The leader of the group, the one who had the largest head crest, clenched her fist. "Who knows? But this is my ancestral grounds, I know. They drove my gran'pa away to build this stuff, but he and my ma weren't bold enough to take it back. We have it now, though, and we're not letting them have it back. Right?"

The other five crowed in agreement, although one was tapping his foot. "They do make some neat things, like this music box," he said, indicating the stereo that had been left behind when they first attacked.

The leader put her hand to her chin. "Well yes, that is one of the better things. But they also put up this stupid fence in our way." She punched it with all her strength, tearing a large hole out of it and causing the whole structure to rattle and shake. "It keeps us from reaching the rest of my land, but it isn't sturdy enough to use as punching practice. Bah, what's the point of a weak fence?"

"One of them's coming from the other way!" one Scrafty called out, pointing to a man who was riding down the route on a bicycle.

The leader took a fighting stance. "Well then, let's take care of him," she said fiercely.

On seeing the group of Scrafties, the bicyclist attempted to swerve out of their way. Three of them heckled him with rough squawks before spitting acid at him. Two of the males darted over and tried to punch the bicycle as it wheeled past. Just behind them, the leader had picked up a rock that was bigger than her fist and threw it at the bike. That hit, breaking several spokes on the back wheel, which got caught in the chain and forced the bike to a stop.

Sadly, the bicyclist managed to hop off his bike before it fully crashed. He grabbed it and ran towards where the reporter and cameraman were. The Scrafty group hollered at him for a moment, but didn't pursue him that far down the route.

The reporter came over to him. "Are you okay, sir? They're playing rough lately."

"I'm fine," the man said, then looked down at his bike. "I'm afraid they may have trashed this, though." He sighed and pulled off a laptop case off the side to check on its contents.

"The alert about them has been out since this morning," she said. "The city's not that far down the route, so you could find a repair shop."

"Maybe." After giving his laptop a quick glance, he looked around the area. "Say, you haven't heard of any, um, unusual damage being done around here, have you?"

"There is that," she said, pointing towards the chain link fence with dozens of holes and rips along it.

He looked at it, but shook his head slowly. "No, no, that can't be it. Look, I'm with… err, I'm a scientist." He looked back to her. "I'm looking for a Pokemon that's escaped the lab. I have to get it back before, um, someone catches it. It's a highly valuable rare specimen, you see."

Her eyes brightened at the prospect of having a unique story for the news. "Oh, well we got out here just a short while ago. I didn't hear any reports of unusual Pokemon for this area, just the Scrafties over there off their usual grounds. But we can help you look; what kind is it?"

Hesitating, the scientist reconsidered asking a news crew to look for the lab's Pokemon. Then again, his bike was trashed and they only knew that it could head this way. "It's… prehistoric," he admitted. "It's the first of its kind that we've revived. It's a Bug and Steel type, and the damage it can cause is, well, distinctive."

Unknown to any of the humans or Pokemon on the route, the prehistoric Pokemon in question was watching from the trees. Her dark violet skin blended into the shadows while the many dark green leaves of the bush nearby gave her cover. She didn't really have a name, but the scientists called her Genesect. Breathing in deeply with the pores all over her body, she considered what to do now. She had run from the strange enclosed place; she needed a place to hunt and live.

Things weren't matching up to how they should be, though. She had some knowledge by instinct, but that didn't help Genesect identify the pale humans or the colorful gaunt Pokemon on the path ahead. However, any Pokemon that could afford that kind of brightness and survive had to be tough. There was also the difference in her cannon. She knew how it should work, but it didn't seem to be right. It seemed to be more powerful than it could be naturally.

Not that being more powerful was a bad thing, by any means.

Genesect crept out from the cover of the bush. This could be a reasonable territory, but if those colorful Pokemon ahead were holding it now, she had to figure out how powerful they were. With them in a gang like that, it would be a risky fight. Focusing on two of them, she let the cannon built up electric power. It hummed and grew warm, then caused a rip through the air as a bolt of lightning struck through the two targets. They collapsed into unconsciousness immediately, while the strange steel thing behind them sparked brilliantly.

On the road, the attack on their kin alarmed the four remaining Scrafties. "What in blazes is out there?" another female asked, crouching down and forming fists.

The leader snarled, infuriated at the attack on her followers. "An intruder," she finished with a growl.

Then she appeared: a dark violet creature about a head taller than them, with a strange cannon barrel on its back and a smooth exoskeleton. She gave an eerie rasping rattle, something filled with hostile intent. While it was a Pokemon, it was like none they had seen before. And the weapon on its back was starting to glow.

Not caring, the lead Scrafty pointed to it. "We're not going to let you get away with that! This is my territory and you will suffer!" Then she howled and led a rush towards the creature.

Down the route, the scientist felt alarmed for the specimen. "That's the one! Genesect."

"That creature?" the reporter asked, while her cameraman taped the on-going battle. "What did it do earlier?"

"Zap Cannon," he replied, as Genesect fired a different blast, this one brownish and dimmer. It knocked one of the Scrafty gang down, but he soon got back up. "And that was its signature move… it's extremely powerful."

The strange Pokemon had the bone plates and smell of a Bug type. But when the lead Scrafty struck her with her fists, she felt the texture of Steel. While Bugs usually resisted her fists, Steels usually broke under her power. But she was angered enough to not follow that train of thought any further. Instead, she kicked at the stranger's leg joints. "Are you scared?" she taunted. "You ought to be; we'll cream you."

Genesect heard the colorful creature's babble, but couldn't make sense of it. But she did understand that she was trying to intimidate her. Feeling that the taunt should be a bluff, she rattled again and swiped at all four of the creatures with her claws. They were tough, with their fists pounding on her exoskeleton. But she did knock one out, and pushed the rest back enough that she could jump back, lower her stance, then fire her cannon at them again. Another one fell.

Away from the fight, the scientist pulled out his cell phone and hit the walkie talkie function. "Yeah, Sage…" he glanced at the news crew, "Boss? I've found Genesect. And I've got civilians around."

Back in the fight, the Scrafty leader gave a shrill bark, showing her distaste for how the battle was going. "What the heck is wrong with you?" she shouted. Any other foe would have exchanged banter with her, or gloated about being at an advantage. This strange Pokemon? She only rattled and hissed in reply. "Show her no mercy, then!" She dashed to her foe and smashed into the joints between her skeletal plates. She knew many ways to fight. Surely one would defeat this creature.

Genesect turned her rattle into an attack buzz as the three remaining creatures rushed back at her. She was more powerful than them; she was certain of that. But there were more of them than her, and their attacks were strong. Before she could finish them all off, they could possibly knock her out.

In that case, she was going to make sure that they went down with her. She built up energy in her cannon, but didn't fire. Instead, she slashed again while waiting on the charge to build. It was taking much longer than it should, but eventually her cannon couldn't hold any more and exploded with energy. She fainted.

So did the three Scrafty. And the blast ripped out two entire sections of the chain link fence, smashed the stereo to bits, and stripped a few nearby trees of bark and leaves. Down the route, the humans felt the shock wave from the explosion.

"Oh my word," the reporter said. "It must be extremely powerful if we could feel that all the way over here."

The scientist was still on the phone with his boss. "Um yes, she just knocked herself out to win a battle… uh-huh… okay, I'll see you in a bit." He closed his phone up. "The others are going to be here to pick her up, but uh, we can't really do anything about those Scrafties." He turned to the two others. "Say, would you like to meet the director of the project?"

Some time later, a Trainer came down the Route to discover six unconscious Scrafties lying on the pavement, as well as the damage to the fence and the trees. But there was no sign of what had attacked them, nor of any witnesses to the battle. The reporter and cameraman were never seen again.

…

Scrafty Black entry: Groups of them beat up anything that enters their territory. Each can spit acidic liquid from its mouth.

Genesect White entry: This ancient bug Pokemon was altered by Team Plasma. They upgraded the cannon on its back.


	214. Basculin, Klang

The public garden of Striaton City was a beautiful place. A large magnificently carved stone fountain sat in the center. All around it were neatly trimmed flowering hedges, thick green bushes cut into the shapes of various Pokemon, and tidy perfect grass. A monumental arch served as an entrance point, while a trellis tunnel led to the northern route. And in perfectly formed riverlets, pools lined out pathways with their sparkling blue waters.

But this water was very dangerous.

Within one set of pools, there lived the red Basculin. They were mostly green, but had a stripe of bright crimson that symbolized their fierce spirits. They had sharp teeth that made for fearsome weapons. Within another set of pools, there lived the blue Basculin. A stripe of pure blue along their upper sides showed their pride in being Pokemon of the water. They had strong jaws and stubborn attitudes.

The Basculin were, in fact, the same species. But one wouldn't know that from observing them. The red-striped Basculin and the blue-striped Basculin despised each other. While their pools were separated on the surface, there were underground tunnels that connected them. And those tunnels were war zones.

Today, the tunnels were invasion routes. A pack of blue Basculin rushed through two tunnels to surround a pack of red Basculin. "We are getting revenge for your invasion of our pools yesterday!" the lead blue Basculin called out.

"What?" the lead red Basculin shouted back. "We invaded you for revenge for your invasion the day before!"

"We invaded then because you were throwing rocks into our pool."

"Well we did that because you chucked rotten berries into ours!"

"We did not do that!" the blue Basculin claimed.

"Yes you did, you sniveling dundering blue dolts."

"No we did not, you pea-brained delusional red idjfits!"

Above the water, a Steel Pokemon watched and listened to the exchange. He was made up of several gears linked in constantly turning union, but he was of one mind. As a visitor to Striaton, he was supposed to be helping his Trainer with the Gym in this town. But that boy was trying to get the attention of a girl, so the Klang had some time to kill. And he'd never observed Water types in their home environment before.

This could be entertaining, he thought to himself.

In the water, the Basculin were still hurtling insults and accusations at each other. "Well you dimwits started this whole mess!" the red leader said.

"We did not," the blue leader said. "Your greedy ancestors kept trying to steal our pools away from our ancestors! So it's really your fault."

"No, your ancestors were trying to steal our waters from our ancestors since the town was founded!"

"Well you red maniacs have been trying to take over all waters since the beginnings of time!"

"There is no way that is possible, you wimps!"

There was a chorus of growls and hisses at that. "Okay, that's it! We're going to massacre the lot of you! Charge!" And both sides of the blue Basculin invasion force started fighting the red Basculin defensive force.

The water erupted into activity, ripples going every which way, splashes popping up at random, Basculin wrestling each other up to the surface. While it had been fairly clear, now all the dirt was whipped and frothed up, making it harder to follow the battle. The Basculin would bite fins, slam into each other, shoot bursts of water, all while snarling, growling, hissing, and yelping. Loose scales, tinged with bodily fluid, would appear on the surfaces, only to get whirled away in the violent motions of the battle.

Observing this, the Klang wasn't sure which side he'd root for. The blue Basculin were technically the invaders, but apparently these groups would fight each other for any reason. And sometimes, he knew he saw a red Basculin fighting another red, while sometimes the blues would attack each other. Perhaps the battle stirred them up into a frenzy. The Klang felt grateful to be part of a more civilized species of Pokemon.

His Trainer was still distracted by the girl, even when the Klang got bored of watching the Basculin battle. To pass the time, he started running his gears at high speeds. It turned his stead klicks into a low buzz. Then, he fired off one of his mini-gears, sending it flying out of place. it whirled over the pools, but he kept grip on it with his natural magnetism. When it started to go too far, he pulled back on it, causing it to return and fly over his largest gear. It splashed through the fountain's spray before coming back and settling back to place.

Outside of battle, it was something to do when bored. Really really bored.

The water was completely cloudy and rolling thanks to the battling Basculin, so no point in trying to watch them anymore. The Klang wound himself up and fired off another mini-gear, shooting it to tear off a partly dead leaf from a tree across the pool. But when he pulled back on it, a pair of Basculin made a massive splash near him, causing him to get wet. This startled him enough that he lost grip on his flying gear. Its momentum caused it to pop straight up into the air. Although he tried to get a magnetic hold on it again, the mini-gear came plummeting down, still spinning, into the pool of water the Basculin were fighting in.

One of the Basculin got nicked by the falling gear, but blamed it on someone behind her and started attacking the nearest Basculin in that direction.

The Klang stared into the water, feeling frantic. His mini-gear was down there! If it was out of place for too long, he'd get disoriented and sick. And if it was down there for too long, it'd rust and be awful. He had to get it back.

Without a second thought, he jumped into the water, causing his gears to spin at high speed. This made a tremendous disturbance that caused most of the Basculin to stop fighting and wonder what was going on. The Klang growled metallically. "You dumb fish have made me lose my mini-gear! And if I don't get it back quickly, then I'm releasing a charge through the water to zap all of you!"

"How dare you presume to challenge us!" a red Basculin shouted, then rammed into him. it caused a resounding clank throughout the water, probably doing more damage to the fish than to the gear Pokemon.

"Because I can shock all of you at once," the Klang said menacingly. He started storing charge power, making sparks appear between his gears.

They may have been violent, but the Basculin didn't want to be on the receiving end of a charge made in anger. They swam around looking, but the water was still murky. Then a blue Basculin found the mini-gear sticking out of the mud, grabbed it, then swam back over to the stranger. "Here you go, fuss budget," he sneered. "Now get out of the water!"

The Klang got a magnetic hold on his mini-gear, then replied, "Gladly; I wouldn't hang around any of you unless I had to." Then he jumped back up onto land. He had to go over to another pool of water to wash the mud off his mini-gear before returning it, but it didn't have a dent or scratch to it.

After the interruption, the blue Basculin decided to retreat to their area, ending the battle. One thing both sides could agree on, although they didn't tell each other, was that they were glad to be more civilized than that dumb Klang. He should have known better than to jump into a battle that was none of his business, and to keep better track of his parts.

The next day, the red Basculin held an invasion of the blue Basculin's territory, in revenge for making them look bad as the blues had found the Klang's mini-gear first.

…

Klang White entry: Spinning minigears are rotated at high speed and repeatedly fired away. It is dangerous if the gears don't return.

Black entry: Red and blue Basculin get along so poorly, they'll start fighting instantly. These Pokemon are very hostile.


	215. Boldore, Woobat

The large three legged creature stood before her master patiently. The orange crystal growths on her back were glowing bright, as she had recently awakened and was brimming with energy. Would she actually get work to do today? Or would it be another dull day of guarding the chamber when there were a dozen other Pokemon guards on the way that would alert them to the presence of any foolish romantic 'hero' that was trying to make a name for himself?

Her master traced his finger around an area on her right side. He was dressed in the usual brown lab coat (which hid a layer of protective armor), heavy heat-proof gloves, sturdy boots, and large goggles. For his line of work, it was all necessary. And if his secret lab happened to get invaded, well, he had some rather more effective, or dangerous, armors lying about.

"Why do you keep getting these heart-shaped indents on your hide?" he asked. "I know you're a girl, but isn't that a bit too obviously girly? Hmph, I need to work on that Pokespeak translator before I can get a clear answer on that. But not important enough; those marks aren't about to hinder your abilities. I have a job for you today, in the underground tunnels. Hang on a minute." He went over to his dresser and began checking drawers.

This could take a while. The Boldore shuffled over and watched. When she had first been allowed in here, the lab had been interesting, making her both curious and nervous. There were a massive amount of strange tools lying around, as well as machines that always looked dangerous and always changed. Her master kept building them, taking them apart when they failed, then reusing the parts to build something new. As a Pokemon, she had no idea what he was doing with that constant work most of the time. Sometimes she saw him do things with those machines that she understood, like making earthbound objects fly, or shoot lightning, or instantly freeze everything in ice (that had been a particularly bad day). Most days, though, she could count on something exploding. Good thing she was sturdy enough to endure that.

"I could have sworn I put it in this drawer," the master mumbled, searching through one thin drawer. This particular dresser had dozens of drawers, every one of them stuffed with strange objects. So it could take an hour… no, he brightened up. "Ah, there it is! Check this out carefully."

She looked at the item, although wasn't sure what to make of it. It was a clay tablet of some kind, with two straight edges and one jagged. And yet, the thing didn't feel like clay. No, it had a feel like the lightning her master called up sometimes. It had the smell of power and strangeness… ancient strangeness, not the new strangeness that was in this room.

"This is a piece of a special item known as a Plate," he told her. "The Electric-typed one. I only have this tiny fragment… kept meaning to find some stable use for it in my machines… but it's broken. I can't make use of this tiny piece. So I need to find a whole Plate. It doesn't even need to be the Electric one, so long as it's whole. Best of all, I've discovered that the location of these Plates is said to be right here, deep in the ground!

"And we are connected to a vast network of underground tunnels here. Boldore, I want you to go checking around to see if you can find any whole Plates. I'm going to use this piece to try to make a detection device, but if you can find it, that'd be a whole lot faster and simpler. Give it a shot, okay?"

She gave an affirmative response, then headed out of the lab. Finding this Plate thing, huh? She wasn't so sure she could do that. Sometimes, she was sent out to find water, either for general use or specific experiments. Some pools in the tunnels infused the water with abundant minerals or chemicals, making them useful to her master. That was because that was a natural talent of her kind. But finding an item not related to water? That would be tougher.

If it was her alone. She knew who to go to for help, and was certain they would agree. Trudging along the tunnels, she went for the place they hung out at. As a Boldore, she could never move fast. She could shift her three legs in sequence, but to keep balanced, she had to have two of them on the ground at a time. If she really had to hurry, she could build up speed and use just one leg at a time to push herself along, but that kind of running was terribly unstable.

In time, she found a cavern with lots of heart-shaped marks on the walls, much like the one her master had complained about. This was the place. She came to the center and called out, "Woobats? Are any of you around?"

Several squeaks and wing flaps responded from far overhead. Soon, four of them appeared in the air around her. "Oh, hi friend!" one squealed happily. "We haven't heard from you in days!"

"Yeah, are you okay?" another asked. "We thought that maybe that crazy guy finally blew you up!"

A third chimed in, "But yay, you're back here to play with us!"

She chuckled. "Settle down, it's okay. I'm fine. I've just been stuck on guard duty for a week."

"Oh, that sounds boring boring."

"But why've you got to be guard?" the fourth asked. "I mean, he has that scary Hydregion at the way to the Outside, and that guy would scare away anyone."

"Oh yeah!" the others said. One went on, "Cause that dragon, he is so mean that he makes the two heads on his hands bite each other in super-gross puppet plays. And you ain't any meaner than making your own body fight. I mean, I wouldn't make my two wings fight each other."

"If your wings fought each other, then you wouldn't be able to fly."

"Hang on, friends," the Boldore said, trying to interrupt them politely. They had good hearts bigger than the ones on the end of their snouts even. But the fluffy bats could chatter one's ears off, if one was a sort to have ears. "My master has sent me out on a mission, but I don't think I can do it alone. I want to ask for your help in this."

"Help?" one asked, curious.

"Well we would help you, because you are friend to the whole entire tribe," another Woobat said. "But, uh, that master of yours, you know, we avoid him. He's even scarier than the Hydregion."

"Oh yeah!" another said. "And he makes the big booms that scare everybody and make rocks fall down."

"And sometimes strange things come out of there," another added.

The Boldore looked to her little friends. While she had expected the resistance, she wasn't going to be able to complete this mission without their help. There wasn't another of their type in the tunnel systems. "I do know that you don't like him," she said. "Even though he's helped me and the other Pokemon improve considerably, beyond what's normal. He could help one of you become great too. But that's not important. What is important is that, if I don't manage to find the thing he's after, he's going to build a device that can find it, and he'll come down here himself."

That spooked them. "Himself?"

"Like, by himself, or with the crazy Hydregion?"

Hating herself for scaring them (but her master was scarier when mad or disappointed…), the Boldore replied, "Maybe by himself, maybe with the Hydregion… or maybe with the weapons he makes, I'm not sure. But he will be very disruptive to everyone, and I'd rather do things nicely."

"Ah…" the Woobats looked to each other for a second. "So, um, what did he send you to look for?"

"Something called a Plate," she said. "It's made of clay and I only saw a fragment of it, but it was an ancient power of Electric, nothing like any other clay object. It may be of an Electric type, or it may be of another. He thinks one or more might be in these tunnels."

"Ooo, could he mean the sacred Plates?" one Woobat asked.

"That could be a lot of trouble."

"They're only supposed to be used by the ancient Creator god."

"And other times they've been dug up and used, it led to terrible times."

"Are your kin set to guard them?" the Boldore asked. She knew some Pokemon species were called on to guard sacred object. If the Woobats watched the Plates, then she might not get them after all.

"Well no," one of them admitted.

"But we meant, like, really terrible awful times," another said. "Plague, blight, terror, war, demon possession, drought, flood, noise… and we don't want to be responsible for helping such a time come."

"Um, there are the fake ones," the quiet Woobat said. "There's some things that look and seem like the Plates, but they're not as powerful. I heard my gran say that sometimes, we would let a human explorer find one of them, so that they thought they were all weak and didn't go looking for the real ones."

Honestly, the Boldore liked that idea better too. If giving a real Plate to her master would cause a terrible time to come, then the gods might forgive her for disobeying this once. "That would be better for all of us," she said. "Can we find one of the fakes?"

"Oh sure, I know where one is," he said, pleased to be useful. "It's pretending to be a Rock-type Plate, but that makes it stand out from the real rocks around it, but it doesn't have the power of a real Plate. I can take you there."

"Great, thank you," the Boldore said. "You can ride along, in case of trouble." That was the reason for all the heart-shaped marks on her. The Woobats attached to cave walls, or to her, by gripping on with their snouts. While it wore off some of the surface rock, it didn't hurt her. They would breathe through their mouths.

"No, I'm good," he said, flying towards one of the tunnels. "Come on!"

While the fake Rock-type Plate didn't affected her power, her master seemed convinced that a real Plate would. The fake kept his attention for some time, but eventually, he wanted the real thing.

…

Woobat White entry: Suction from its nostrils enables it to stick to cave walls during sleep. It leaves a heart-shaped mark behind.

Boldore Black entry: When it overflows with power, the orange crystal on its body glows. It looks for underground water in caves.


	216. Sealeo, Luxio

Two different paths converge…

The snowy fields were a calm peace. It had been a quiet day, under a cloudy sky. In this slow tundra, things took time to change. A white Sealeo slid around the field, pushing herself towards some bushes. There was no need to hurry, no reason to fret. She was simply checking out some berry bushes she had planted several days ago. If they were growing strong roots, that would give her a closer patch to retrieve them. Too bad they did not grow underwater.

The snowy fields were a large danger. It had been a frantic day, battling angered locals and running away from a stubborn Mamoswine. Still running, the pack of five Luxio were headed for a set of mountains ahead. Anywhere to get out of this wide open space where anyone could see them. They were nomads who could never find one place to settle down. Whenever they found a good spot for a home, someone was already there and insisted that they leave. Were they cursed? Sometimes it seemed so.

On her own, the Sealeo was relaxed. She knew all the Pokemon that were usually around here, and they would appreciate more healthy berries. She had located some good earth near a group of rocks. Once she had broken up the dirt, she planted plenty of berries there. The rocks would protect the bushes from most winds. Although some berries had failed to start, the bushes that had broken through were doing well. After a pause of admiration, she began snuffling a bush to check on how well it had taken hold.

A bellow from the furious Mamoswine caused an increase of fright for the Luxio pack. It had to be tiring soon; they were tiring and only the fear of what would happen if the Mamoswine caught up kept them running fast. But then one of them stumbled, crashing into the snow. Another Luxio shouted out in concern, causing the others to turn and run off another way, trying to give their comrade time to get up. But the Mamoswine kept charging.

The Sealeo nosed one berry and found it smelling ready. Carefully, she plucked it off its branch by rolling it up with her nose. Then she held the berry up high, examining it. A Chesto berry, good for when a Pokemon had a lot of work to do. It didn't have as many minerals and vitamins in it as the usual berry, so these bushes needed some more time to establish themselves. However, a storm was brewing for tonight. She should gather up snow and increase the wind barrier around the young plants. Tossing the berry into the air, the Sealeo ate it, then moved on to check another bush.

A short distance away, electricity crackled through the air as three of the Luxio attacked the Mamoswine. The fourth tugged at the last member, gently biting his ear, encouraging him to get back onto his feet. Yes, they were all exhausted, but they needed to keep going until they lost their enemy. He forced himself upright and got out of the way just in time for the Mamoswine to tumble on the ground itself, thanks to being paralyzed. But the Luxio pack wasn't about to savor victory. As they still had to get away, they went right back to running.

Two paths collide.

The Sealeo investigated a Rawst berry bush. It was small, not even producing berries yet. Maybe it was too cold for that one. But the Oran berry bush right next to it was thriving, with a good-looking first crop. While she checked it over, the Luxio pack paused at the new garden. The one who had tripped was struggling to keep up, so some healing berries ought to help. if they could just talk the Sealeo into letting them, without the Mamoswine disrupting them.

"Hey, miss?" one of the Luxio asked, breathing heavily due to the recent long run.

Although they had approached without warning, the Sealeo was unconcerned. It was a nice day and she wasn't expecting a battle. She pulled an Oran berry off and balanced it on the end of her nose, focused on assessing the state of her garden. In her view, they could wait a minute for her to finish.

In their view, they couldn't afford to waste a minute. One of the braver members hopped up onto the top of her head and balanced there with her paws on the Sealeo's snout. "Pay attention a minute, will you?"

Squashed Oran berry trickled over the Sealeo's face and mouth. She hadn't had time to assess how healthy the bush really was! Angered by their rudeness, she growled. "Why you little…"

Recognizing yet another enemy, the Luxio perched on her head panicked and had her claws spark brightly as she jumped off. The jolt was too much and the Sealeo passed out. Another member of the pack snorted. "Well that went well."

"Shut it," she replied. "I don't get why nobody will listen to us."

"Let's just grab some of the berries and get," another suggested. The others agreed and swiped what berries they could carry. When they heard a loud call from the Mamoswine, they all bolted. It was back on the run until they knew they weren't being pursued. Much of their life was spent this way, waiting for some hopeful time when they could permanently settle in one place.

Half an hour later, the Sealeo revived and found a friendly neighbor watching over her. The Mamoswine picked an Oran berry for her. "Oh good, you're up. How do you feel?"

"Nasty." She pushed the berry against her nose this time, spreading its healing pulp over the wounds where the claws had dug in. "Some crazy Luxio came up and attacked me out of the blue. And I was having such a good day too."

"They're not around anymore, so they won't be worrying us."

And the two paths diverge, never to meet again.

…

Sapphire entry: Sealeo often balances and rolls things on the tip of its nose. While the Pokemon is rolling something, it checks the object's aroma and texture to determine whether it likes the object or not.

Luxio Diamond entry: Its claws loose electricity with enough amperage to cause fainting. They live in small groups.


	217. Lilligant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one can be disturbing.

It was one of my neighbors who had this Pokemon first. Young college woman, you see. I met her when she moved in just before classes started; seemed like a real bright and cheery girl, one who wouldn't be much trouble. And she moved in with the Lilligant, who was a sweet and lovely Pokemon that loved to dance and sing. The college folks move in and out all the time, usually with a Pokemon or two, so it wasn't new. They were a nice pair when we first met, but then college got them busy and I didn't see them much.

And it was the Lilligant who showed the first obvious signs of trouble. When they moved in, the Pokemon had this gorgeous red flower growing on the side of her head. Had a fine strong scent too, one that they say is good for reducing stress. But about a month into the school year, I saw the Lilligant again and the scent of her flower was far weaker. Its petals seemed pale, pinkish instead of bright red. The girl told me the Pokemon was homesick, so I told them to take care.

After that, I saw even less of the pair. The girl would come back and go straight to her apartment after class, often without her Lilligant out. I didn't know them very well, so I didn't want to pry much. While most of the college folk would have friends over, I never saw her bring anyone else home. But some folks don't socialize as much.

In the last month of the semester, I saw the Lilligant again. She was on her own and she looked terrible. The flower on her head had completely wilted and turned brown, while her grass dress was dry and brittle. With Grass Pokemon, many of them will be fine with enough sunshine and water, so a decline this bad usually indicated something was emotionally wrong. I had read that her particular species can only be obtained by making the Pokemon happy and friendly, so I wondered if there was some trouble with the girl too.

It was a bit eerie, though. The Lilligant was wilted and dry, but she was out there in the apartment hallway dancing and swaying around. All the while, she repeated a melody of three notes. It was one of those times when I wished I understood Pokemon, although one didn't need to know that to know that she was unstable. Since she was out, I knocked on the girl's door, even though it was open a crack.

The girl had committed suicide, which is always a terrible thing to find out. One would think that someone would intervene before something like that happened. But I didn't know her all that well and her friends and family had been shocked too. I called the police and brought the Lilligant into my apartment, to keep an eye on her.

With her Trainer gone, the Lilligant was devastated. She seemed to be distracting herself with her song and dance, although there was noticeably no spirit to it. I tried to get her to drink some water, but she didn't seem interested. While she moved around, her dry leaves flaked off along the edges. It was hard to see a formerly healthy and happy Pokemon depressed into ruin.

When the police came, they asked me some questions, then had me drive the Lilligant to a Pokecenter for medical care. I talked with her on the way, but she kept continuing her three note song. Later, I met with some of the girl's friends and told them about the Pokemon.

I still checked into the Pokecenter about her. She was brought to the funeral, but that didn't turn out well. On meeting with the girl's parents, the Lilligant shrieked and would have attacked them if she hadn't been in a weakened condition. And while no one was watching her closely, she took the blooms off a flower arrangement made by the family. They decided not to take her to the cemetery due to her disruptions.

Even now, I'm not sure what had incited that behavior. Was it a bad history with them, or did she put the blame on the death on the parents? It may even have been simply an irrational mood brought on by the tragedy. But it made an impact on the family, who decided to not take in the Lilligant after the funeral. Even the girl's friends didn't seem too enthused to take care of her.

Since the Pokecenter knew me and I had been checking up on her regularly, the doctor there offered me the chance to adopt her. I had to think about it for a time. I lived right next to the girl's former apartment, after all. But since no one else connected to her wanted the Pokemon, I agreed to take in the Lilligant and help her recover.

It was many months while she was still suffering, alternatively keeping away from her old home and wandering in there. She started out indifferent towards me, sometimes even angered as if I could have done something to stop the suicide. Perhaps if I had been a better neighbor to the girl, I might have had some impact. But I did my best for the Lilligant when she became my responsibility.

I've really grown fond of her in this time, and she has shown many signs of being out of depression. Her leaf dress is looking healthy and full once again, while she sings happier songs when I'm around. As for her flower, she has a bud that's been there for a couple of weeks now, but it's not showing signs of blooming soon. But she's my friend now, and I believe she sees me as her's too.

…

Lilligant White entry: The fragrance of the garland on its head has a relaxing effect. It withers if a Trainer does not take good care of it.


	218. Jigglypuff

There she was at the bar, looking mighty unhappy. She had a round pink body that was like a balloon, with tiny little arms and feet. Flowing from her great big blue eyes were twin streams of tears. She had an ice cream sundae in front of her, but the ice cream was melting away and the hot fudge had gone cold. It was such a sight as to make your heart tremble in sympathy, that such a lovely girl should be so upset.

Not only that, but everyone else in the bar was fast asleep, passed out wherever they sat. Now that was kind of creepy. But I felt I could deal with that later. I went up to the bar and jumped onto one of the bar stools next to her. "Hey, are you gonna eat that ice cream?"

She shook her head no (well, her body), but then looked at me. Her eyes didn't blink, but they were such a watery blue that I didn't really mind.

But there was melting ice cream, and that was a crime. "Then, can I have it?"

"Uh, okay, I guess," she said in a gorgeous voice with a strange accent. I suppose it's that Pokespeak accent, because Pikachu does the same thing. But it was so lovely coming from her.

I grinned. "Yay, ice cream!" I opened my mouth and chomped down the whole thing: melted cream, cooled hot fudge, cherry on top, soggy sprinkles and nuts, oozed whipped cream, pretty glass container, and a metal spoon. So good, but I spit the container and spoon back out onto the bar.

Her tears stopped a bit as she just stared at me. "Um, you're not another Jigglypuff," she said, uncertain. "But you're not a Clefairy either."

"Nope," I told her. "Hiya, I'm Kirby, the hero of Dreamland! That was great ice cream. So what's going on? Is it nap time?" I brought out an orange nap cap and put it on.

"Um, no," the Jigglypuff said. "I came here to get the ice cream while there wasn't much going on in the stadium, and I told the bartender that I'd sing for it if he'd let me. He laughed and said, 'Sure, give it a shot'. So I sang my very best song so that everybody could hear it. But by the time I was only halfway through it, everybody was asleep." Her tears started up again. "That always happens. I try to show people how well I sing and they always fall asleep in the middle of the song. Am I that boring? I never ever get to finish my song ever." Then she started sobbing again.

I pouted. "Aw, that's terrible. But it must be a great lullaby." Then I got an idea. "Hey, can I hear your very best song?"

She brought her hands to her sides. "Um, you'd fall asleep too."

Winking at her, I said, "Don't worry! I'm the hero of Dreamland, so it's no big deal. Come on, I wanna hear you sing."

"Well, all right," she said with a sigh. She wiped away her tears, then took a few deep breaths. Then she began to sing.

It was really amazing. Jigglypuff's voice was so clear and smooth; she might be able to touch the hardest hearts and amaze the most cynical jaded ears. Although, she was right about one thing. After hearing the song, I got really drowsy. So I pulled out a pillow and took a nap.

Back in the Dreamworld, I heard her starting to cry again. "Keep singing!" I called out to her mind, which surprised her, but she went back after a brief faltering. I took the Star Rod and made sure that everybody who was sleeping in the room could hear Jigglypuff's song, no matter how deep in Dreamland they were. And her voice made my home seem more vibrant and peaceful than ever before.

Once she finished the song, I left Dreamland and woke back up. She wasn't teary-eyed anymore, but she looked uncertain. "Did you hear it?"

"Sure did," I told her. "It was amazing! You made the Dreamlands even more beautiful. You're really really amazing, you know that?"

Her pink cheeks turned a bit red, but she smiled. "Oh, you think so? I'm happy to hear that."

I jumped up and down on the bar stool. "I gotta take you to Dreamland sometime. It'll be lots of fun! Oh, but right now, I want more ice cream. Do you want some more ice cream?"

She laughed, which was also beautiful. "Well I haven't had any yet, so I can't have more. But yeah, I'd like to actually eat my sundae this time." She looked around at the snoozing patrons and staff. "But, we'd have to wait for them all to wake up."

"No problem!" I jumped up onto the bar itself and pulled out a microphone. After taking a quick breath, I went, "BUUUUUUUUURRRRP!"

Seconds later, everyone in the bar was awake again, complaining about my epic belching. But they did compliment Jigglypuff on her fantastic song, so she was beaming all evening. Nobody wanted to hear her sing again, though.

Except me.

…

Emerald entry: Nothing can avoid falling asleep hearing a Jigglypuff's song. The sound waves of its singing voice match the brain waves of someone in a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Jigglypuff is the 400th Pokémon of the collection!


	219. Munna, Musharna

"Daaaaddy!"

The Musharna snorted, then opened a half asleep eye. Blurrily, he saw a lavender flower on pink skin. "Hmmm? I'm sleeping…" he closed his eye again.

Huffing, the little Munna bumped into him. "Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy DAAAAADDDYYYY!"

This time, he awoke abruptly. "Huh, what?" He looked around in a panic. "What happened? Is something wrong?" He was afraid that those people from yesterday had come back.

His daughter looked mad, a trail of pink mist curling around her head. "Yeah, you said you were gonna take me to the gardens today, and the day's almost over. You promised."

"Oh." It wasn't dangerous, so he nearly went back to sleep. But then he realized that the day was almost over, and woke up fully. "Oh! I'm sorry, sweetie. I was up late into the day. But I'm up now." He uncurled a bit, then floated off. "Well let's go."

The Munna cheered and followed after him. As she chattered, they went through the woods around Straiton. This way, they avoided the people. The Musharna had always been wary of humans. Some were good, but many would force a Pokemon to battle. And then there were the two guys from yesterday. They were definitely bad.

When they got to the gardens, there were some humans around the fountain. But a corner of the place was empty, so he felt safe in letting her play here. He got a drink of water from the pools, then watched as the Munna hovered just above the water's surface and patted it with her hooves.

The Musharna yawned, but he wasn't going to fall asleep again. Not while they were here, closer to the humans than usual. He looked to the mist coming off the Munna. "You seem to have eaten a nice dream."

Eagerly, she came over to him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Guess what it was."

"Is that rhetorical?" he asked, because sometimes she said for him to guess, but told him immediately instead of waiting.

She giggled. "No, guess!"

"Hmm, all right. Was it about love?" He manipulated his own mist to form a nice pink heart. "I always like the romantic ones."

"No, no, no! Guess again." She seemed excited to play the game.

"Was it about an Audino?" The form of a curly-haired Pokemon appeared near him. "They're so sweet, and nice singers. I don't think I've met anyone who hates the Audino."

"Audino is nice," she admitted. "But it wasn't that."

Thinking, he made images of colorful dream flowers appear. "Was it about flowers?"

"No. Try again."

"Airplanes?" He formed one to fly above his head in circles.

No, it wasn't airplanes. Or boats, or fountains, or trees, or music, or food, or clouds, or dragons, or the moon. The Munna seemed a bit disappointed that he wasn't guessing right. But there were so many good dreams out there, especially when one figured personal opinions into it.

He sighed eventually, forming a question mark out of his mist. "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. I'm a terrible guesser."

"It's okay, Daddy," she said sympathetically, rubbing her head against his. "It was a hard guessing game. Anyhow, the really nice dream I had last, it was about you!" She tried to form her own dream mist, but her Psychic powers were developed enough to do that.

That startled him. "About me? Heavens… I don't know who around here would dream of me." If it had been his soul mate, her mother, then yeah, he would expect that. But since she was gone, it was surprising.

The Munna twirled on the spot, excited. "Yeah, yeah, you! It was that girl from yesterday; she had a dream that you were awesome, which you really were cause controlling a nightmarish figure like that scary guy was amazing! And she loved you and thought you were the most amazing Pokemon she'd ever seen, but she was worried about me and liked me a lot too. I want to travel with her, Daddy. I can tell from her dreams that she's really sweet and kind, and great. Can I go with her, please, please, please?"

Although she was excited, the Musharna felt a knot of anxiety grow in his stomach. He'd tried to avoid being seen by humans; getting seen by three yesterday was the most he'd shown himself to his whole life. And now his only child wanted to go travel with one. It was normal for young Pokemon to want that. But, he had hoped that she wouldn't like humans either.

"The girl from yesterday?" he asked. There had been the boy who had fought off the two bad men (he quietly thanked the gods that she didn't want to go with him), but there had also been that blond haired girl and the older woman. She probably meant the blond one. "Are you sure about that?"

She nodded. "Yeah! I know there's scary things out there, like the men from yesterday, but she's a Trainer and I'll be safe with her. And see? She's just over there. She's a good person, I know it."

And on one of the garden paths, he did see the blond girl again. She was standing near one of the pools, watching the Pokemon swimming down there. Even though she hadn't been the one to battle yesterday, she had attempted to stop the bad men from hurting his daughter. Observing her thoughts, the Musharna could tell that she had a good heart, although she wasn't quite as bold and brave as her friend. But then, maybe being more cautious would be better.

He nuzzled the Munna. "You know that if you leave, I'm going to miss you lots."

At that, her eyes did get a bit watery. "I know. I'll miss you lots too. That's a bad thing about going. But, I think there's a lot more good things that can happen. And if she comes back here, I'll come visit, and you can see how much I've grown."

Part of him wanted to insist that she not go. She was going to get hurt again. But, he couldn't protect her forever and a human Trainer would help her learn to fight and defend herself. Maybe if she liked humans, in particular this one, he should honor her feelings. "Okay, you may go with her. Be careful out there."

Excited, she squealed and nuzzled him again. "Thanks, Daddy! I love you muchly."

"I love you muchly too. Goodbye."

"Bye!" Then she flew out of their cover and went over to the girl. The humans seemed surprised, but then delighted to see her. She even asked if she was the same one from yesterday, and if she was all right.

That let him know that she would be loved. Before he left, though, the Musharna carefully came out of cover, just enough so that the girl could see him. Then he manipulated his dream mist in order to form words in her language. "Take good care of her… she's my only child."

And the girl promised she would. Feeling a bittersweet satisfaction, the Musharna left the girl and the Munna to travel together.

…

Munna White entry: It eats the dreams of people and Pokemon. When it eats a pleasant dream, it expels pink-colored mist.

Musharna White entry: With the mist from its forehead, it can create shapes of things from dreams it has eaten.


	220. Illumise, Volbeat

The sky was black, spotted with stars. There was no moon in the sky, although a town several miles off gave a brown cast to the air around it. All around the meadow, there were Pokemon and humans scattered about in small groups. They kept quiet, speaking only in hushed tones. And they all watched the sky.

Then, a brilliant series of lights appeared in the air. Beautiful bright glows cast a great deal of light onto the ground, briefly eliminating the darkness. It appeared as though a shimmering ripple was moving through the air, like the sparkle of sun off a rushing river. Flowing over the crowds, it caused several calls and claps of admiration. Within the light formation, one could see the Illumise and Volbeats who were putting on the show.

After a minute, the swarm descended to a quiet part of the meadow. On the ground were a good number of Illumise, standing near a stream. The one who had been leading the last dance joined them, while the males landed in another spot to wait for the next round. "A flawless start like always, don't you think?" the one Illumise said to the others.

"And it's The River Rush as usual," another one said. "That's your best one to the point where it's your only one."

She twitched her antennae, trying not to look as insulted as she felt. "At least you all know that whatever I do, it's to perfection. Some of you try to do too much and make all kinds of mistakes."

"Well are you gong to try any new dances this year?"

Over near the edge of the group, one of the younger Illumise looked over the group of Volbeats. She had been chosen as the leader of the next round and it would be her first light dance at a large gathering. And such an important gathering too, the midsummer courtship dances where she would chose her Volbeat partner; he would be with her until the next midsummer dances. If she messed up, then none of them would want to be with her.

Her mother tapped her abdomen. "Remember what I said, dear: relax and have fun with this." The older Illumise smiled. "You'll be leading several more rounds, and a good many of them don't care about minor mistakes in formation."

"I'll try," she said. "But it's a much larger swarm than I'm used to leading. There's so many of them."

"It makes the light show even brighter, and more beautiful. And they'll follow your lead without hesitation."

Over in the Volbeat group, the males were getting a drink of water or boasting to one another. A few of the young ones were nervous, but joined in on trying to one-up each other without breaking out into a fight. That was a definite bad move here, as the Illumise might tell them to leave the dances for the whole night, making the perpetrators unable to be chosen. Sometimes, the more devious-minded Volbeats might try to get others to pick fights with them to get rivals kicked out.

One older Volbeat found three others and waved them to come in closer, so they could talk without being overhead. "You're doing well so far, boys," he said quietly. "Seems like the next round is going to be led by a first-timer, so we'll stick around out of courtesy. The next time one of the older Illumise comes up, though, we're going to sit out one round."

"Sit out?" one of the three asked in disbelief. "But won't they see that as being lazy?"

"Yeah, we're supposed to show them how tough and strong we are," another said.

The older one nodded. "Yes, but there is a bit of strategy involved if you really want to succeed. The night is still young and everybody is full of energy. But this is going to go on without stop until the glows of dawn begin. The Illumise might not remember who takes breaks every now and then as there's so many of us. But they make their choices at dawn, and they will know who is passed out of exhaustion at that point. If you take breaks every so often, you'll still have the energy to look bright and healthy by dawn. If you try to dance in every single round, then you're definitely not going to look your best. Stick with me; I can help you learn when to sit out and when the last dozen rounds come up."

One of the younger ones smirked. "That might work for you old bugs, but I'm tough enough to do this. Just you watch." He then left to go speak with another.

"Yeah, we'll be strong enough to even fight in the morning," a second said, taking off after the other.

The third looked to them, but stayed. "Hey Dad, why are there so many people watching? The Illumise smell wonderful tonight, but some of the ones out there stink and nearly throw me off the call."

"I don't really know the answer to that," the Volbeat said. "I remember when I was your age, the crowd was maybe a third of this. But as long as they don't disrupt us too much… although that one person did smell pretty strongly of cigarettes. Was that the one who disrupted you?"

The younger one nodded. "Yeah, I almost missed my instructions last round because of that."

"Let's see if it bothered anyone else. The Illumise might let us do something if enough of us complain."

A couple minutes later, the young Illumise flew into the air over the Volbeat crowd. She produced a sweet aroma that caused the Volbeats to take off into the air after her. When in flight like this, the swarm could communicate through scents far more efficiently than through sounds. The Volbeat were trying to be interesting by being obedient to her lead. However, there was also an undercurrent of discontent. She asked what it was.

From a good number of them came the complaint that one of the witnesses was smoking a cigarette and that was disrupting communications for them. There were some parts of the swarm that assured her that she didn't have to take care of it; it was her first midsummer lead and an older Illumise could handle it. But, if this smoker disrupted her signals, then her first lead would be a disaster. So she let them know that they would handle the smoker this round instead of a regular dance, then asked them where the problem was.

She kept high while they told her where. Down below, she could see a small red glint. Since her instructions could be blocked by the smell, she informed them that they were going to dive down to surround the man, then use Flash to discomfort him with blindness. The other humans should be able to see him then, especially if some of the Volbeat kept alit longer to reveal the issue. From what she had encountered with humans, they would help Pokémon with such troubles.

They did as she said, diving down when she directed them to. When they got close to the smoker, the conflicting smells gave her a chaotic mess of signals. No wonder the Volbeats didn't like it. As planned, she used Flash, which visually signaled them to do the same. The scene briefly turned brighter than noontime daylight, causing anyone nearby, not just the smoker, to try covering their eyes. Before long, a park ranger came up to the man and spoke sharply to him.

Flickering her light at normal brightness, she rose up and tried to give the signal for the rest to do the same, including the light flicker to get anyone who was still confused by the smoke. When she had the swarm back up, the ranger was taking the smoker away. She led them back to the stream, ending her round even though she hadn't used a pattern dance.

"What was that about?" the leader of the former round asked. "That was no pattern."

"There was a smoker in the crowd," she said. "And, um, he was throwing off the Volbeats, so I helped them get rid of the smells."

"But you were supposed to make a beautiful dance," she scolded.

"No, no," another Illumise said. "I think that was the responsible thing to do. If the smell got spread and set in, then all of our dances would have been thrown off. Good choice."

"Yeah, that's the kind of decision you'd want a swarm leader to make," another said.

The one bug fumed silently, but the young one felt proud.

…

Sapphire entry: Volbeat's tail glows like a lightbulb. With other Volbeat, it uses its tail to draw geometric shapes in the night sky. This Pokemon loves the sweet aroma given off by Illumise.

Illumise Emerald entry: A nocturnal Pokemon that becomes active upon nightfall. It leads a Volbeat swarm to draw patterns in the night sky. Over 200 different patterns have been confirmed.


	221. Dialga, Palkia

The church of Hearthome was grand and elegant. Its structure allowed it to be bright and airy inside without sacrificing stability or size. Large stained glass windows and painted murals on the wall depicted many old myths, like the creation of the world by the Pokémon god Arceus. In the middle of the afternoon, it was usually visited by curious sightseers, although a few devout stayed in solitary worship. Still, it was not often that one of the Pokémon gods came into the church itself.

Especially not two of them. They had come in disguise. Somewhat. Dialga and Palkia looked much the same as they usually did, but only a foot tall like many of the small Pokémon of the world. Being that size, they had been able to get in and move around underneath the pews without being noticed as anything unusual.

"They keep this place, like, pretty nice," Palkia said, looking up at the preacher's area of the room.

Dialga noticed a bit of old fur clinging to the bottom of one corner of the pew. "Not entirely," he said.

"Well it's not fallen to ruins like other sacred buildings," she retorted. "That's much better than some places we've seen on this trip. Oh hey, lookit!" She pointed up with one of her clawed hands, twitching her wings in excitement. "That painting looks as good as ever. I still say you look all burly and no-nonsense in that one."

He lowered his neck so that he could see the painting better, then walked up to the edge of the pew with her. "And what's wrong with that?"

Giggling like there was some secret joke she wasn't going to share, she said, "Nothing! Should we stick around or skip some time so we can see a service?"

Dialga considered it, then yawned. "Eh, we've had a long trek to get here, at this size." His sister beamed, looking proud of herself. While it was her doing, it wouldn't be that hard to alter sizes for someone of her ability. "I'd like to get some rest. Relax a little while. This town's so noisy, though."

She tapped her chin. Sometimes he was jealous of her having hands. "Hmm, relaxing would be nice. But hey, it would be nicer if we could find one of those Pokémon spa places. Wouldn't that be great? We could convince the workers to treat us like other guests and get pampered for a while."

"How are you going to hide the fact that we're gods?" he asked. "Traveling around like this is one thing, but letting humans see us like this for an extended period of time isn't good. We're not like the Psychic ones who can fully bluff them."

"Oh don't be such a grumpy Gloom," Palkia teased him. "If we get into too much trouble, we could ask those guys for assistance. Besides, those Plasma weirdoes that were trying to enslave us got totally burned trying to mess with Giratina. Well not burned, per say, but he messed them up for, you know, messing with him."

"What's with your language today? And most of this trip?"

"I'm fitting in to this time! I talked with some Pokémon and listened to their Trainers to find out, like, how they talk now. I think it's fun!"

"I think it's silly," Dialga countered.

Before their conversation could continue, a preteen girl stopped by them and dropped down onto her knees. She had black hair in pigtails and when she grinned, she showed off some silver braces. "Hi cute little Pokémon," she said. "Whatcha doin' down there?" She reached in to touch Dialga.

He leaned his head back, causing her to lower her hand. Someone reaching out to him was much different on this size scale. Once she seemed less threatening, he sniffed at her fingers. Pen ink, salt water taffy (lemon flavored), and Combee. Nothing too surprising for this era, but something beyond scent was surprising about her.

"Hey, bro!" Palkia said, looking up at the girl. "Somebody's marked her aura as a potential hero!"

"I've noticed," he replied as the human then tried to touch Palkia. She was more willing. "But she's not one who was there when we were awakened. I wonder what's in store for this one."

"We can tag along and find out," she suggested.

"Aren't we supposed to be on vacation?" he asked.

Before his sister could reply, she was picked up by the human. "You two look strange," the girl said. "You're like the ones in the picture up there, but you're little Pokémon, not giants. I wonder if Dad knows." She walked over to the front of the aisle, carrying Palkia with her.

"And we're not supposed to be noticed," Dialga grumbled, following after. He didn't come out in the open, not yet.

At that point, the quiet of the church was broken by a shout from a man in the back. "General Woodard!" Then the man in the black mask threw something at the girl and Palkia.

Although he doubted that girl was a General, Dialga wasn't going to let his sister be in a dangerous position again. Causing the jewel on his chest to glow, he slowed time save for himself, the girl, and Palkia. That made the object, a dart with Murkrow feathers on the end, seem to slow down to a crawl. The girl was frozen in fear for a moment, but a little nip from Palkia got her to move out of the way. Once they were safe, Dialga let time flow naturally. The dart flew past them and embedded itself in a wooden podium. To anyone else, it would have looked as if the girl had dodged supernaturally fast.

Another man in the back got up and went to the attacker. He was middle-aged, but a powerful looking human. "What do you want?" he asked in a firm tone edged in danger.

Perplexed by the miss, the attacker glanced at the general, then rushed up the aisle. "Oo, oo, let me!" Palkia called. After a pink glow from her, the church suddenly expanded to have a center aisle that was a mile long. Thousand of pews lined the path between the attacker and his targets.

Dialga came out from his cover and walked up to them. "This is exactly why I wanted to remain inconspicuous," he said. "I don't want anymore trouble after that maddening mess that was the red chain."

"But, but, aren't you like curious now about what's going on?" Palkia asked, still in the girl's arms. "We've been hibernating for so many centuries, but now we can be involved in big things again. Maybe even make some new legends. That would be totally awesome!"

He looked over at the girl, who was perplexed by the strange events happening around her. Then he looked over at the attacker and the 'general' (probably the girl's dad, now that he thought of it). If they went with this girl, there would be adventure, but there would be danger. If they carried on with their own travels, there could be relaxation, but not much of consequence.

The choice was difficult.

…

Dialga Diamond entry: It has the power to control time. It appears in Sinnoh-region myths as an ancient deity.

Palkia Diamond entry: It has the ability to distort space. It is described as a deity in Sinnoh-region mythology.


	222. Bisharp, Samurott, Gothitelle, Audino

She was knocked to the ground, barely hanging on to awareness. Her opponent, another Bisharp, clenched his fist and pointed his claw-blade upward. Foolish. He thought it was victory, but she wasn't fully out yet. And if he kept being too quick on the call, then he was going to destroy the clan.

After shifting her position, she sprang back onto her feet, attacking him in the side as she did. The Pawniard that had been watching gave calls of shock and admiration. It seemed like she would faint, but the female Bisharp remained determined to continue. "There is danger hanging over us," she repeated, although it was painful to talk. "You're going to lead us all into ruin."

Angered, he slashed his hand blade at her, which she blocked with her own. Sparks flew from the impact. "You've been inciting panic for no reason," he said. "I am going to lead us to domination of the plains." He kicked her to knock her off-balance, then added, "But you will not be among us." Then he slashed at her head, fully defeating her.

The clan of Pawniard had previously followed the female, and most of them had liked her. But on seeing this victory, they quickly changed loyalty. Saluting, various members of the group called out, "Chief! Great victory, Chief. You're the strong one, Chief." They all hoped to be strong someday, and they would follow the strongest Bisharp around.

As the new Chief, he smirked at the young ones. He'd make sure they couldn't challenge his authority as he had done to his predecessor. "Right. Let's go; I have big plans for the clan."

And so they left the female Bisharp unconscious in the middle of the grassy plains. There were any number of scavengers out there who might try to kill her for food, but the clan didn't care. As she had lost, she was weak. Although, some remembered her last minute stand and wondered if she couldn't be strong even though she had lost.

Some distance from the location of the battle, a ripple in the taller grasses started. Another Pokémon was rushing towards her. "That was foolish," he said. "She was right about the danger."

* * *

On the northern edge of the grassy plains, there was a wide river that separated them from a forest. On the south bank, there was a meeting of various Pokémon of the plains. They were arguing. "It's not over the plains," a Zebstrika said. "It won't affect us."

"But it's not natural," a Sawsbuck argued. "It's a omen and a very bad one at that. We need to get ready."

"For what?"

"For whatever's going to come from it."

"It's just a light," a Unfezant said. "Why should we worry?"

"It feels like hatred towards the whole world," a Gothitelle spoke up, the first thing she'd said for the whole meeting. "It's a harbinger of doom. If we wait until the danger comes to us, it will already be too late."

"You lot are just trying to scare everybody!" a Whismicott said. "It's just a weird light in the sky, nothing more." A chorus of voices agreed, while others disagreed.

Sighing, the Gothitelle turned away, considered leaving before a fight broke out. The air was tense and anxious. No one was certain what it was, but it had appeared a few nights ago. Off to the northwest after the sun had gone down fully, a strange light would appear in the black night sky. It was an oval ring, something that might appear to be a circle when one was fully under it. It had first appeared as a kind of pink, but was slowly turning red. Sometimes, a shaft of light would appear under it to touch the ground somewhere far away. And it stayed until the light of dawn began to color the sky. No one was certain what it was, but she could feel its dark power even from here.

And then the whole area went quiet. Wondering what could defuse this crowd, she looked back and saw that he had come. Michael the Samurott lived in the river and was the undisputed boss of the water. Droplets remained on the bone sword over his head and the sharp-edged armor on his legs. While he had to shuffle across the land, he still intimidated the plains Pokémon who encountered him on the river shore.

Glaring around at the group, the Samurott effortlessly took control of the meeting. "Your arguing is disrupting us," he said with a slight hint of a growl. "What is all this fuss about?"

Everyone else stepped back, nervous about angering the river lord. The Gothitelle turned back and approached him. Someone had to do it. "Lord Michael, I apologize for them," she said. "This started out as a discussion of the strange red light that has appeared in the northwestern sky, what it means and what we should do about it. Some say that it is an omen and some say that it is not over us, so it will not affect us."

He snorted. "So what is it?" he asked.

"No one in the plains seems to know," she said. She watched how he moved, ready to run if he attacked. Sometimes he was reasonable, but if he was angered enough about the disruption of the river Pokémon, he could do anything.

"Then a group should go out there and find out what it is," he pointed out. "But you land dwellers would rather argue about it endlessly, right? Who among you would dare leave the plains to find out about this light in the sky?"

"I would go," the Gothitelle decided. "I have felt a strong emotion that I think is connected, but I should go confirm it. It is like nothing else I have felt, save for hate."

"Good for you," he said gruffly, like he hadn't expected it. "And the rest of you?"

She looked to the rest there, but it was quiet. Not that it surprised her. Most of them were only concerned about what happened in the plains and keeping up with the political game of power. As they bickered with each other so much, it was surprising that no outsider group had come in and conquered them all to start towns and civilizations, like in other areas.

The Samurott lowered his head, putting his sword closer to the rest of them. "I didn't think so. On the other hand, I need to determine if this thing is a sign of danger to my river. So I am going to the northwest too. You there, girl, come with me. We may as well travel together."

"Thank you, Lord Michael," she said. She really was grateful. While confident in her powers, the strong hate that she felt from the light might affect her as she got closer to its source. Traveling with another would be safer.

When they were out of the crowd enough, the Samurott replied, "You're welcome, but I would prefer to travel with the river as long as we can. There's a branch stream that heads in the right direction, I believe. What's your name?"

"Irene, sir. I shall be fine walking by the waters."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time she awoke. The Bisharp felt some aches in her muscles, but surprisingly, that was it. With as badly as she had been beaten, she should still be in pain from the deeper wounds. And they would have abandoned her, so she was lucky to even be alive. Instead of feeling terrible, she felt refreshed and full of energy.

She sat up, wondering what had happened. When she looked to the northeast, she saw it again, that ring of red light. That was something one saw in nightmares and it seemed to get worse every night. And in her dreams since she'd seen it… in her nightmares… it heralded the appearance of powerful demons that would raze the plains, the river, the forest, the mountains, eventually the whole world. The time to take them out would be now, when their powers were weak.

By the rustling of the grass and pattering of feet, she could tell that a bipedal Pokémon was hurrying her way. The Bisharp brought her right arm up. While she could take on a fight now, her blades needed sharpening sometime tonight. From the sound of the paws, it wasn't one of her clan. A foe or friend?

A pink furred Pokémon emerged from the thick grass, curly hairs bouncing along. A damp pouch was in its forepaws. Smiling, he bowed to show that he meant no harm. "Great, you're awake! I went to go fetch some water for you. Here." He passed over the pouch.

For a moment, she looked into his face. He seemed to mean well, so she nodded and took it. "Thank you, stranger. Did you heal me?"

He nodded. "Of course; it is the way of the Audino. I am Colin. Sorry, but I'm not sure of what the plains Pokémon are; I'm just traveling through."

After finishing off the water pouch, she handed it back. "I am one of the Bisharp, Dagger. I am grateful for your help, but I must be going." She started off through the grass.

Colin followed after her. "Are you going to find out what's under the red light in the sky?"

Stopping, she turned and nearly ran into him. Fortunately, he stopped before he collided into her bladed body. "How do you know that?"

He tapped his ears, which were surrounded by the long curly hair. "I overheard you and the other Bisharp in battle. And, I agree. That light means danger for all of us." His expression saddened. "On the winds from the north, I could hear the cries of things not of this world. The closer I get, the better I can hear them, although even from here, it is but a faint sound. But it is the sound of a song of destruction."

"So you agree," Dagger said, touching one hand to her chest. "The light of it gives me nightmares. My clan may have abandoned me, but I will not abandon them. I go to keep this land safe for them."

"May I come with you?" the Audino asked. "I had to see this for myself, but if I get much closer to where I can hear it clearer, it may effect my concentration in battle. But, I can heal, and that would be valuable to you, right?"

"It would." She shifted her right hand blades to a less threatening position, then offered it. "Then we shall go together."

Colin smiled and they shook on it. "Right. We'll find out what we can do."

* * *

Irene and Michael moved east by the river. Sometimes other Pokmeon mistook the Gothitelle for being a lone traveler. If her powers didn't scare them off, then Michael's quick strikes with his sword, nearly always knocking out one enemy, would. The whole time, the strange red ring of light was in the sky, sometimes reaching down to the ground, but most times not.

At one time while one group was fleeing, another group of Pokémon came in. But they were different; Irene could tell because they emitted feelings of wanting to speak with them, not fight. She held a hand up to keep the Samurott from attacking the pair that emerged from the grasses. An Audino and a Bisharp. "You seem to be looking for us," the Gothitelle said.

The Bisharp looked wary, but the Audino just waved. "Yes, that's it," he said. "I overheard you a little bit ago."

"He does that a lot," the Bisharp said. She seemed to be uncertain of how. "We were so far away, though."

"You were going to check out the red light in the night sky, like us," the Audino said. "We may as well form a larger group instead of partners, then."

"Good to know not everyone is ignorant," Michael said, in his usual gruff way. "But we'd better not lose time."

* * *

It took until the next night, but the four travelers found the site where the ring of light was situation. It hung ominously in the sky, blocking out the stars and casting a hellish aura around the countryside. Now that they were close, they could see that the ring was constantly changing. Symbols inside it shifted and moved in ways that none of them could translate.

The Gothitelle stood in a clear spot under the sky ring, clasping her hands together in front of her neck. The black cones of her body shifted as she swayed, focusing her mind on understanding the mystery. All around Irene, black mists with twinkling star-like dots held in strange patterns. It was like a scrap of the night sky, but not as they knew it.

Nearby, the Audino was concentrating too. His ears twitched often; his body occasionally trembled. While she used her mind, he used his sensitive ears to listen to the spirits of the area. Even before they had starting searching out the truth, Colin had said that this place sounded like both tormentor and tormented. He was clearly stretching his courage to remain under the ring.

While they studied, the other two Pokemon watched for interruptions or enemies. The Bisharp and the Samurott had initially been leery of each other. Michael had seen the Pawniard and Bisharp clan as troublemakers who disrupted the river waters often. Dagger had seen the Samurott as being too territorial, attacking her kin even when they were only near the river. However, both felt that the potential for danger here was too great. They would have to cooperate.

"This is a place where demons were called," Colin said, moving closer to Michael. "It does not sound like the one who called them is here right now, nor are the demons. But power is still being channeled through the ring."

"Seventeen demons of the elements were called," Irene added, sounding worn out as the black mists around her faded. "They will overtake the lands and corrupt them so that their master can rule over all. At the moment, the demons are not fully powered; that is why the ring remains. Now would be the time to defeat them, but we may be the only ones who realize what this danger is."

"We ought to do something about it, then," Colin said. "The three of you will, right? It's the right thing to do. I may not be able to do it on my own, but I will do what's right."

"I would agree if we keep working as a group," Irene said. "We seem to work together well."

On hearing that, the Samurott and Bisharp looked at each other. True, there hadn't been trouble so far. But... Dagger put her right hand on her chest and bowed her head. "I was abandoned by my clan, but I will not abandon them to this danger. Michael, I know our groups have fought before; I am willing to try working with you now."

He looked at her sharply for a while longer, then nodded. "Fine. You've not caused trouble, and these demons would cause far more trouble than any of your kin have caused me. Can we tell where those demons went?"

And thus began the great legend of the Warriors of Light, seeking to destroy the demons which would destroy the world.

…

Samurott Black entry: One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. A simple glare from one of them quiets everyone.

Bisharp Black entry: It leads a group of Pawniard. It battles to become the boss, but will be driven from the group if it loses.

Audino White entry: Its auditory sense is astounding. It has a radarlike ability to understand its surroundings through slight sounds.

Gothitelle Black entry: Starry skies thousands of light-years away are visible in the space distorted by their intense psychic power.


	223. Seismitoad, Skarmory

The marsh was a quiet place where not much happened. At one time, Seismitoad had to fight for his position as leader and keep Pokémon from the nearby wetlands from invading. But that had been a long time ago. Now that they knew of his power, others didn't challenge his authority. It helped that he kept things peaceful, negotiating arguments, punishing troublemakers, and dealing personally with problems. But the peace was, well, boring.

That afternoon, he was sitting on an old stump watching over his domain. The young Pokémon were playing and wrestling with each other, nothing to be concerned about. Seismitoad periodically hit the sides of his fists together, making the bumps there vibrate. It gave off a deep drumming sound which could be heard even outside his marsh. When others heard it, they knew that he was watching.

Although really, he was bored. He considered starting up a tournament for the marsh's Pokémon to participate in. There really wasn't much to do and that would satisfy more Pokémon than just himself. But what should it be a competition of? Battling was the first thing in mind, but that would give a clear advantage to himself and any evolved Pokémon. Rock busting? The thing was, he was better than that then anyone else in the marsh, as he could vibrate the bumps all over his body and demolish any boulder he could punch or tackle. Maybe a tug of war? But splitting the marsh's Pokémon into two groups struck him as a bad idea. It might go beyond a friendly competition. Small teams might be okay provided he made sure that it stayed civil. Team battles? That would even things out, especially if the teams had to be approved by himself first. Or assigned…

A silver blur passed through the air, giving him pause. What was that Pokemon doing flying that close to ground level? Seismitoad waited to see if it would pass through again. Instead, a massive clamor filled the air as it crashed into a large tree. It struck him as the expected result of the dumb decision to fly so low and fast, save for the volume of the accident. But, it wasn't like he was doing anything important today. He got up and went over to the tree.

The tree itself was a goner; a spray of tan splinters stood up from the stump, with some bent back and still attached to the main trunk. Something like that should have taken the impact of a flier readily. However, the Pokémon that was right in front of the tree seem to be made of metal. Its silver and blue steel feathers were bent near his head, but otherwise unharmed from the impact. The Skarmory itself was struggling clumsily onto his feet.

A heavy Steel-type that flew? It was tough to imagine; Seismitoad had heard of Skarmories before, but had always thought that their actual metal was limited. Not covering its body. "That sounded painful," Seismitoad said.

Spreading a wing out towards the splintered stump, Skarmory replied, "It jumped out at me, I swear! Arrest this foul tree."

He looked at it. While there were some tree-like Pokémon, this clearly was not one of them. "It's a tree," he said.

"That's what they want you to think," the Skarmory hissed. "It looks like a tree but is in fact a foul tree, part of a secret cabal of insidious plant life that is looking to take over the world. If you're walking, they lift up their roots to trip you. If you're flying, they jump in your way to make you crash. You'd better do a thorough check of the trees around here and make sure there aren't more foul trees around. You know them by how many 'accidents' happen around them, and the blood-thirsty aura they emit. Eventually, they will kill and replace us all."

Hmm, a crazy Pokémon visitor. That was certainly different. "At least you defeated that one," he said going along for fun.

He closed his wings to sit at his sides and checked on the brown bag he was carrying. "Yes, but it was very close. If I hadn't been blessed with my natural armor, it would have defeated me instead. I was on my way to deliver vital messages to the fighters who are looking to break up this foul tree cabal. You ought to join us; it could save your home, family, and friends in the end."

Looking at the bag, Seismitoad recognized a human symbol. This Skarmory worked for the human's postal office, delivering letters. As far as he knew, it was a public service, not an organization for fighting conspiracies. "I'll consider it," he said. "Were you going to Iccirrus? It's not too far from here, just southeast along that path." He pointed out the way that the humans kept clear.

"Yes, exactly there," the Skarmory said. "Thank you, good sir. I will bring back a pamphlet for you if I can smuggle it past the foul trees that must be hiding through those woods. They hate paper products, as you can imagine. Keep alert and remember, check out all the trees." He then started running off down the path to town.

"You be careful!" Seismitoad called. Foul trees… how silly. He went back to his log and considered how to arrange his group battle tourney to entertain everyone.

Two weeks later, the foul trees attacked.

…

Skarmory D/P/Pt/B/W entry: Despite being clad entirely in iron-hard armor, it flies at speeds over 180 mph.

Seismitoad White entry: It increases the power of its punches by vibrating the bumps on its fists. It can turn a boulder to rubble with one punch.


	224. Cresselia

It was dark. The cobblestone streets were quiet, save for the occasional patter of small nocturnal Pokémon. In the houses crowded up against each other, most people were asleep. Many of their dreams were troubled, reflecting their lives. There was an unpopular King in control who kept the people under him poor. In shades of this, the people dreamed of not having enough, or of problems they had that could be solved with money if they had it. It really made the night air dreary. There was a crescent moon in the sky.

In the dim moonlight, she appeared. She was out of place here, a bright and beautiful Pokémon in a dull and mundane town. She had aurora instead of wings and a tail, arching out from her body in every color that one could dream of. Around her, things were gray, brown, and dirty. It made Cresselia sad to see the humans like this, but there were rules about interference.

A small racket came up in the alleyways as a pair of Murkrow argued over who owned a copper coin. Pokémon had it rough here too, crowded in because they wanted to be with a particular person. In fact, she had come here to see a particular person. Cresselia knew she couldn't change much unless she knew the right person. But, if she went to befriend the 'right person', there would be a good chance she'd be captured as a rare Pokémon. Many humans who got to be in charge did so because they were willing to manipulate better people.

She headed to a single spot of candlelight in view, a small flame that came through a small window. Being a creature of dreams, she passed right through the walls into the room. There was a woman in a wooden rocking chair, putting her baby back in its cradle to sleep. There was also a man in the room, but he was asleep despite the light. And with her power around, he'd stay asleep.

"Hello again," Cresselia said, shifting her aurora so that it wouldn't be overwhelmingly bright.

"Hello again," the woman said, smiling some. "I was wondering if I would see you again."

"I come on the same night every year," she replied, drifting closer to the cradle. She bent her head down and checked on the infant. The little girl hadn't been alive for a full moon cycle yet. And her dreams, like most infants, were simple things.

"It doesn't seem like it."

"It's the same night by the lunar calendar." She lifted her head back up. "She dreams of being in your arms, listening to your heartbeat."

That made her happy. "I would think so. I've been keeping her close, like my mother said to."

And now for the same conversation they'd had the past several years. "Have you decided on what you would wish from me?"

"I don't need anything," she said, as always. "The priest says it's a waste to wish for that which you haven't worked for and I'm striving to be a good person."

That kind of attitude was as frustrating as those who would try to wish for everything, Cresselia thought. "It is not wrong to want a little something for yourself. It is only when the wants consume your thoughts that it becomes greed."

"But just that small step puts you on the road to ruin and can turn your eternal judgment into that of hell. That is the teaching of Arceus." She was deeply pious to the point of stubbornness, wouldn't see any other way to things.

While Cresselia didn't have any objections to religion (although coming across her own worshippers tended to embarrass her; she was pretty minor in the scheme of things), it was another thing that she saw having too much or too little of could lead to trouble. Especially when it got in the way of her own morals. She thought about arguing that she didn't think Arceus would want that. It was more likely another way the King kept himself in power and wealth. But, she'd never met the creator Pokémon herself, so she couldn't really say what Arceus' teachings would be.

Back when this woman was a girl, she had helped Cresselia while the Pokémon was in disguise as an old woman. It was a wish exchange that she liked very much, as it tended to bring blessings to those who deserved it. Not being able to grant that wish felt like a failing on her part.

Maybe she should try coming at this from that angle. "I promised you a single wish, and it's a debt that I would like to repay," she said. "I'll keep coming every year until I can."

"I said it's all right," the woman said. "I have nothing that I want and I'm grateful that I've been able to see you for yourself."

Some of the more pompous ones would accept that, but that wasn't her way. But there was a glimmer of something. "You don't speak the truth when you say that you have nothing you want."

The woman was quiet for a minute, looking at her child. "Well if it's something you must do," she said, finally giving in, "could you make sure that my daughter keeps pleasant dreams throughout her life? Life's a harsh thing and too many folks turn to despair, or to sin to ignore it all. But if she had good dreams, she might be able to stay naturally cheerful and do good just by being herself."

At the start of this, she might have tried to get her to wish for something for herself, not another. But it was for her child, and she'd refused for so long. "I can do that for you both," Cresselia said. She'd need something for that.

Brushing along her sides with her beak, she found a feather that was loose. If left to its own, it would dim over time. She took it, but cast several enchantments over it. It would stay beautiful as long as its owner was alive, and it would have enough of her power to keep nightmares at bay. One other enchantment, and it was good. Cresselia gently placed it so that the baby gripped it in her fingers.

"That will keep her dreams good," she explained.

"Seems like something someone would steal," the woman said. Too much of her life had been hard for her to take anything on faith. That is, anything but what the priest told her.

Cresselia shook her head. "No, I made sure that it would always return to her, every night. This will probably be the last time we see each other. I wish you both well."

Then she moved back to the dream lands. While that woman may have been kind, she was too pessimistic for Cresselia's liking. Perhaps her daughter would be better.

…

HG/SS entry: Those who sleep holding Cresselia's feather are assured of joyful dreams. It is said to represent the crescent moon.


	225. Sigilyph, Golurk

The desert sands blew across empty land, turning the air gritty and brown. There were a few stones, statues, and one old tower standing, but otherwise there was nothing here. On a clearer day, one could look around and see nothing but sand. It rose and dipped in strangely regular rectangular patterns, but none had yet dared to dig there and find out why. Most people saw nothing of importance.

Most people were not like the Sigilyph.

Floating through the air, one moved along the central line of Desert Resort slowly. His blue-tipped wings moved slowly; he kept itself aloft with his Psychic powers, but directed himself with his wings. The black limb that held onto his eye swiveled around, checking out his surroundings. Every day of his life, he always flew this same route at the same time of day. His mother had taught it to him, and he would eventually teach it to his successor.

When he looked around, he saw things. Ancient things which were no longer around, but their images lasted in the inherited memories of the Sigilyph. He saw stone streets filled with human and Pokémon, all working under the Great King. Although old languages crowded the air, he wouldn't let any of it distract him. He sensed through the stone buildings to see others cleaning, weaving, crafting, cooking, whatever work needed to be done.

He also saw merchants under colorful tents, hawking their wares and bartering with customers. Although he saw them, the Sigilyph didn't check them out. He saw them in memory, but not in reality. If they were in reality, then he would be accompanied by another of his kin, who checked out the goods to make sure that none were dangerous. Sometimes he had to check on a Trainer for the same purpose, but he made sure he could fly away before they could challenge him.

Then something changed around him. The Sigilyph stirred his small black wings, using them to sense things more accurately. In his visions of ancient times, he saw some people starting to look up at him. They had eyes with no whites, only blacks. Their aura was one of restlessness, an ache for the loss of life and the maddened desire to take it from others. And those souls were starting to manifest in reality.

He stopped in the air, counting how many there were. Fifty lost souls, all across the city. As they retained a memory of gravity, he would be safe above them. But anyone else in the Desert Resort was in danger. The Sigilyph sent a high pitched wail into the air, soon accompanied by other patrollers. It was a warning and a call for assistance.

In response, other Pokémon began to flee in alarm. Wild ones sought caves to hide in, while captured ones did their best to convince their Trainers to get out of the desert. And the various raised sections of sand began to shift. It had been many years, since before his mother's lifetime and maybe even before then, that something like this had happened. Yet the Golurk were still there, waiting for the time they were needed.

The Sigilyph flew on, finding the yellow glow of the nearest one to him. The clay giant was standing up now, not heeding the sands that were cascading off its body. Through various calls, he heard his kin trying to call the stronger wild Pokémon back out; their powers would help in defense of the city. Never mind that the city itself was already destroyed. It was the purpose, the soul and drive of the Sigilyph, to defend it.

And the Golurk that were here were of the same mind. He spoke with it, using terms he had never used before. Wraiths, the restless and wretched souls that remained, were coming out to attack the living. As Pokémon at least still lived here, they had to fight back. The Sigilypth wasn't sure why they were coming now, but the wraiths had to be dealt with.

Tightening its oversized fists, the Golurk looked around the landscape. When it saw that the wraiths had yet to fully cross over, the blue golem began to explain. The city had been destroyed by something they could not fight against, disease and the building sands. The spirits of many victims remained, eventually turning into the ravenous wraiths which stole life, turned others to be like them, but never became satisfied.

As their orders remained, even after many centuries, the Golurk would still fight to protect those that lived here. The Sigilyph agreed. They were all still bound by honor to the ghost city underneath the sands.

…

Sigilyph Black entry: They never vary the routes they fly, because their memories of guarding an ancient city remain steadfast.

White entry: It is said that Golurk were ordered to protect people and Pokémon by the ancient people who made them.


	226. Joltik

For a creature that was four inches high, the hallway of an ordinary home was enormous. The walls towered overhead; shoes made for major obstacles. She could climb up the walls, but it was such a long distance any way she went. Up on the shelves, there were human figurines that were bigger than her. But when the real humans came back in, their hands were bigger than her.

The Joltik looked up at the door, a massive piece of wood. That was the way outside. However, there was no room for her to squeeze underneath it, and the wood was coated in some kind of chemical that didn't smell tasty. She'd come in riding a larger Pokémon, but no one was in the house right now. how was she to escape this place?

She turned from the door and began looking through the house again. Escaping wasn't her only problem. She was running low on electrical energy. Normally, she picked up static while hanging onto larger Pokémon. But the one who lived here kept fighting her, causing her to expend her energy. Neither of them had an upper hand in the battles, as she could scurry under things and it could step on her if she did reveal herself. The humans usually got after it, so the fights never lasted long. Still, she worried about what would happen if she lost and was discovered by them.

Sensing around, she came to the living room and paused. There was a weird surface in there, so she has yet to go there. It looked like some kind of fiber material, bits of green and blue blended together. As she didn't know what exactly it was, she wasn't sure if it was safe. But that was the only room she hadn't checked out. Would there be a way out there?

Deciding to try, the Joltik went into the room and carefully stepped onto the carpet. It was a softer surface, but still firm. Once she got used to it, it seemed all right, so she scurried across the room. She went under the couch and several chairs, to see if there were holes along the wall. There weren't any. So she climbed up the wall and investigated the windows. From up there, she could see the fields outside where she lived. But she couldn't get through the glass. And even if the windows were open, there was a screen that blocked her. She might possibly be able to chew through it. If she had access to the screen, which she didn't.

No luck. Feeling disappointed, she dropped back to the floor. The larger Pokémon did have a bed that it slept on. Maybe she could hide there and attack herself to it again. It might take some time, but if that's what it took, she could wait quietly.

Before she entered the hall again, she noticed something. There was electricity flowing nearby. She had ignored it earlier, as it wasn't strong and she'd been focused on finding a way out. But it was there and it might give her a boost for any fights that may come up. Changing directions, the Joltik went to the wall and discovered a lump in the carpet. The electricity was somewhere underneath there. She followed it until she got to the wall, where a cord came out of the carpet and plugged into the wall.

She checked over the cord with her feelers. Plastic. That never tasted nice, but it would give her access to the voltage. Wanting to find a weak spot so she didn't have to taste so much plastic, she climbed up the cord, feeling it along the way. It came up to an outlet box, which had several cords attached to it, but one open slot. She could sense electricity there, still and unmoving. Perhaps she could take some from there. The Joltik reached a leg into two of the holes.

Immediately, she was shocked with the biggest jolt of electricity that she had ever experienced. Never mind trying to store some of it for use; she was frantic for a moment that it was going to kill her. She fell onto the carpet, feeling like puffs of smoke should be coming off her body. That was nothing like the electricity she and her kin used for attacks.

There was a click from the door. The humans were back! She thought of hiding… no. This was the perfect chance to try and escape. Although she felt awful, she twitched and flipped herself upright, then hurried to the door.

Then there was barking. The house Pokémon came bounding in, all excited for some reason. It spotted her, growled, then came running.

Oh no, it was blocking her way to the door! The Joltik shot an electrified web at him; some of the charge from the outlet stayed with her, letting her do so. The larger Pokémon shouted at that, nearly trampling her as she hustled to get by. Once she past him, the door was wide open in front of her.

One of the humans said something from another room, coming back to the hall. Joltik pushed herself to run as fast as she could, even if it hurt. If she didn't get out now, she might not get another chance in a long time.

Overhead, the human was reaching for the door, but stopped on seeing her. She begged him in her mind not to close the door… and it worked! She jumped down onto the porch, then hurried across the concrete to the grass. The larger Pokémon barked again and started to run, but the human called to it and made it stop. She was free!

Heading back to her field, she was grateful for it. She never wanted to be indoors again.

…

Black entry: Joltik that live in cities have learned a technique for sucking electricity from outlets in homes.


	227. Bouffalant

It was all coming together nicely. Nearly everything was figured out: how the thief had gotten the Peerless Emerald Necklace, who the thief was, why the crime was committed. All that was left was finding the crook and the necklace. But that shouldn't be much trouble. His flawless deduction skills were already reexamining clues and narrowing down the possibilities. It wouldn't be much longer before he would close the case, as he was Looker, the greatest detective in the world.

Walking on the path that went alongside a railroad, Looker was going to meet with a possible witness. There was a crossroad ahead, where he needed to cross the tracks to get to the person's house. At the crossing, there was a large brown Pokémon standing in the middle of the route, idling there and chewing cud. It had large long horns, but even larger than those was its hair. Jutting out in a large curly ball, it seemed like an inadvisable hair style for a four legged creature. But that was natural on a Bouffalant.

"Good afternoon, Pokémon," Looker said, nodding to the creature. He then started off down the road he needed.

However, the Bouffalant snorted, stomping its hoof down.

Looker held his hands up. "Pardon me; I will not be in your territory long if that is what…"

The Bouffalant then gently pushed him with its hair. For a 'gentle' push, it knocked Looker flat on his back. The Pokémon then pawed at the ground.

"What, you have muscles in that hair?" Looker asked, starting to get back up. "I'm not…" the Pokémon started for him again, so he quickly grabbed something from his bag. "Okay, here, take this. Will that do?'

Across the dusty route, the deep red apple rolled up to the Pokémon. The Bouffalant sniffed it, then ate it in two bites. It then walked off, satisfied. With that handled, Looker got up and headed off on his way. One had to know how to handle any Pokémon on this kind of job, he thought. Because one never knew what would happen on the road.

As he stepped onto the tracks, someone came running along the route. Looker saw the man and recognized him. It was the thief! Apprehending him now would cut out several steps towards fully solving this case. True, he wasn't too happy with the serendipity of the situation, but he knew to take advantage of these windfalls.

He rushed and tackled the thief. "Halt, in the name of the International Police!" he said. "You are hereby under arrest for the theft of the Peerless Emerald Necklace!"

Later, he could never explain the situation satisfactorily to others, not without making himself look bad. But ten minutes after he had tried to arrest the thief, Looker found himself lying on the railroad tracks he had been trying to cross. Thick ropes held him in a bind so that he could not move, even though his head was on one metal rail and his feet were on the other. And there was a vibration coming through the metal.

Still, the thief waited in order to hear the train whistle in the distance. He was the sort of man who looked so comically villainous that one could not take him seriously: pale skin, long dirty hands, greasy black hair, a long and thin black mustache that curled at the ends, and a black top hat. But perhaps the look was a part of his diabolical genius, as he was well known to the International Police for such audacious thefts.

"Well well now, dear Looker," the man said, grinning after the whistle. "You finally catch up to me, but I am the one who catches you in the end."

"Justice will not fail," he said, still having total faith in the system despite his current situation.

"But you won't be around much longer to see any justice. Now before you die, I think you'd want to know that I did steal the Peerless Emerald Necklace." He twisted one end of his mustache around, looking proud of himself. "And you may as well know, you were right about the Glory of Kyogre as well."

"What?" Looker asked, angered. The theft of that priceless painting had been one of his earliest cases, but the courts had failed to get a conviction. That loss had driven him to perfect himself into the best detective ever, one who could finally put a stop to this thief, his nemesis.

He just looked smug. "And the Tome of Alph, and the…" and suddenly he was no longer in view. There was just a thump of him hitting the ground.

And in his place, there was the Bouffalant. The Pokémon grunted.

"You must be an aide of Justice," Looker said. "That is good, but I don't suppose you can do anything about this train that's going to hit me?" He thought the Pokémon might be able to rip the ropes with its horns. The rails were throbbing and he could hear the wheels through the metal.

The Bouffalant looked in the direction the train was coming from… and ran.

Sighing, Looker closed his eyes. He supposed it wasn't fair for him to expect a wild Pokémon to do much about an on-coming train. He knew that his job was dangerous. And yet, he'd never guessed that he would die while tied to a set of railroad tracks.

There was a colossal smashing sound down the tracks, followed by a terrible clamor of speeding metal slamming into the ground. When that sound died off, Looker noticed that the tracks were no longer vibrating. And, he was alive. Still tied down, but alive.

Sometime later, emergency crews arrived at the location. The local police found him and untied him. Through his instructions, they took the thief into custody, making a search of his person to see if he had any stolen goods on him. Once he was upright, Looker could see what had happened. the train that had been heading his way had derailed messily, leaving a disaster area over a mile long in its wake.

"We think it was one of the Bouffalant again," the officer talking to him said. "Thankfully it wasn't a passenger train, but we've told the railroad company to move this line or protect it better. Those Pokémon can be a nuisance."

"I see." Seeing something approaching him, Looker turned and saw a Bouffalant, probably the one from earlier, trotting their way. It didn't look like it had taken any damage from attacking the train. "Was it you then? You may have saved my life, but in causing a train wreck, I can't thank you for that. No apple for you this time."

Snorting, the Bouffalant stomped its hoof down. After a momentary glaring contest, the Pokémon turned and headed off.

"I didn't think it would actually try to stop the train," Looker told the officer. "I was hoping it could free me from the tracks somehow."

"Does it belong to you?" the officer asked.

He shook his head. "No, it's just a wild…"

And the Bouffalant charged at Looker, head butting him so hard that he flew up and away until he was nothing more than a twinkle in the sky.

…

Bouffalant White entry: They charge wildly and headbutt everything. Their headbutts have enough destructive force to derail a train.


	228. Golduck, Surskit, Masquerain

The young Psyduck was curled up in his nest, shivering. He was still sleeping, but when his mother ran her paw along his head, he was no longer warm with fever. For the past few days, he had been terribly ill. There were times when the Golduck thought she'd lost this child. He was weak, so he was still in danger. But she already felt more hopeful because the worst of it seemed to be gone.

He probably wasn't happy, she thought. Not only after being sick, but also because of all the chalky roots and bitter leaves she had fed him. Those things would have healed him, as she knew from what her mother had told her, but they were so awful that no Pokémon seemed to like them. Being unhappy due to bitter medicine was probably the least of his troubles now. Still, if there was something she could do to make things a little better for him…

On thinking over what was around her den, the Golduck recalled something that should be safe to give him. It would be a little troublesome to get. But after all the medicine, he should be happy to have a little treat. And it wouldn't take her far.

Since he was sleeping hard, she put the blanket back over him, then left the small cave home they lived in. The Golduck stopped at the shore, looking to her right. The red jewel on her forehead glowed; at the same time, a slight red glow appeared under a large rock. Using telekinesis, she shifted the rock to block off access to her den. That would keep her son safe.

The Golduck then plucked a large leaf off a nearby tree. That would do. With that in paw, she dove into the cool waters of the lake.

* * *

Golden rays of sunlight covered the forest. They grew deeper and darker in color as the sun descended on the western horizon. On the surface of the lake, a group of Surskit were still at play. They skimmed along, involved in a game of Tag. One girl moved herself to near a leaf, getting as close as it could. The leaf pressed against the surface tension of the water. Not by a lot, but enough that the boy who was It couldn't speed up near her without slipping.

After watching the position of It be changed twice, she stepped onto the leaf to check on her feet. The oils there needed to stay clean and fresh, so she spent some time grooming. The others would understand. Most of them wouldn't try tagging her like this.

As she wasn't focused on the game, she spotted something odd in the distance. The light was quite dim now, with the sun fully past the horizon. It was a small red glow, kind of like an ember. But what would a fire be doing on the lake's surface?

Then an invisible force took hold of her body and lifted her in the air. Shrieking, the Surskit flailed with her thin legs, trying to find some surface to grip. Her friends called her name and came over, but they didn't know what was happening to her. She was scared enough that she went for the usual trick in throwing off enemies: making a sweet drop from the tip of her head.

Then she was dropped just as abruptly as she was picked up. However, she landed on her back and began sinking in the water. The Surskit struggled to get herself upright, but couldn't get her feet back on the surface. Two of her friends pushed the leaf towards her while others tried to grab her. With their skinny legs, it was hard. But she managed to get a grip on the leaf to pull herself above the water.

"Oh gosh," she said, gasping. "Thanks. Let's get out of there."

Her friends agreed, worried that whatever had grabbed her might do it again.

* * *

Once they were gone, the Golduck surfaced where they had been. The Surskit group had left several sweet drops behind. They were like honey, but of a different taste. Using the leaf, she skimmed the drops off the surface of the water. The little bugs made them to distract predators from chasing them. Maybe it was a little mean to scare them just for these meager drops. But they were a tasty delicacy, something her ill child would appreciate.

There was a soft hum in the air. Probably not a large Pokémon; the Golduck gathered up the last of the drops, then tied the leaf up tight to keep them inside. She could mix them in with something else, as they were strong enough to flavor things. Like some Leppa berries.

"There you are!" a voice boomed from overhead. "I am a Fury, the spirit of Vengeance! Bully, I will punish you for your torment of small Pokémon."

The Golduck turned around and looked up. It was dark, but an enormous pair of red eyes glared down out her. Yelping, she clutched the leaf package close and dove under the water as the thing laughed at her. Briefly, her imagination filled in what an awful huge creature it must have been to have eyes like that.

But when she got back to her side of the lake and reemerged, the Fury creature was nowhere to be seen. She calmed down, realizing that it was probably one of the Masquerain, not some giant spirit of Vengeance as it claimed. Still, she needed to make sure things were all right with her son. Then she could go looking for Leppas to mix with the sweet drops.

She wouldn't go hunting for more of the drops, though.

* * *

The Masquerain hovered over the water, watching as the Golduck emerged from the lake. For a moment, there was that little red glow as she moved a rock. So it was her, he thought. Gossip around the lake said that her son was ill. Maybe she was getting the sweet drops from him. Still, he didn't like anyone to pick on the little Surskit. If he didn't stand up for them, then many more Pokémon would try scaring them for sweet drops. Those were meant to be in case of danger, not for others to take advantage of.

Deciding to leave the Golduck mother alone for now, the Masquerain took off backwards, twisting his body around without swerving in flight. Other than moving to the side to avoid a rock, he went straight back home. There, he met with the little bugs he was watching for. "Did you get back at the bully?" one Surskit asked.

"Of course," he told them. "It was a really mean nasty Pokémon, but I scared it good. You should never see it around here again." Actually, the Golduck usually wasn't that bad. He just didn't want the young ones to know that one of their neighbors had scared them like that.

The Surskit kids cheered. "Thanks uncle," one of them said.

"No problem," he said. "Are you all right now?"

The girl who had been picked up nodded. "Yeah, but I think I'll stay here for now."

"That's a good idea," he said. "I'll be flying around here to keep you all safe."

"Hey, can you do that trick where you fly upside-down again?" one of the boys asked.

"Not now," he said.

"Aw, why not?"

"It's time for you kids to go to sleep; it's dark."

They whined for a bit, but eventually found spots to settle down and go to sleep.

…

Golduck Soul Silver entry: It appears by waterways at dusk. It may use telekinetic powers if its forehead glows mysteriously.

Sapphire entry: If Surskit senses danger, it secrets a thick, sugary syrup from the tip of its head. There are some Pokémon that love eating this syrup.

Ruby entry: Masquerain intimidates enemies with the eyelike patterns on its antennas. This Pokémon flaps its four wings to freely fly in any direction – even sideways and backwards – as if it were a helicopter.


	229. Machop, Dewott, Monferno

They were there at the gym every day, Mike and Dan. They showed up around the same time, training themselves in their own ways. While they knew of each other and had talked some, they weren't really friends. There wasn't anything that connected them other than working out at the same place.

Being a Machop, Mike dabbled in all of the equipment: lifting weights, running on the treadmill, doing resistance workouts, all of it. He also took any introduction classes that came around, looking to build his strength in every way possible. He had tried nearly every martial arts style in the world, but hadn't yet settled on one to master. Whenever newcomers came in, Mike would challenge them to a fight or show them how to use the machines in the equipment room. If there was a chance to show off, he would be there.

On the other hand, Dan the Dewott was focused on one training style alone. His whole regimen was geared towards making the most out of his two battle scalchops, yellow shells with razor sharp edges which had grown naturally at his hips. Due to all but the flat edge being sharp, they were dangerous to handle. A single slip could make a deep cut all across the user's paw. Dan constantly practiced handling them, slicing with them, throwing them, and jabbing them at weak points. He sometimes did other training, but only if it could help him with his scalchops.

The gym was in a large town, where Fight type Pokémon were common, so there were always others to challenge to fights, or to chat with. Still, being regulars meant that their paths would cross at one point. And that point came about because of the girl.

She was a Monferno, and she was one of the loveliest Pokémon that either Mike or Dan had ever seen. The colors in her soft fur were bright and the flames of her tail fire trailed gracefully after her. Although she was a part Fight type, it seemed she hadn't focused as much on athletic training as most of the gym regulars. She had apparently devoted that time and effort towards building her beauty, and that had worked out perfectly for her. One afternoon, she came in and began speaking with the gym's owner.

Before long, everyone in the gym was wondering about her. What was her name, what did she like, what was she doing here? She seemed to know the owner quite well, given how the two of them laughed at points. But no one had seen her around here. Mike especially was interested in the girl. Maybe he should impress her and get her interested in him too.

Looking around, he saw that Dan was also glancing at the Monferno, interested in her but trying not to stare. Mike smirked to himself. Any time he'd seen the Dewott training, he thought the guy was being too serious. He never showed any signs of having fun, like yelling, laughing, or posing. Yet he kept on training. It was high time he got some teasing.

The Machop snuck up behind Dan. "So you like her, huh?"

Dan clenched on of his scalchops as he jumped around, but relaxed his grip on seeing who it was. Still, he scowled. "And why would you care if I did or not?" he asked quietly.

"Just cause." He winked. "If you want to get her attention, you might show off some. Like by fighting someone, like me."

"Is that why you're talking to me?" he asked. He'd seen too much of Mike's 'help' by boasting that he felt skeptical.

"Wanna find out?" He hopped back and punched the air between them. "You're the only other regular around here that I haven't fought. Come on, show me what you can really do."

Dan wasn't that interested in showing off, usually. But if it might get the Monferno's attention, it was worth it to humor Mike. Besides, when dealing with Fight type Pokémon, it was often an insult to turn down a request for a battle. "Fine, you can try against me. But you'd better focus on the battle, and not the girl."

With that settled, the two Pokémon went to the center of the gym, where an open space with mats was kept for battles. It was an informal match, so Mike only waited for a nod from the Dewott to know that he was ready. He then came at Dan with a high kick. Taking hold of the yellow shells, Dan caught the kick with one arm and thus block much of the damage; he then slashed at the Machop's shoulders. The scalchop was sharp enough to cut through his tough gray skin. Mike knew he needed to watch for those weapons then.

He attempted to karate chop into Dan's arm, to limit how much he could use both of his natural weapons. "I know exactly what you're going to do," Mike bluffed, smiling confidently. "You only ever study one style of fighting and you get stuck in that one style."

Dan hopped out of the strike, but missed his own counter attack when Mike blocked it fully. "You study so many that you never master any of them." He then turned his failed counter into grabbing the Machop's arm and throwing him onto the mat.

By that point, several other Pokémon in the room had stopped to watch, including the owner and the Monferno. Someone even cheered the throw, which someone countered by booing. Good, the attention was good, but he needed to look good. Mike flipped around, kicked Dan, and got up in the same motion.

"Wanna bet?" he asked, grinning. "Besides, you're not even a Fight Pokémon." He started a punch that would lead into a pummeling, but Dan countered that surprisingly well. "And when you next evolve, your fighting style will be completely worthless to you. On the other hand, I'll only get better because I'll stay close to the same body form."

Mike then made it look like he would punch, but he was planning on kicking instead. But then Dan surprised him by ramming his shoulder into him, knocking him off of the mats. "You talk too much," Dan said, holding up both of his scalchops and making a slashing motion in the air. The message was pretty clear: he could completely knock Mike out if he so chose to then, but he would leave it at the ring-out.

"Nice move!" the Monferno called out amid the cheers from the rest. "Can I fight you next?"

"I don't think he'd be the sort to hit a girl," Mike said, knowing that she'd probably hate it if Dan agreed.

And the Dewott knew that too. "If you want to challenge me, you're welcome to try," he said, turning to her and bowing. "The name's Dan."

She came onto the mats and nodded. "Hi, I'm Mercia. Okay, I'll show you what I can do!" She dropped into a low stance, with her tail held high. The flames there flared and were soon encircling Mercia. With that shielding her, it would be impossible to take her on in close combat without getting burned. She then rushed at Dan, ready to punch.

Even though being a Water type would protect him some from the flames, Dan dodged aside and threw one of his scalchops at her. It hit her with enough force to knock her right onto her face before returned straight back to the Dewott's paw. He skillfully caught it without getting himself cut on its sharp edges.

It took her a moment to get back onto her feet. But Mercia was smiling. "Wow, you're pretty powerful to hit that hard! Without using Water even. I'm still learning, though. Hey, want to go out for a shake?"

Mike felt rather annoyed that Dan had gotten the girl's interest today. But it was just the first round, he thought to himself. There was still a chance that he could come out the winner, if he planned his next moves out carefully.

…

Machop Leaf Green entry: Loves to build its muscles. It trains in all styles of martial arts to become stronger.

Dewott Black entry: Strict training is how it learns its double-scalchop technique.

Monferno Platinum entry: It skillfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance.


	230. Timburr, Conkeldurr

His hands were too small to fully grip the log. Find the right balance point. And the log was taller than himself, making it even more awkward to wield. Get a good hold so that it would slip. But it was tradition and if he was to be accepted by his peers, he had to get this right. Jump and flip the log so that it came smashing down on the head of his target. He hit it an inch from the center, causing the scarecrow dummy to get knocked to the side.

The ground throbbed with the pounding of a concrete pillar, even larger than the log he was wielding. The tan mass of a Conkeldurr loomed over him, his black eyes as stern and unimpressed as ever. "Aim for the center," he repeated in his rough deep voice.

As the scarecrow dummy sprang back into place, the Timburr felt his blood burn in anger. The master could at least acknowledge that he was hitting the target now. When he'd first joined this training, he had been clumsy enough to hit himself with his own weapon. And being the apprentice to such a famous fighter wasn't what he thought it would be. All of the exercises were repetitions, performing the attacks over and over again until some spoken or unspoken condition had been met. Then it was on to the next repetition. The Timburr hadn't even had a proper battle in all this time.

Maybe he needed to do something more to prove himself to the Conkeldurr. He looked to his master, a Pokémon that had a bulky torso, but such small legs that he used two immense concrete pillars to support himself with when walking. Seeing that almost caused the Timburr to wish that he wouldn't evolve that far. It seemed like such an obvious weakness.

Weakness. Impulsively, he got hold on his log again, but this time he swung it horizontally, aiming to sweep his master's legs. That would show him that even the most powerful weren't invulnerable.

To the Timburr's shock, the Conkeldurr let go of his pillars and hopped over the attack. The master then grabbed his weapons and turned them into a gray blur before pounding the ground on either side of the Timburr. While that attack hadn't even hit him, the Timburr stumbled back onto the ground from the force of the impact.

The master snorted, then swung himself back with his pillars. "Focus on your lesson," he said.

Feeling embarrassed at his rashness, the Timburr got back onto his feet and picked up his weapon again. He wasn't ready to truly challenge his master yet. But someday, he would be ready, and he would win.

…

Timburr Black entry: It fights by swinging a piece of lumber around. It is close to evolving when it can handle the lumber without difficulty.

Conkeldurr White entry: They use concrete pillars as walking canes. They know moves that enable them to swing the pillars freely in battle.


	231. Volcarona

Volcarona felt weary; it was hard to hold out her wings, but they felt so stiff that drawing them back wouldn't be much better. With her energy waning, the fires she produced were losing brightness. It had been a long day, after a long day yesterday, and the day before that… it had been two months now, right? She wasn't sure, but felt like it had been forever.

Yet, she hadn't moved far from this spot the whole time. The rock under her feet had darkened from her heat, with small groves forming where she sat. She had kept her fire going, but had not used it for attacking. While that usually kept energy consumption down, she had been maintaining this fire for hours. At times like this, she wondered if it was worth keeping this up.

She looked up at the sky, which gave her reason enough to stay. It was raining ash dust, little dry white, gray, and black fragments falling from above. Above that, the ash clouds glowed with the sun's light, but did not let it all the way through. It had been like that ever since the nearby volcano erupted explosively. She hadn't minded it much herself, feeling home at the volcano, but all around her it had been panic and fear… and death.

That catastrophe had lasted only a few hours, but what followed showed no signs of letting up. The ashes stayed in the sky, slowly falling but never ceasing. Without sunlight, the plants and Grass Pokémon should have browned and died. But Volcarona's fire emitted light just like the sun. Feeling sorry for those who couldn't tolerate these conditions, she had settled on this rock, above a place where humans grew their crops.

Grass Pokémon who would have normally steered clear of her flocked to her side instead. A few times, other Pokémon had attacked this place, but they had all banded together so that she didn't need to fight. All of the plants here had turned their leaves towards her, finding the energy to produce fruits, vegetables, and grains for the humans and other kinds of Pokémon to eat. Because she was here, the others could survive in this time of darkness.

Thankfully, the colors of the sky were shifting to red and orange. The sun past the clouds was setting and soon, she could let her fires go out and rest. As usual, a small group of humans came into the garden. One was dressed in long brown robes and a strange feather and bone headdress. A Petlil had told her that this man was a holy man to the humans. Every day, he would come here and speak near her. Volcarona didn't understand the humans, but she liked the tone of his voice and the Petlil had said that it was a prayer of blessing and thanks. She was starting to let him touch her, which he would do with great respect. Before this, she wouldn't have thought herself worthy of that kind of attention. But she was the focus of their hopes right now. For that, she would endure these long draining days.

And then a shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and reached down to them.

…

Black entry: When volcanic ash darkened the atmosphere, it is said that Volcarona's fire provided a replacement for the sun.


	232. Butterfree, Spinda, Mismagius

"Nectar, nectar, nectar," the Butterfree sang as he flitted and glided along the air currents. His white wings were quite noticeable in the forest with its dark greens and browns, but he was able to fend for himself well enough.

Stopping at a flower patch, he landed and sniffed out the flowers that had nectar. Unfortunately, most of them were quite dry now, harvested by other Pokémon. The Butterfree took what he could find, but wasn't satisfied. He would have to find another patch. The trouble was, there was one flower signal that was overpowering all else in this part of the forest. It promised the finest and most glorious nectar he had ever found, in great quantities too. Every time he passed through here, that scent taunted and teased him.

But he never went to its source. The flowers that produced it were in the witch's garden. In a little cottage by a spring, there lived a Pokémon who was said to practice strange magic. If one angered her, then she gave that Pokémon a terrible curse that was difficult to get rid of. He had heard about her as a little Caterpie and made sure never to go near that cottage.

He wasn't finding much nectar today, though. He checked other flower patches, but they were dry as well. To make it worse, the witch's garden smelled particularly wonderful. Maybe she wasn't there today. Did he want to risk that chance?

Clank, clank, ka-clank…. clankclankclankclankclank…

Hearing the strange rhythm of metal, the Butterfree looked up from the flowers to see what it was. An unfamiliar Pokémon was walking along the forest path. Despite the steel-quality of the sound, she was actually a Normal type, a Spinda. Short tan fur and pink splotches showed under ill-fitting steel armor, including a too-small helmet sitting lopsided over one ear, a too big chestplate that flopped around, and steel knee-high boots that were only snug on feet. Right next to the helmet, there was a brown jug perched on the Spinda's head. Something sloshed inside.

Despite carrying some kind of liquid on her head, the Spinda walked in a bizarre fashion, leaning far to the right, then turning about , walking backwards a few quick paces, leaning back for half a minute, and finally turning back forward and wobbly lurching ahead. Yet during this clumsy dance, she kept the jug upright and did not lose a drop. That didn't make any sense to the Butterfree. If he were carrying something delicate and spillable around, he would fly slowly, as carefully as he could.

"Say there," the Spinda said, saluting and still keeping that jug on her head, "Good afternoon, dear citizen! How are conditions in the forest today?"

The Butterfree watched in fascination as the Spinda managed to totter while standing in place. "Er, um, well, it's okay for the most part. All the flowers are dry, though. How are you keeping that on your head?"

"Good balance and posture," she said, holding her short arms out to wobble less. "Essential for the graceful knight. Sir, if the flowers here are dry, you may wish to try the ones in the witch's garden."

He shivered. "But she's a witch! She'll put a nasty curse on me."

The Spinda knight shook her head (still not losing a drop). "I wouldn't worry about that, now. She strikes me as a nice lady. Spooky, yes, but rumors grow wilder than the truth. Well, carry on, fine citizen! I have a delivery to make." She then clanked and tottered on down the path.

After watching her disappear, the Butterfree was left to wonder who would employ a knight who walked as strangely as that. And about the witch and her garden. Was it just a rumor that she was nasty and vengeful? Or had she fooled the knight and other city folk.

Then a thought came to him. The Spinda was obviously a city Pokémon, as evidenced by her manufactured though ill-fitted armor. If she had met the witch, then the witch had to leave her cottage from time to time. Was this a time when she would be away? He might be able to sneak into the garden and get at that wonderful nectar after all.

It was worth a try, and he was hungry. The Butterfree left the dry patch of flowers and finally followed the overpowering scent of the witch's garden. After a couple of minutes of flying through the trees, he spotted the cottage. It looked small and cozy, with its round windows and pastel colors. But the garden… oh, it was as magnificent as it smelled. The flowers were large and colorful; the herbs were strong and lush. There were honeysuckles, dozens of types of roses, fruit trees, lavender, cilantro, basil, oregano, rosemary, and more. So much choice; what should he try?

The Butterfree went to the honeysuckle; the vines were growing over the fence at the edge of the garden, so if he needed to escape, he could do so quickly. He landed on the fence and took a sip out of one of the orange flowers. And loved it. The nectar was sweet, clean, and thick, and the flower was full of it. If he ate until he was bursting, he probably wouldn't even be done with this vine! And there were so many others to try. He wondered briefly why he hadn't come here before.

"Excuse me," a female's voice said near him. Just behind him, there was the witch, a Mismagius. Her sparkling hat looked as real as himself, but her trailing purple cloak blurred into the air. In the shadows of her face, her red eyes glowed.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" the Butterfree screamed, launching himself off the fence hard enough that it shook. He flew frantically away from her, only to realize that he was flying right for her cottage. Which way did he go?

"Wait a sec," the Mismagius said, floating after him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The witch Pokémon disappeared and reappeared in his path. "Now calm down, please!"

"!"

Seeing as he couldn't figure out which way to fly, she enclosed him in a small spherical energy field. "And it might help to breathe."

"AAAaaaaahhhhhic…" he collapsed and ended up all sprawled out on the bottom of the sphere. Since Bug types breathed through pores all over their bodies, enclosing him in this sphere was like giving a hyperventilating mammalian Pokémon a paper bag. "Hic."

"That's better," the Mismagius said, floating over to him. "Don't want you hurting yourself in that kind of a panic. What are you doing here, Butterfree?" She looked at him, with her hat tilted slightly. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you."

"Are you going to turn me into a Lotad?" he asked, now that his body had calmed down.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, no. I just want to know."

Shivering nervously, the Butterfree scrunched up. "Um, I was hungry and looking for nectar, but lots of the flowers around here were dry. I didn't really trespass; I was just on the fence."

Clanking sounds started up in the background. The Mismagius looked back into the woods, then at him. "That's fine. I don't mind your kin coming here to help pollinate the plants. It's a lot easier for you than for me."

"Um, what do you mean?" he asked, relaxing a bit. She did seem nice. "I just wanted to drink nectar, not, uh, pol-lin-ate. What's that?"

"Don't let it bother you," she said, drifting away from him to her gate. "Hello, lady knight."

Stumbling through the open gate, the armored Spinda came in. "Good day to you," she said, saluting and nearly knocking herself over. "I've brought your delivery."

The witch nodded. "Excellent; you can set it down by the door."

"Right-o." The Spinda tottered along the path, eventually facing the Butterfree in the orange sphere. "Hello, I think I've seen you before."

Well if the knight was here, he'd be safe. The Butterfree relaxed then. "We did, a little while ago. Is she going to turn me into a Lotad?"

She laughed as she carried on down the path. "What, her? No. She could if she put her mind to it, but then you'd have to really anger her. She's got the patience of a saint, though. And she's really well connected to the royal family, another proof of her good soul." The Spinda came to the porch and slipped the jug off her head and onto the steps.

But then the Mismagius started chanting in strange words, coming back over to the sphere. The Butterfree scrunched up again. Maybe she wouldn't turn him into a Lotad, but supposedly, she could turn him back into a Caterpie. That would be horrible. But then the sphere vanished, forcing him to beat his wings rapidly to stay in the air.

The witch's red necklace glowed. "There, that's done," she said.

Looking over himself, he seemed to still be a Butterfree. "Um, what did you do?"

"I gave you a blessing to find happiness today," the Mismagius said. "You may return to my garden any time, you and any other wild Pokémon that may be interested."

A blessing to find happiness? That was completely not what he had heard when he was younger. But he felt thrilled already, since he could come back to this delicious garden any time he wanted. "Oh wow, thank you! You're much nicer than I thought. Bye!" He flew off into the forest, wondering who he should tell.

The Spinda knight weaved along the path once more. "Wild Pokémon believe the strangest things, don't they?"

The witch smiled and playfully swatted at her. "Now don't look down upon them. At one time, all of us Pokémon were wild. And we're never very far away from that either."

"Right, treat them well and they may just decide to become civilized." She saluted. "I'll see you next week, then."

"Be careful on the way back." And they all went their separate ways.

…

Butterfree D/P/Pl entry: It loves the honey of flowers and can locate flower patches that have even tiny amounts of pollen.

Ruby entry: All the Spinda that exist in the world are said to have utterly unique spot patterns. The shaky, tottering steps of this Pokémon gives it the appearance of dancing.

Mismagius Pearl entry: It chants incantations. While they usually torment people, some chants bring happiness.


	233. Garbodor, Zigzagoon

The woman scrunched up her nose. "Ugh, I don't see why they let such an ugly Pokémon stink up this beautiful park."

"And I hear they can shoot poisonous gunk out of their, er, finger things," the other woman said. "You'd think they'd get rid of it so it doesn't cause damage."

The Garbodor heard them, but he was thick skinned to that kind of comment. He picked up a paper cup and ate it; it still had its plastic lid, plastic straw, and bits of orange soda with it. In the end, it would all go to bulking up his body. He waddled on to a plastic bag that was wavering in the breeze.

And waddling was the best way to describe his gait, a constant shifting of junky materials and plastic-like skin as he plunked one foot in front of the other. Sometimes things went squelch, sometimes squish, sometimes clatter, sometimes rattle. His outer skin was tight, so he didn't drop bits of himself like he used to as a Trubbish. That was good, as otherwise he wouldn't have the job he had now.

"So disgusting," the first woman said. "They should stay… eep!"

Although she was rude, the Garbodor turned to see what had startled her (it might have been dangerous, after all). It turned out to only be a Zigzagoon, perking her ears up and standing up on her hind legs. "Ooo, shiny shiny shiny!" she said, excitedly paying attention to the woman's silver sequin purse.

A double-click sounded, getting the Zigzagoon to drop down. "Hang on girl," a park ranger said, walking over to them. "You're only after things on the ground."

"But it's soooo shiny…" the Zigzagoon whined, then reluctantly turned back to searching along the ground.

"Sorry about that," the ranger said, nodding to the two visitors. "I'm still training her."

Smiling and making a squelchy greeting, the Garbodor raised his left had and waved to the ranger; his right arm was his attack arm, so waving that would be an offensive gesture. "Good afternoon!"

"I don't mind the Zigzagoon," one of the visitors said, "but could you get rid of this walking heap of trash?"

The ranger didn't understand him, like any human, but she still waved back to him. "Oh, he's fine where he is," she said. "He's one of mine too; he helps with park cleanup."

"There!" the Zigzagoon barked and dashed off towards the plastic bag. "Found something!" She picked it up and brought it over to the Garbodor. "Here!"

"Thanks," he said, taking it to eat. Plastic bags were kind of like chewing gum, in his opinion. They could last a long time.

"Cleanup?" one of the visitors asked, surprised. "But he's one of the most unsightly Pokemon I've ever seen."

"Yes, and he smells like, pardon my language, crap," the other added.

"Oo, shiny!" the Zigzagoon said, and dashed off after what turned out to be a soda can.

The rangers just smiled at the complaint of her Pokemon's smell. "Oh, someone probably hasn't been cleaning up after walking their Pokemon here. It's gotten to be real bad, even after we upped the fees for that offense. But he cleans it all up on our daily walks. Now if people would clean up and not litter, our walks would be a lot shorter."

In fact, as more and more people learned of the ranger's walks with her Garbodor, there was less and less trash left behind to pick up.

…

Zigzagoon HG/SS entry: It gets interested in everything, which is why it zigs and zags. It is good at finding items.

Garbodor White entry: They absorb garbage and make it part of their bodies. They shoot a poisonous liquid from their right-hand fingertips.


	234. Sandile, Yamask

The Sandile lurked through the desert. He was quite good at it, swimming his way in the looser sands with only his eyes and nostrils emerging into the air. A film coated his eyes, both blending them into the sand and protecting them from the constant sandstorm. With these adaptations, his kind was able to thrive in any desert. This one in particular was great, as the winds shifted the sands often, fooling those who didn't know how to spot a swimming Sandile's wake.

Normally, he stuck to his territory to hunt Dwebbles and young Maracti. It was a good spot, with a large area of loose sand and slumbering Darmantian statues watching over him. And being by those statues, humans often came by. The Sandile often challenged them, hoping to impress one enough that he'd be captured. While it hadn't happened yet, he still kept trying.

Today, there was singing coming from below ground. A human voice.

It was faint, but he heard it through the sand. Closing his eyes and nostrils, he dove into the sand towards the voice. He hadn't heard humans below yet, but they were capable of many strange things. But while he heard the voice more clearly, the Sandile found a rock layer that prevented him from reaching the person.

Swimming back up, he recalled seeing stairs near the Darmantians. He'd never gone down them, as they were just outside of the grounds he defended. But if there was a human down there, it might be worth checking out. The Sandile emerged fully from the sand and walked up the sand dune. The sleeping Darmantians stayed still, as they always did.

The stairs weren't hard to get down, and he got a good look over the room he was descending into. In disappointment, he noticed that he couldn't see the human yet. The singing was still there, though. It seemed to be coming from a black Pokémon that was in the middle of the room, floating above a sinking sandpit. She held a gold mask in her tail, which did look human enough to match the voice.

Now that he was down here, the Sandile decided to check things out. The floor was made of loose sand, but he opted to walk across it instead of swimming in it. On the walls, there were strange markings. Human made? That was possible. The smooth square stones in the wall were definitely human made.

The singing stopped as the black Pokémon noticed him. "Oh, I have an audience," she said, shifting her mask to partly cover her face. "Welcome, Sandile. I am Liliana the Yamask. Do you have a name?"

The Sandile looked up at her. Was she edible? She didn't have needles like older Maracti, but the fact that she was floating made it harder to reach her.

Liliana lowered her mask. "Oh right, you won't have the proper intelligence yet to speak. And humans won't be able to understand me." She sighed, sounding for a moment like she was sobbing. "It's so lonely down here. I thought being reborn as a Pokémon would be wonderful."

While he heard her sadness, the Sandile was wondering more what she would taste like then why she might be sad. He stepped towards her slowly, watchful. He could spring into attack quickly, but the Yamask needed to be in range.

She kept talking. "I used to sing every day; the festivals were especially wonderful. I met the love of my life at a festival. But, I also met… him." She tensed at the thought, then came down lower, towards him. But, towards his side, where he couldn't attack as well. "You should leave this place, Sandile. I cannot do so now, but I plan to. He got turned into a Yamask too, and he's just as cruel as he was in life. If they had really known him, they would have not buried him properly so that he wouldn't have this second life."

From somewhere past the wall, a male voice came to them. "Are you talking about me, little beauty?"

"Oh no," Liliana said quietly. She looked around, then went up and dropped down into a sand pit.

Another Yamask then emerged from the wall. "You can't keep running," he said, flourishing his silver mask. Disappointingly, it was the same voice as before, not a human. He dropped into the sand pit too.

The Sandile looked at the pit. He could go back up to where he knew how to hunt prey, but those Pokémon had him curious. Dropping into the shallow sand, he swam into the pit and dove down when he found a hole.

Moments later, he was falling. The Sandile tensed in panic, but he was soon back on good sand. Looking around, he saw the two Yamasks in the room, floating out of reach again. The female held her gold mask close but shakily. "You already killed me once," she said. "Just leave me alone."

"Why should I?" he asked. "It's quite a coincidence that we were reborn in the same time, right? But still, you are just hatched and I rule over the other ghosts of these ruins. You should come by my side." He grabbed her hand tight, yanking her closer. "Be one of my pretty slaves and I'll teach you how things work in this life. You really can't survive on your own."

"I c-could find other," she looked down and saw him, "other Pokémon. I don't have to stay with you."

"Can you?" The silver masked Yamask turned around and saw him. He chuckled. "What, so a wild Sandile followed you down? Do you really think he could help you?"

"Um," Liliana said, not sure how to respond. The Sandile stepped closer to them.

"This one is just a dumb Pokémon," the male Yamask said, coming closer to him. "He won't recognize you from day to day, he won't understand your words, he won't be able to appreciate you… he certainly won't be able to teach you. We were once humans, so we are far superior to them. Look, I can chase the dumb beast away just like…" SNAP.

The Sandile dropped back down on the sandy floor, the male Yamask firmly in his jaws. In that attack, he had shattered that silver mask; whether it was that or being crushed, he was dead. But his body didn't seem too substantial. Before long, it was like he had only eaten the mask and had some water, not a whole Pokémon.

Liliana's eyes went wide and she floated upwards. "Oh, de-dear…"

"Young lady?" Another female Yamask emerged from the wall. "That one won't be intelligent until he evolves. Until then, he's a predator by instinct. Leave him be."

"I, I see." She left through the wall with the other Yamask.

Coming down here hadn't been too fruitful, the Sandile considered in his simple ways. Those Pokémon didn't make for good meals. He slipped into the sands and began swimming along, searching for the way out.

…

Sandile White entry: It moves along below the sand's surface, except for its nose and eyes. A dark membrane shields its eyes from the sun.

Yamask White entry: These Pokémon arose from the spirits of people interred in graves in past ages. Each retains memories of its past life.


	235. Hypno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entry is worth a higher rating, most likely, but it's an exception.

"Dude, your Pokémon is dangerous." The teenaged boy was serious. "You're gonna end up dead someday because of it."

The Pokémon in question was sitting on a set of stairs nearby. Her ears flicked, the only sign that she might have been listening. In one hand, she held onto a pendulum, a stone disc with a circle in the center for a thin cord. She was polishing it, rubbing a small cloth around the surface over and over and over again. If left to do as she wanted, she usually went right for polishing.

"I've heard that when kidnappers die, the really sick sort, they reincarnate as a Hypno," the boy went on. "Someday, it's going to lure you out into the woods and you'll never be heard from again."

"You're just jealous because I caught an evolved Pokémon now and you don't have any," the other teen boy said. "Pokémon don't ever hurt their Trainers; that's only in those dumb old stories grannies tell to scare little kids into behaving. She's going to help me build a powerful team."

"Most Pokémon won't," he admitted. "But just look at her! She acts weird, always polishing that rock, and she looks so creepy. That one's going to be trouble."

The Hypno twitched her ears again. True, humans often found her kind unsettling. They looked almost like humans: same body shape, same height, same kind of eyes, almost same face. But they had a yellow skin tone and grew white hair on their necks and shoulders, not on top of the head. She heard that she came off as creepier still, since she wore a dark red cloak with long sleeves and a hood. The hood was down now, but when she wore it up, people often approached her thinking she was human until they got a good look at the large nose on her face. That had caused more than one to yelp in shock.

The reaction was nice, though. As was the argument she was eavesdropping on. The Hypno looked over her pendulum, rubbed it on her cloak, then turned it over and began work on the other side.

"She's probably killed her last Trainer, cause you caught her wearing that cloak," the other boy said.

The Hypno's Trainer shook his head. "That's ridiculous. At worst, she stole it from somebody. I can't find a name on it, so it's fine. And before you ask, no, there wasn't any blood on it."

"Just cause she killed somebody doesn't mean that there will be blood," the other boy pointed out.

"I'm not arguing with you about this anymore. Come on, Hypno." He stormed off down the street. Nodding once, the Hypno got off the steps and walked after him.

"You're gonna regret not listening to me!" the other boy called out.

"He'd believe any crazy story people have told him," the Trainer muttered.

The Hypno twitched her ears, but kept walking silently by him. Her fingers still fiddled with the pendulum and the polishing cloth.

* * *

About a week later, the Hypno and her Trainer were walking through a forest, along a route that led to the nearest town. The Pokémon wore her hood up today, as bright sunlight filtered through the trees. She held her pendulum out in front of her, letting it sway a little. When the sunbeams hit it, it gleamed save for a few spots. Frowning, she rubbed over the dull spots again.

"Where's all the Pokémon today?" the teen asked, slowing his pace to look around. "Normally this route is filled with Pokémon ready to fight." He kicked at some of the tall grass, making a loud rustle but not getting a response. "It would take my dad the whole afternoon just to get through, but at this rate we'll be there in less than an hour."

The Hypno glanced around, but knew she wouldn't see anything. Her mind couldn't feel anyone nearby. For her, that was usual. At her birthplace, other Pokémon had challenged her to fights but then the rumors began. They all avoided her. That made it tricky to search out dream energy for food, so she moved on. But no matter where she went, she eventually got that reputation once again.

Wait… there was someone approaching them. Holding onto the stone, she stopped and looked off the path. The Trainer stopped soon after. "What is it, Hypno?"

There was a rustle of dry leaves, then another Hypno emerged from the woods. "What are you up to now?" he demanded to know. His pendulum swung jerkily in his hand as he pointed a hand at her. It sparkled so nicely that she frowned in jealousy. "Are you off to take advantage of this one too, you monster?"

"You're a bore," she said dismissively. "Leave us be."

"Another Hypno?" the Trainer asked, not knowing what they were talking about. "I guess it's lucky, but I dunno if it's good or bad."

"You're in danger," the male Hypno insisted, trying to telepath his concerns. "Her sins show in the dullness of her stone. Let her go."

Irritated, she swiped her hand out and made a motion of crushing something tough. The other Hypno was lifted up by telekinesis and choked. But before he died, she tossed him back into the woods. Hearing him slam into the tree, she sniffed and walked on down the road.

Her Trainer was soon walking with her. "Yeesh, what kind of move was that? I don't recognize it, but it was sure strong."

"Not standard," she mumbled. Pokémon like that were why she was with this boy, after all. It was time to move on. Swinging her pendulum through the air, she saw the unevenness and went back to polishing it to perfection.

* * *

It was a cool night, one that made her appreciate her cloak. The Hypno had the hood up, keeping the wind from nipping at her ears. Flicking the stone, she sent her pendulum in motion. The firelight reflected off it, showing off a smooth gleam. It could be better, she thought. But for a minute, it was not rough. Good.

Nearby, her Trainer was tending to the fire, clearing a spot to put another log piece in. "Geez, it's hot close to the fire and cold once you take a few steps away. I'm going to have to get better clothes at the next town." He dropped the firewood in and moved back to a cushion he'd placed on the ground. "At least we're finally seeing Pokémon again. I was getting worried. But I guess I need to teach you something weaker to capture… hmm?"

She watched her pendulum, smoothing out its swing with her mind. Then she looked up to her Trainer. He was watching the stone. A couple of times, he looked away to do something else. But he kept looking back to the steady swing and gleam of the stone ring. She waited until his breathing started to slow then cast Hypnosis over him. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, but remained seated.

"Come here," she said quietly, catching the stone in her hand and keeping it there.

He got up and came to sit by her. Since her spot was further from the fire, the boy started shivering. All it took was a mental suggestion that he was warm to get him to stop that. Adjusting her hood, she smiled at that. The Hypno reached over and touched the boy's forehead, putting his mind to a state of sleep where he could dream. Then she was able to take the dreams from his mind to eat them and gain power.

Although he had nice dreams, those were never enough. Any Hypno could survive on one dream for a day, but one never got powerful that way. Feeling that the dream was running thin, she placed her other hand on his shoulder and mentally reached deeper into his mind, going right for his memories.

His body tensed as his mind realized that something wasn't right. Every creature in the world had some mental power, although most used it merely for a last line of defense. But he was asleep and unable to react in time. She crushed those defenses and fully grasped his mind.

As the fire began to die, the boy collapsed into her lap. The Hypno smiled and stroked his hair. But then, she caught a glimpse of her pendulum. It was rough and dull once again.

Growling, she retrieved her polishing cloth and went back to work on it. Why did it keep doing that? The other Hypnos said it was because she went too far. That simply couldn't be. Maybe she hadn't polished it enough yet.

She got so absorbed in that that she didn't notice when someone came upon the campsite and saw her with her former Trainer dead in her lap.

…

Hypno Emerald entry: The arching movement and glitter of the pendulum in a Hypno's hand lull the foe into deep hypnosis. While searching for prey, it polishes the pendulum.


	236. Sawsbuck, Zebstrika

An old man and his grandson were standing near a wooden fence, watching a herd of Sawsbuck graze in a nearby pasture. While the fence was old, it was smooth white with fresh paint; bright red ropes had been tied around the posts. They had the brushes cleaned, but white paint was still spotted all over the pair's rough clothes.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Aw, come on Grandpa, everybody knows that. Even little kids know that the Sawsbuck horns change every season."

"There's less obvious things to tell too," the old man said. He pointed out one of the herd. "See that one there?"

The one in question was reaching up to take some leaves of a low hanging tree branch. His coat was deep brown with white spots along the back, and his horns had filled out nicely with green leaves. On the tip of one horn, a pink flower from spring remained. It shook noticeably, as if it weren't hanging on by much. "Yeah, what about 'im?" the boy asked.

"He's going to lose the last flower of his spring form soon. When you see Sawsbuck horns like that, people say that you'd best have your fences painted and bright."

That puzzled the boy. "Why's that?"

Unexpectedly, two thundering booms came from the road. The boy jumped; the sky was clear, so there shouldn't have been lightning. The Sawsbuck heard tensed, with a few younger ones starting to bold. After a moment, they calmed back down and went back to grazing. The old man just adjusted his hat.

"Because that's the time when the Zebstrika begin racing," he answered.

The booms repeated themselves a few minutes later.

* * *

Their hooves beat down on the asphalt road, sending sparks flying. Static built up and formed a windbreak before them, causing it to be easier to run the faster they were going. And this path that the humans had built for their vehicles? It worked wonderfully for the Zebstrika, as they had a continuous flat surface to run on.

A car appeared in their path, so the Zebstrika leapt right over it. The human inside panicked and honked the horn. Hearing it squeal behind them, the two Pokémon laughed. Served them right! They shouldn't get in the way of a race.

After that wide curve, the two Zebstrika finally slowed. They stopped in a field and trotted to where they had started. Partway across, they found a Sawsbuck who was nervously pacing. "You two run so fast," he said. "I can't race you like that."

"That's too bad," one of them said. "So then, you have to keep up your end of the bet."

Skittishly, the Sawsbuck moved back with tall steps. "But, um, what if I can't? The herd always moves in the same route from season to season. It might be bad luck to go somewhere out of season."

"What, you worried about getting your pretty little bushes caught up in a tree?" the female Zebstrika teased, going over and nipping at his horns. The Sawsbuck leaned out of her reach.

"You did agree to the last loser having to do whatever the first winner said," the male Zebstrika reminded him. "And I got back to the field first."

"I didn't know you could run that fast," he said, still nervous.

"Well?"

The Sawsbuck stopped and held his head up. "All right. You won, so what do you want me to do?"

"Let me see." The male Zebstrika paced around the Sawsbuck, who watched him. The female Zebstrika snorted and shook sparks out of her mane. Then, he approached the Sawsbuck, nose to nose. "You go back to your herd."

Confused, the Sawsbucvk lowered his head a little. "Go back?"

The Zebstrika stepped away nonchalantly. "Well you did wait here when you figured out that you couldn't win. You could've run off, but you acted honorably. But next time you decide to go bragging to Pokemon outside your herd, make sure you know who you're talking to and don't make stupid statements."

"Ah, okay," he said meekly. "Thank you." Then he hurried off across the field.

The female Zebstrika watched him go. "He is pretty fast, for a Sawsbuck."

"Not enough to compare with us," he replied, proudly holding his head high.

"So were you being nice to him there, or being mean?"

"Why can't I be both?" He whinnied in amusement, then pawed at the ground. "Sun's going down. Want a true race before it gets dark?"

She playfully nipped at him. "Oh, you are on, mister!"

And they both raced off for the human road again.

...

Black entry: They migrate according to the seasons. People can tell the season by looking at Sawsbuck's horns.

Black entry: They have lightning like movements. When Zebstrika run at full speed, the sound of thunder reverberates.


	237. Hydreigon, Stunfisk

A loud roar filled the air. Pokémon scattered, trying to get under shelter. Anything would do, so long as it hid them from above. Not long after, there came the dreadful beating of wings. Most wing beats caused no alarm, but this particular one, three strokes and quite heavy, was one to fear. It meant that Direclaw was here.

"Enemies," the Hydreigon murmured, eyes sweeping along the streets. "Hiding away in cowardice, but I know you're down there. You want to take my lands and power. But I'm too good for you; I won't let you win."

Out of the corner of one eye, he spotted movement below. Quickly, he used Flamethrower against it. No one was going to catch him off guard! When he paused in flight to see the results, he spotted a mass of burning fabric. It had been a Pokedoll of some kind, tipped over in the wind. Or maybe, it hid a weapon for assassinating him.

Below, a young Pokémon cried out, barely held back by its mother.

"That was a warning!" Direclaw shouted down at them. The crying stopped, at least audibly. "I am not so foolish as to be caught by such an obvious trap. When I find out who's responsible, I will kill them personally!"

Satisfied, he flew on towards his castle, watchful the whole way. He landed in one of the high towers, glowering at the guards as they stood to attention nervously. He spared a hazy glance at the ground-level entrance; his vision wasn't the greatest, but if there was any movement, he'd know it. 'Someday,' he thought, 'I'm going to seal the ground-level entrances up entirely. I have no need for them and it would cut out a lot of the stupid assassins that try to enter.'

He went to the throne room and landed on his jeweled platform throne. As the guards came to attention, he called out, "Where's Mudpuppy?"

A sputtering sound came from underneath his feet. "Down here, your terribleness."

Flying to the side a bit, he saw the flat Stunfisk slide off the platform. He narrowed his eyes and growled, "And what were you doing on my throne?"

"Cleaning it for you, Great Direclaw," Mudpuppy replied. "I may be the court jester, but I know a good appearance means a good show. I wasn't going to do anything tricky; I swear it or my name isn't Mud." He sputtered again, amused at his own joke.

Direclaw grunted. "Well I know you won't," he said. "You couldn't compare to me; I am the ultimate power and ruler of this land!"

"Of course, your horribleness," he said meekly. "I am mud underneath your feet, while you terrorize everyone around you into obedience and loyalty. We haven't had a peace like this in centuries."

"And they'd better know it's thanks to me," the Hydreigon said. "But there's enemies about. Do you know who the worst ones are?"

"Who's that…?"

"Sire!" A Dodrio came running into the room, "Sire, I have an urgent…"

"SILENCE!" the tyrant demanded, causing the Dodrio to scramble to a stop to drop down and bow all three heads to the floor. "I will determine what is urgent and what isn't! I'm the ruler of this land."

"Yes, yes, of course, your majesty," the Dodrio said, trembling.

Direclaw saw movement and tensed, but realized it was just Mudpuppy scuttling over to the unfortunate messenger. "Hey there, six eyes. Say, do you know why the Dodrio crossed the road?"

He seemed puzzled, "Er, well…"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Direclaw shouted.

Somehow stumbling while he was on the floor, the Dodrio said, "Um, er, no, why did the Dudrio cross the road?"

Mudpuppy crackled and sputtered; when he started sparking, he was surely giving that stupid-looking grin of his. "Because he was a spy and Direclaw punted his dead body across the road."

"Are you a spy?" the Hydreigon said, not letting up in his demands.

"Nononono, no sire," he said, breathing rapidly now. His fear grew stronger, a scent that Direclaw loved. "Eh-heh-heh-heh… that was a good joke, though, heh-heh," He sounded nervous.

"It's good because I'd do it," the Hydreigon said, lifting his primary head up high. His other two heads were oddly still.

"Now what was the message you had for the holy terror, our gracious and ominous Lord Direclaw?" Mudpuppy said, traveling back close to the throne platform.

The Dudrio remained, for lack of a better word, kneeling. "There's been an outbreak of disease in the northern towns, sire. I've been sent to look for assistance; Pokémon are dying up there."

"Are you infected?" Direclaw said sharply, snapping his claws off each other.

"N-no sire, I'm healthy. But it could spread down here if we don't…"

The Hydreigon roared. "I'll decide what to do!" he said at the end of it. "I'm the ruler; no one else makes decisions. Now go."

"B-but there was more…"

"GO!"

Scrambling back to his feet, the Dodrio rushed out of the throne room.

"That is ominous news, your awfulness," Mudpuppy said. "It must be your enemies, trying to weaken your lands to invade."

Growling softly, he nodded with his primary head. "Yes, that would be exactly what They would do. But, you know who are my worst enemies?"

"No sire," the jester said. "Who would that be?"

"My own two hands," Direclaw said, raising his quiet head-hands. Normally they were snuffling and trying to gnaw something. Sometimes they even said something. Not now.

"That would be especially devious, my lord," Mudpuppy agreed. If Direclaw could see better, he might have seen the twinkle in the Stunfisk's eyes, and the grin on his face.

"I've put them to sleep so that we could discuss this." He put his hands down again. "They're plotting against me, working together to overthrow my mind. But they're idiots! They'll battle each other to see which would be in control and eventually destroy us-me."

"They might even be devious enough to cause the sickness in the northern villages," Mudpuppy said. "Of course, I'm a fool; I wouldn't know how to devious my way out of a paper sack."

"They would have done such a thing!" He scowled at his left head-hand, then nodded to Mudpuppy. "You may be a fool by trade, but you are wise enough to agree with me. That's why you're the only adviser I trust. But you cannot let anyone else know that; they'll take advantage of you."

"I'll leave all the thinking to you, my lord," Mudpuppy said, while planning out his words to get to the agenda that he wanted passed into law.

…

Hydreigon Black entry: This brutal Pokémon travels the skies on its six wings. Anything that moves seems like a foe to it, triggering an attack.

Stunfisk Black entry: Its skin is very hard, so it is unhurt even if stepped on by sumo wrestlers. It smiles when transmitting electricity.


	238. Vespiquen

Once upon a time, there were no Vespiquen. There were only the Combees, keeping a hive in a tree. With great diligence, they worked day and night for the survival of their kind. They built their homes out of little hexagonal spaces called combs. In these, they raised their young grubs and mixed pollen in their special process to make honey. This honey supplies the whole hive with food all year round, even in winter when no flowers were to be found.

But Combee honey was believed to be the best kind of honey in the whole world. Other Pokémon, and some insects, also made honey, but Combee honey was perfect: a golden hue, sweet and strong without being too much so, just the right consistency, almost no extra bits to clarify out. Just perfect honey.

And so other Pokémon and humans hunted down Combee hives to harvest for the honey. The Combees tried to attack the thieves, but they were small and not very strong. The humans in particular were deviously clever, using smoke to stun the Combees so they could not fight back.

The Combees tried, though. They built their combs around themselves and banded together, but that wasn't strong enough. The worst was when some Pokémon took the honey and the Combee grubs, eating them all by sticky pawfuls.

One day, a female named Vespa decided that she'd had enough of this. 'If they keep stealing the honey, then we shall starve,' she thought. 'And if they take our children too, then there will be no Combees left.' So she thought and planned, coming up with ways to save them all.

After six days of thinking, she came up with the solution. She asked her hive fellows to build new combs to keep the grubs and the honey in. "But you will build them onto my body," she said. "I will carry the grubs and protect them. If anyone gives me trouble, I'll just fly away with them."

"But won't the extra combs make you too heavy too fly?" one asked.

"I'll fly if I want to," Vespa insisted. "It will work and then we won't all die out."

Then the other Combees agreed and began building onto Vespa's body. She got six long combs attached below her body, with an extra bulk on her back to make sure that it all stayed. Many grubs, including those with their first wings, huddled into the combs on Vespa, but they were too young to really know what was going on. They just saw it as new safe combs to be in.

Once it was complete, Vespa was happy. Now she could protect the children. She beat her wings to take off… and couldn't even get her own body off the ground.

"We can still remove it," another Combee said, worried for her.

She shook herself (for Combees don't really have heads to shake 'no' with). "No, I'll do it. I will protect us all."

Vespa beat her wings even harder, but the combs were so heavy. They weren't even full yet, just with the grubs and some honey for them. But she wouldn't give up. She kept trying and trying until her wings were beaten into dust.

Then she cried. "I should be able to fly! I tried with all my might to help everyone. But now I can't even protect myself."

Mysteriously, a soft glow absorbed her body, combs and all. Vespa's friends all cried out in shock, but then a gentle voice calmed them. "You gave your all in order to protect the innocent ones. You gave so much that you can give no more. Dear Vespa, do not despair. In honor of your selfless love, you will be granted your wish."

And so Vespa became the first Vespiquen.

…

Vespiquen Diamond entry: Its abdomen is a honeycomb for grubs. It raises its grubs on honey collected by Combee.


	239. Rayquaza

Far far above the world, in the space between earth and the cosmos, he flew. He was often the only living thing up here. Clouds rolled beneath him, shining bright under the glare of the sun; where they were not, there were large patches of blue, green, brown, and gray. Above him, there was the endless black of night, or the vast blue of the day, or the shimmering currents of atmospheric magnetism. Sometimes things fell from space, turning into bright fireballs that descended towards the ground. On his level, he could skim the top of the jet streams, getting more speed with less effort. They blew in a constant low roar, endlessly going about their work balancing the world's climate.

If he was inclined to, he could shift those jet streams. He could make them go where he wanted, change the weather on the surface however he liked. And yet, he didn't. It rarely affected him, as he was in constant flight over the storms. And changing the streams would require him to think.

Think. He floated along the top of one jet stream, not really thinking. The air carried him along, rumbling in a way that he found comforting. He rarely stopped, even though he'd flown in the atmosphere since the beginning of the world. At least, it seemed like since the beginnings. Being so constant, he felt no need to think deeply. He coasted along, gulping down high level clouds if he was thirsty. The sun shone on his scales and his lungs filtered out trace elements his body needed. In those simple things, he had all that he needed to keep flying until the ending of the world.

There was no need to think. Immersed in the sensations of the moment, he was there. He could keep flying in the deepest stages of sleep, sleep so deep that his breaths took a year to draw. As long as things were balanced, he had no need to do anything more than be there.

_Rayquaza, hear us…_

He opened his eyes, seeing bright blue all around him. Rayquaza… that was his name. He tended to forget until he heard it again. That was a fault with not thinking. Rolling out of the jet stream, he took some time to orient himself. In that time, the voice came to him again with echoes of emerald.

_We call on you in this desperate hour, hoping to restore the balance of peace. The mover of continents Groudon and the commander of the waves Kyogre have both been awakened. Those who woke them seek to battle each other, but the battle of these two gods threatens to tear Hoenn apart once again. Please, great god of the sky, descend again and stop this madness._

A long grumble sounded through his throat as he found himself and headed towards his tower in Hoenn. It had not been since ancient times that those two were awake at the same time, since the time those non-Pokémon creatures were using tools of stone and wood. How far along were they now… the humans? Sometimes he had noticed machines flying through the air that bore signs of their handiwork. Some machines had actually gotten up to his level and beyond. Yet they still called on him when the other gods were in dangerous states.

But they honored him, prayed to him. At one time, he had been completely mindless, just drifting on the jet streams. Then the prayers of the humans reached him and he changed. He gained a name and the ability to think. At first, it had been strange. But the humans prayed to him for peace, and protection from the other gods who could control the weather. Rayquaza consented, knowing mostly the peace of the upper sky. If they wanted that, then he would attempt to grant it to them.

The surface world was more complicated than the sky, though. He considered it as he began to dive down into the clouds. Down there, there were millions, no, billions of creatures. They were all different, and yet the same at the core. The differences caused conflict. And in those conflicts, sometimes one would rise above the rest with the assistance of a Pokémon god. Sometimes it was to gain control over the others; sometimes it was to ruin all that was around them. And there were reasons besides those too. In the end, someone would call on him and he would descend to force the conflict to end.

_Rayquaza, please come…_

On his way down, the air thickened. Its pressure started to squeeze his body, forcing him to take more breaths and increase the work his body did. Static and heat began to build on his scales, causing them to glow. Even so, he knew he was descending at just the right pace. There was no danger.

As he came over Hoenn, he found a puzzling scenario. If those two were asserting their powers, the weather here should have been violent. Rain should have poured and hissed against his heated scales, or intense sunlight should have tried to bake him. And in-between, there should be a wall of storm winds and lightning, atmospheric violence caused by the competing weather controllers. There was none of that. A light rain shower over the southern part and clouds strewn over the rest. No storms.

This wasn't right. He thought harder, but he was already draining his energy dealing with the lower atmosphere. In all of his memory, he couldn't recall when he had been called down falsely. What was going on? He flew for his tower, seen by the land dwellers as a brightly glowing stream in the sky.

Rayquaza arrived at his tower and found that someone holding his summoning stone was there. Along with a small crowd of others, human and Pokémon. Blinking his eyes, the sky dragon observed them and tried to remember how to divine their intentions in calling him. They were… they were tense, anxious, nervous… greedy. The humans had called on other gods with dark intentions. Now this group wanted his power under their control.

And steal him from his proper place in the upper atmosphere? To where he would have to live with this heavy air pressure and many-person chaos instead of his constant flight? His lips curled into a snarl, and then he roared in defiance. He had to respond to his summoning, but Rayquaza would make sure that they suffered for their insolence.

…

Ruby entry: Rayquaza lived for hundreds of millions of years in the Earth's ozone layer, never descending to the ground. This Pokémon appears to feed on water and particles in the atmosphere.


	240. Geodude, Graveler, Golem

Henry Weaver, the intrepid explorer, made his way along the mountain path. Sweat glistened on his bronzed tan skin, while his explorer's hat kept his face shaded and mysterious. With his heavy backpack full of mountaineering supplies, he was headed off on a glorious adventure.

At least, that's what Henry had optimistically thought when he set out on this trip. It was the romance of the thing; that always drew him to places and tasks, but once he got there... the romance always deflated. There were loose rocks scattered along the trail, causing him to stumble more than once. While his sweat probably did glisten, it made him feel grimy, not rugged. And even with suntan lotion, he was starting to think that he might come out of this with sunburns all over his exposed skin.

Well the bit about his hat was right, and he might even look fetching in it if he were to take a shower and not go back out hiking. And someone had helpfully pointed out to him that hikers usually carried weights in their backpacks for strength training. With a small portable electronic transfer device, he could pack everything away into hammerspace and make the trip with little more than a small bag to physically carry. That part he was glad for being wrong in the romantic vision.

Henry started to step up onto a ledge when his foot was suddenly grabbed. Thrown off balance and yelping, he flailed his arms about trying to get steady. Once he was able to, he looked down and saw gray stone hands holding onto his foot. Strange eyes looked up at him from underneath his shoe. The Geodude chuckled at him and let him go, pushing him off balance yet again.

That did it. "*** **** you little ****!" he shouted, fighting to stay upright. "You have to be the fiftieth Geodude that's harassed me all day! You stupid uncivilized animals; quit messing with me! How about I give you a taste of your own medicine, huh?" He kicked the Geodude, but promptly cussed again as his toes screamed out in pain.

On the other hand, the Geodude lifted its eyebrows at the threats. On being kicked, it made a crumbly sound like laughter. It was only amused at his pain. That made Henry angrier.

"What, you think you're better than me just because you're made of rock?" he said, scowling. "Well you're out of luck, punk, because I…" he reached onto his belt.

His Pokeballs weren't there.

Had he forgotten to get his Pokémon before he left? Oops… feeling his face turn red, Henry stepped back. "I, I don't have to take this. I'm leaving." Then he quickly walked past the Geodude. That was one advantage of having the long legs of a human.

But before he could leave, more eyes popped out of the rocky scenery. Henry stopped and turned to go back, but the eyes were there too. There were Geodudes all around him. Well, almost… one that was much larger than the rest stood up; the Graveler grinned, walking towards him.

"Hey, hey! Look, I'm sorry, okay," he said, holding his hands up. He tried to walk away from the Graveler, but bumped into another Geodude. This one grabbed his left ankle. "I'm having a rough trip and I lost my patience. I'm really sorry. See? I didn't mean to offend you all, I just… wasn't thinking." Henry looked around frantically, but he was being surrounded. Not even long legs would help, as there were several rows of them and another had grabbed his right ankle. "You, you're not really gonna hurt me, right? Pokémon don't hurt humans…" he smiled weakly.

The Graveler took hold of one of his arms, still grinning. Then it asked something of the smaller Pokémon around them. For a moment, nothing was said back. Then one of them (the one he'd kicked?) said something that was gravelly yet sounded like "Whooga, whooga."

"Whooga, whooga," the Graveler replied. Then it was mimicked by all the other little Geodudes, with excitement. The Graveler then tugged at him, making him walk further along the path.

"Uh, I can walk on my own," Henry said. The Pokémon kept hold of him and guided him up a path that he hadn't intended to take.

It was a long trek. On the way, a couple more Gravelers joined them, acting as guards so that he wouldn't run. Not that Henry felt like he could; more Geodudes joined in too, leading to a parade of Pokémon rolling up the path behind them. At one point, the group came to a large sign from the park rangers, stating, 'Warning: Gravelers and Golems are known to roll down these slopes. The guidance paths lead through this area. Beware!'

It also had a little cartoon of someone having been squashed by a rolling Golem. Any other time, Henry would have found it humorous. With the Pokémon all around him, it was more of a bad omen.

After what felt like hours, they arrived at a large flat area of the mountain, high above the town he had left this morning. The Gravelers let go of him here, but then started chanting, "Whooga, whooga!" Before long, the Geodudes joined in.

And then there was a heavy footfall, enough to send quivers along the ground to Henry's feet. The chanting grew more excited as a massive rocky Pokémon came into his view. It had gangly arms and legs, but bore a body so large and round that it might fully crush a car in one jump. Not only that, but it was decorated in shiny stones and shaped rocks. With all that adornment, Henry couldn't help but think 'witch doctor' on seeing the Golem.

"WHOOGA!" the crowd of Pokémon shouted, then abruptly went silent. The Golem was getting quite close now, still causing mini tremors with every step.

"Er, are you Whooga?" Henry asked, sweating in nervousness. "Or the Whooga?"

The Golem Whooga (presumably) grinned, then seemed to ask something of the crowd. There were several answers, but one Geodude rolled up and gave much of it. Then they all looked at him.

"Er, I did say that I was sorry," Henry said. "I know better know, and I won't go kicking any Pokémon again, all right? So, I can get on with my trip now?"

Somehow, the Whooga grinned wider, then said something short to the others. This caused a worrying chorus of cheers. Henry was then grabbed again and led to the edge of the area they were on. But not to the road. No, they pushed him towards the edge that had a steep slope sliding away.

"I don't need to get down there that fast," he said, panicking. "I, I can walk down the path, if that's all right with you." He made the mistake of looking down and saw the town below. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

With more cheers, the Gravelers ran towards the downward slope. Standing next to the Golem, Henry put his hands up, even knowing that the gesture was probably useless. The Gravelers dropped off the ledge on either side of him, curling up into balls to more efficiently roll down. Not long after, the Geodudes followed suit, rolling down the hills like a bunch of scattered marbles. While watching that, Henry noted that the Pokémon seemed to all be rolling away at certain points. That must be the guidance grooves to keep them from hitting the town, he thought.

Then Henry looked out and saw the entire landscape before him. He really was high up the mountain. The forest was green carpet of leaves to the south, while the town's colored roofs gleamed like unpolished gems under the sunlight. And there where plains, forests, and more mountains out to the horizon under the grand blue sky. For a moment, he completely forgot about his bewilderment and terror from the strange behaviors of these Pokémon.

He looked to his side and noticed that the Golem was still there, just smiling now. "You live with an awesome view, Whooga," he said.

The Golem cheered that pronouncement and clapped him hard on the back.

On one hand, the Pokémon had gotten him down the mountain and to a hospital quick enough to save his life. On the other hand, Henry was stuck in a body cast for weeks after that.

…

Geodude Leaf Green entry: Found in fields and mountains. Mistaking them for boulders, people often step or trip on them.

Fire Red entry: Be careful when hiking on mountain trails. Graveler may come rolling down the path without slowing.

Sapphire entry: Golem is known for rolling down from mountains. To prevent them from rolling into the homes of people downhill, grooves have been dug into the sides of mountains to serve as guideways for diverting this Pokémon's course.


	241. Serperior, Emboar

He was coiled up already, lounging in a sunny spot near the main mast. Seth the Serperior opened one black eye to look at the boy near him. While he was dressed in a boy's sailor outfit, the silver pocket watch attached to his belt and the diamond pendant around his neck betrayed his origins as nobility. Seth flicked his tongue out, then closed his eyes and showed clear disinterest.

"Aw come on," the boy said. "Wear at least the hat, please? Smokey's wearing the whole outfit."

"And I love it!" the Emboar said, posing with his hands on his sides. He was a large Pokémon too, burlier than the biggest sailor on this ship. Yet he matched the boy with a white and blue sailor hat, a similar colored collar, even white gloves. Not a full 'outfit' as the humans would wear, but quite more than a normal Pokémon would be found in.

And Seth would have none of that. "Too silly," he said.

"Please?" the boy aid. When the snake Pokémon didn't make a hiss of a reply, the boy tried to put the hat on anyhow. Seth flicked his tail to toss it back. The boy pouted, but then got called off by his father, leaving the two Pokémon on their own.

"You could have put it on just to make him happy, Seth," Smokey said, picking up the hat.

"I'll do my duty in protecting him when needed," the Serperior said, not even opening his eyes. "I won't wear tacky clothes while doing so."

Smokey then tossed the hat back at Seth, who flicked it off again. "You don't have to be so serious about it. We're on a trip! You ought to have some fun with us and wear cool things to go along with it. You'd look awesome in sailor gear."

"No thank you. I enjoy lying about in the sun more than what you two call having fun."

After picking up the hat again, Smokey went to give it back to the boy. He wasn't actually their Trainer; their Trainer was the boy's father, who wanted the boy protected while he was being sent to his grandparent's home. There was a war back home, and while the two Pokémon would have been glad to serve with their Trainer, their instructions were to protect the child.

Still, Seth could do more to keep the boy happy. The child hadn't yet realized that this trip could last years, depending on how the war went. He would be terribly upset when he did figure out that his parents weren't coming quite yet. In the meantime, they should be friendly with the boy so that he would trust in their support when he needed it.

And his friend could do more to not be so serious all the time, Smokey thought. That had always been his problem, ever since they were young Pokémon. Still, maybe being around a playful child more often would finally break through his smug shell.

* * *

In order to keep the boy safe, they were taking the trip on a merchant's vessel. Their protection against pirates would protect against kidnappers and any enemies of the family wouldn't think to check this ship. While this meant the Pokémon had to help out or keep out of the way of the crew, Seth had found that he was allowed to lounge on the deck provided he was out of the regular paths of traffic and that he kept pests away from the food cargo.

Near his current spot, the boy and Smokey were playing with a ball. They kept moving closer and closer to his spot. When he felt the ball hit his side, he flicked it aside with his tail, but put his head further into his coils. Hunting the ship's cargo hold at night did take up a lot of energy. The ball came back a minute later, so he hit it again. The third time, he heard laughs from the boy, indicating that it was a way of pulling him into their games. When the ball next came his way, he opened his eyes, darted his head out and snatched the ball, then placed it in the middle of his coils and settled back down to rest.

"Aw, give it back, Seth," the boy said, then thought to add, "Please?" He ran over.

"Do you have to be such a spoilsport?" Smokey added.

Normally when dealing with a Fire-type, he would just keep quiet rather than risk taking a burn. But he knew this Emboar, so he replied, "It obviously isn't working yet, but yes."

"Just don't hurt the kid," Smokey said, sounding a bit more serious now that the boy had put his hand on Seth and was trying to lean over and retrieve the ball.

"I won't." He remained still until the ball was gotten, then shifted himself around.

The boy went to start bouncing the ball off a wall, but Smokey had an idea. While making sure the child didn't lose his toy over the edge of the ship, he crept over to Seth. He was currently near the winch holding onto the anchor, but its rope had not been wrapped back up since it was last used. Smokey took the rope and put a loose loop around the end of Seth's tail. Then he went back over to the boy.

A short time later, they were pulling in to another port to trade goods at. "Drop the anchor!" someone called from the front of the ship.

Smokey looked over just in time to see a pair of sailors push the anchor overboard. The loop tightened around Seth's tail and yanked him overboard. While one called out the problem, the other sailor jumped in after. Smokey came over to see if he could help, but as his beard was live fire, he didn't like being in water.

It was only a couple of minutes before they were able to get the Serperior back on the ship. Water beaded off his green scales and Seth had such a look of petty annoyance and ruined dignity that many of the crew laughed. "I am not amused," Seth said, slithering though the crowed to fins a spot to dry off at.

But the boy was very amused. "Hah, the old stuffy snake got dunked!" he said, laughing.

"I just thought you'd appreciate a nice swim," Smokey teased his friend.

"Hmph, so it was you. Why must you be so juvenile?"

"Don't get back to sleep now," he added. "The kid wants to look around town for a bit."

Seth snorted. "It would be safer if he did not. But if he insists, I will come."

* * *

One of the sailors went along with them, so it didn't look too odd for a pair of Pokémon to be walking alongside a young boy. This particular city had been spoken of many times by the boy's parents, but that was due to the theaters, operas, art museums, and other activities that adults liked. Although there wasn't much around that aimed to entertain children, the boy seemed okay with sightseeing provided he got to see the cannons that protected the port from invasion by sea. And most embarrassingly, Smokey was still dressed in that tacky sailor get-up.

They were on their way back form that when a pair of thugs with four Pokémon approached them. The latter were mostly bulky Water types, although there was a single Steel-typed Bronzong with them. "Hold it, strangers," one of he human thugs said. "We'll be taking your valuables or taking your lives, and you'd better decide fast."

The sailor stepped him front of the boy, taking his hand to make sure he wouldn't be snatched. "You won't be taking either." He then whistled through his fingers, calling down his bird Pokémon to help out.

After making his beard flame up, Smokey put his fists to his chin to set them on fire. "You're gonna regret picking on us!"

Seth brought up his lower half, but raised his head higher off the ground. "Oh, Smokey, Smokey, how many times have I got to tell you not to give such scum any ideas that they might be a worthy challenge?" Although in a way, it would be. Those Waters could knock the Emboar out easily if they were all allowed to attack him. He might not always like him, but they were partners. Both of them would back each other up in times of need.

"You're gonna pay for that insult!" One of their opponent Pokémon said.

"Not if we demolish you first," Seth replied. And in short order, they did so. The sailor's Pokémon even helped out some by being distractions.

"Are you all right?" Smokey asked, putting out his flaming fists.

Seth snorted. "Of course I'm fine. You were a bigger liability there. But you did do nicely against that Bronzong."

Smokey patted his head before the Serperior dropped his stance. "I'll do my best against any who endanger my family and friends. Even if you are a stuffy old snake."

"Even if you are immature, I feel the same way." He then dropped back down and slithered to the back of the group, to watch for more trouble there. "Now let's get going after that waste of time. I thought I might break my boredom by fighting some tough foes, but no, it has to be shoddy weaklings instead."

"You could always fight me," Smokey offered, leading the group back to the docks.

Seth had to chuckle at that. "Careful offering that to me. I might take you up for it and give you a thrashing."

…

Serperior White entry: They raise their head to intimidate opponents but only give it their all when fighting a powerful opponent.

Emboar Black entry: It can throw a fire punch by setting its fists on fire with its fiery chin. It cares deeply about its friends.


	242. Solosis, Zoroark

One fine summer day, a green bubble came drifting through the woods. It moved in a slow rhythm, drifting and contracting, then releasing energy to hop forward quickly, then drifting once again. Inside, there was a tiny tan creature that was mostly big black eyes. The Solosis was content to float around and see the sights of the forest. But she did hop a little quicker when she heard talking.

In an opening by a waterfall, a group of humans had gathered to set up a campsite. Many of them were young, dressed in the green and brown uniforms of the Wilderness Scouts. The three adults with them were supervising the efforts, making sure things were done properly and safely.

A girl Scout came over to one of the adults. "There's a lady in the camper, but she shooed me off."

"Did she tell us to leave?" the man asked.

"No, she didn't say anything."

"Just leave her be, then."

Curious, the Solosis headed away from the campsite to check out the trailer. She could check out the campers later, but the trailer sounded more interesting. And it was. The vehicle looked like it had been there forever, with weeds growing tall around its wheels. On its sides, the silver-blue paint was cracked and peeling, showing the metal interior. Something wasn't right with it, though. The Solosis hopped around in the air until she entered the trailer.

It looked like any other human habitation, in a much smaller space. There was a kitchen area ahead and to the right, while a dining area was directly across from it. On the left side, there was a couch that could be folded out for a bed, piled with blankets and pillows. There was even a TV, playing a nature documentary.

There was also the smell of fresh berries and nuts. Sniffing those, the Solosis started to feel hungry. Those would be tasty. "Mm mm mm," she said, sniffing further and heading to the kitchen area.

But at the counter, there was that woman the girl had mentioned. She had long brown hair and wore an orange apron while she seemed to be cooking something at the stove. Something didn't seem right, though. Solosis wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling that something wasn't quite with this trailer, or this woman. However, the berries and nuts were real, she was sure of that. If she got something to eat, then she wouldn't care what was odd about this.

The woman looked at her, then narrowed her eyes. She waved as if to say, "Go on, leave this place and leave me alone." Then she turned back to the stove, where a pot of water was warming up.

"Solo?" she asked, staying where she was. Normally humans liked talking to her. The women sometimes liked to say how cute she was. Other times, they tried to get Pokémon to fight her so she could be captured. She usually wasn't given this treatment. When the woman didn't respond, she came closer. The berries were right nearby, although she didn't see them.

All of a sudden, the woman snarled, growling. That wasn't a human sound. When Solosis looked at her, her image wobbled and revealed a canine Pokémon with long black fur, standing up on her hind legs. It was a Zoroark!

Solosis looked at her, the image of the woman reappearing as solid (and disgruntled) as before. Then the little Psychic broke into laughter. So that was what was odd! Delighted, she searched round, spotting four teacups stacked on the counter. She reached out with telekinesis, but couldn't budge them. Those were illusions too! Was the whole trailer an illusion? Solosis felt impressed.

Growling again, the Zoroark had her disguise pick up a knife and threaten to stab Solosis with it. But a playful nudge showed that it wasn't real either, making her giggle. Zoroark then picked up the pan of hot water and threw it, along with the knife. But they weren't real, so Solosis was merely pleased to find that the pot clattered on the ground and the hot water hissed and drenched the couch. At least, it looked that way.

But in doing this, it gave Solosis the chance to see where the berries actually were: some were in a nearby basket. So she picked up three by telekinesis, a bluk, a leppa, and a rawst. Then she began to juggle them, showing that she could do entertaining things with her powers too.

Zoroark grabbed the berries out of the air and put them back in the basket. While she did that, a bolt of lightning struck through the middle of the trailer, causing some shouts from the campers nearby. And then, the trailer caught on fire! Solosis looked around in awe of the beautiful red and orange flames. She liked fire. Sometimes she hid herself in a campfire, then spooked humans by leaping out and squealing. Her green bubble would protect her from little harms like that.

While Zoroark growled sharper, forming canine teeth on her human illusion, Solosis had a horrifying thought. She would be okay in a fire, but the berries wouldn't be. They had to save the berries! Quickly, she snatched up the whole basket of them and started to head outside with it. For some reason, Zoroark snatched the basket back and wouldn't leave the burning trailer.

"Sol sis!" But the berries would burn to a black crunchy crisp and they'd be awful that way!

A shout came from the doorway. "Don't worry, we'll save you!" one of the older boys shouted, right before throwing a bucket of water at them."

Solosis managed to get out of the way, but Zoroark got drenched. When she did, the whole illusion fell. No more woman, no more trailer, no more fire. Just Solosis, the wet Zoroark holding onto a basket of berries, and the boy who looked stunned. It was just another part of the open meadow.

Zoroark barked sharply as one of the adult leaders called the boy to come away from the wild Pokémon. Once the boy was far enough away, Zoroark raised an illusion of tall thorny bushes, grown into a wall cutting off her portion of the meadow from theirs. She grumbled and clutched her basket close, apparently annoyed at the loss of such a grand illusion.

Piping up happily, Solosis sang a bit of song, showing how pleased she was at the show. She then went over to the thorn bush illusion and amused herself by passing right through them without disturbing them one bit. Maybe Zoroark could be her new friend! They could have such fun together.

Zoroark didn't seem to agree with that, though. She threw an oran berry at Solosis and made it clear that if she stayed any longer, then she would attack. Despite that, Solosis wasn't afraid. Some people were just grumpies and needed some sunshine in their life to cheer up. She cheered and darted over to give Zoroark a kiss in thanks. Then she leapt out of the thorn enclosed area and headed on her merry way.

…

Solosis White entry: Because their bodies are enveloped in a special liquid, they can survive in any environment.

Zoroark White entry: Each has the ability to fool a large group of people simultaneously. They protect their lair with illusionary scenery.


	243. Vanilluxe, Chandelure

Snow and embers fell from the sky, turning the world to white, black, and red. People knew the signs well: it was the result of fighting between the two most powerful Pokémon of the countryside, Vanilluxe and Chandelure. Only that would cause the phenomenon of a house burning as bright as day while a fierce blizzard shrouded the night. When they got angry, the elements went wild.

The snow and embers were lighter at that moment as he hurried through the mess. Already, the snow was beginning to crunch under his boots; the embers melted the snow, which froze back into ice. The house fire was still bright, casting its red-orange glow onto the landscape. One glance and he knew the house was a total loss. It was horrible, and yet not quite as horrible as what its light showed.

Partly covered in snow, there was a human corpse lying on the ground. There were ice crystals and burns over part of his skin. Hovering near the body, there were the two villainous Pokémon, Vanilluxe with its glossy ice blue body and creamy white faces, and Chandelure with its ghostly blue flames and ancient-looking metal structure. The two Pokémon were looking at the body, their expressions unreadable.

He stopped for a second in shock, then ran over. "You monsters! You killed him!"

Startled, the two Pokémon looked at him, then fled the scene. He stopped near the body and crouched down to make sure. The face bore a painful expression, as if it had been a torturous death. From his mouth, there were trails of blood. But there was no mistaking it. It was his father.

For a heart-wrenching moment, he felt like he couldn't move or think. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Sure, people had threatened death, but it was never really meant. And those two Pokémon, they caused a lot of havoc and suffering yet had not outright killed anybody. At least, he thought that was so. Maybe they were deadlier than anyone had taken them to be.

Then he got back up in a rage and ran after the Pokémon. They would pay for this! The townsfolk had tolerated them thus far, but now they had destroyed his family's home and murdered his father. They couldn't be left to do as they pleased.

Down the road, he spotted someone walking towards the next town over. Strange; it was late and he had been heading home just fifteen minutes before. The person was wearing a heavy black hooded cloak, but it was cold. Maybe the person had to wait out the blizzard called by Vanilluxe. "Hey! Have you seen Vanilluxe and Chandelure?"

The person turned her head as he slowed near her, showing a black blindfold over her eyes. "I couldn't see, but I felt them pass by not long ago."

Oh, it was that seer woman. She was never seen without that blindfold, but she had a way of knowing things others could not tell. "I need to find them," he said. "They killed my father and destroyed our home."

"Is that so?" she said. "Your father had many enemies, apparently among Pokémon as well. They would be at their homes, most likely. Good luck."

"Right, thanks. You be careful on the roads." He then started running again.

"Only one killed your father," the seer called out after him.

He paused again, right before a path that led into the wild. "Only one?"

"Can you tell who?" she asked. "Make the wrong choice and you'll kill one not at fault."

With her powers, that was probably true. His anger still burned in his soul, but he would be careful. "I'll make the right choice." Then he headed off to find the two Pokémon.

He reached the cave that Vanilluxe lived in first. No matter what time of year it was, this cave was always icy and chilly. Large ice crystals shone on every wall, making the light in the cave turn blue. In the middle of the first room, there was Vanilluxe. He was turned around, making light snow flakes whirl around him.

"I've got you now," he said, putting his hand on the handle of his sword. It took some effort not to draw it. "You're going to pay for the suffering you've caused."

The smaller of the heads turned to see him first, then started screaming. The larger head turned his body around. "Do you have to be so rude that you burst into someone's home and speak like tha… SHUT UP!"

The smaller head stopped screaming, then hiccupped. "S-sorry. So sorry."

Sighing with a puff of frosted breath, Vanilluxe said, "I don't need to be arguing with myself here. Sorry, but he has a sharp sword! I know, I know. What do you want?"

Taking the time to hold his anger back, he said, "You were there. Did you kill my father?"

"No, no way," he said, shaking both heads. "I was there, yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. He was dead when I got there. And then you came running and screaming at me, so that was scary. But I'm not a coward, it's just my other head panics much too quickly. So sorry."

"There was ice on his skin," he pointed out. "And you're the one who caused that blizzard this evening; it's like the storms you cause."

The larger head looked indignant. "Now that's not proof that I killed him. When I hunt, I freeze my prey solid. Not little bits of ice. And he should have known better than to be outside without proper clothing when one of my storms goes on. That's how it's been decided, right? If someone is dumb enough to go out in a snowstorm and freeze from lack of protection, it's their stupidity that's at fault, not my power."

"But you are the one causing these destructive and damaging blizzards," he argued. "Don't you think about others? You make things dangerous."

"Sorry!" the smaller head squealed, looking fearfully at the sword. But the larger head sighed. "You humans are so sensitive about every little thing, some so afraid of stepping on another's toes that you barely walk, while others go and stomp around. Your father was one of those stompers. I'm a Pokémon, don't you get it? And I have every right to defend my territory and honor against that greedy Chandelure. In fact, I would think that she probably killed that man. He was burned, and there was that house fire. Not only that, but she was mad at him for what happened at that town meeting."

"Weren't you mad at him too for that?"

"Yes, but I didn't kill him," the larger head insisted. Then the smaller head added, "Now could you go and take your scary sword with you? I didn't do anything bad."

He doubted the Pokémon was completely innocent, but he left Vanilluxe's cave for the time being. If he turned out to be the murderer, then justice would come. But he had to check out Chandelure. Perhaps he should have asked the seer to tell him more precisely which one had killed his father.

The snow and embers had stopped falling by the time he arrived at where Chandelure lived. The Ghost Pokémon stayed at an old house that had been abandoned by its human residents. With them gone, she had moved in along with many of her younger kin. Litwicks and Lampents kept the place lit with eerie purple candlelight, which made the shadows seem to come alive. Superstition said that entering a house inhabited by such Pokémon was asking for death. Still, he opened the door and went inside.

Before long, there were scuffles as smaller Pokémon fled the room, taking some of the light with them. But Chandelure put off enough light to fill the room. She hung from the ceiling, in a spot where the real light fixture had been ripped out of place. When he looked up, her eyes were open a slight bit. Then she closed them and looked like an ordinary object.

"Don't try to fool me, Chandelure," he said. "Are you the one who killed my father?"

She opened her eyes fully. "No, I was not," she said. "Pity that, but he was already dead when I saw him. You're probably looking for Vanilluxe."

"But you wanted to kill him. And he was burned, which would be how you killed him."

She shifted two arms to cross each other. "Lots of people wanted to kill him as he was so abrasive to others. Perhaps even to you. Look, if I had killed him, it would only do me good for a short while. I would get a respite, and then his ghost would come to haunt and annoy me. And when I was out to hunt and kill, I don't burn the body. I steal the spirit to burn for my fuel and we can get spiritual energy in easier ways than that."

He had heard about that, if only in rumors. "Even so, you caused our home to burn down. I can get revenge on you for that."

"I think he got burned escaping the house myself," Chandelure said. "That's where his footprints came from. I had no intention of burning any houses down too. Sheesh, you humans make such a fuss about being enlightened and clever and all; you'd think you'd be able to make houses that didn't burn because of little fire attacks. Even this place, I have to tell the little sticks to watch their powers as well as teach them not to steal energy from humans because you'd hunt us all down in response. We don't kill humans because we're not foolish. Now please, if you don't have solid proof, leave this place alone. I haven't killed any of you."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "One of you is lying to me. When I find out who it is, I will bring you to justice."

"Justice in the eyes of whom?" she asked as he left the house.

One of them was lying. He knew that. Now he had to go back to the scene and figure out which one it was.

…

Vanilluxe White entry: If both heads get angry simultaneously, this Pokémon expels a blizzard, burying everything in snow.

White entry: Being consumed in Chandelure's flames burns up the spirit, leaving the body behind.


	244. Vanillite, Beartic

Snow swirled in the air around the bus stop. A few headlights shone in the dark as cars passed slowly on the ice-covered road. Streetlights had flakes fly under them, but not as thickly as they were around the sheltered bench. On the bench, there was a small Pokémon that seemed to be made of ice cream with a little crystal waffle cup. She was wearing a black ribbon around the top of her cone, tied into a bow with long trails behind her. She sat there, looking down at the ground.

A shadow fell across the bench, causing the Vanillite to look up. Approaching the bus stop, there was a tall muscular Pokémon there, a Beartic. She had claws and fangs made of ice, as well as sleek white fur that seemed like it could help absorb hits. It was odd to see one of them in the city; they usually stuck to the tundra surrounding it.

Drawing a bit of icy mist closer to her, Vanillite put a paw to her chin and said, "I hope you're not out here to pick on a young lady."

Beartic stood there looking at her for a second, then smiled and patted her swirl top. "Aw, don't worry none. I wouldn't go hurting a little cutie like you."

Vanillite huffed, causing a puff of white mist to fly from her mouth. "I am not cute."

Sitting down on the other end of the bench, Beartic sounded puzzled as she said, "You aren't? but you're little, with big pretty eyes, and that ribbon you have on is adorable. You seem cute to me."

"I don't want to be cute," she insisted. "I'm a goth. I haven't found many black things to wear, though, and lipstick and mascara doesn't stick. Still, goths aren't cute."

"I don't see why they can't be." She thought for a moment while Vanillite went back to sulking. "I used to be cute, but then I evolved. I'd like to be cute again, but it's hard to do now. You ought to take advantage of being cute while you are."

She shook herself, giving a negative reaction. "But nobody takes the cute ones seriously. People are always like, 'you're so cute, now stay on the sidelines and look cute while we take care of things.' Besides, there's so many other cute Pokémon and we get clumped together as all sweet and cute and nice. I want to be different. I want to be elegant, dark and mysterious." She sighed. "It's not working that well, is it? I even made the snow swirl around to be more mysterious."

"It did have a kind of mysterious effect," Beartic said, scratching her head. Then she snapped her fingers, causing a part of her ice claw to fly off. "You could use just the goth attitude. Act that way and you'll surely stand out from the crowd of other small cute Pokémon. People will come to see you for how you behave more than how you look." She looked at her claws, then took a deep breath and blew on the broken one.

"But the goth ones, the Dark and Ghost types, they wouldn't listen to me. They weren't cute ones either. I don't know if just an attitude will work."

"It does work, but you have to give it time," Beartic said, examining her shining claws by the streetlight. "See, when I was little, I could wear a pink bow and people thought I was so cute right away. But when I evolved, I became tough looked, like a rough-houser. But I'm not like that. I make up for a lack of cuteness in looks by being really sweet and nice, and even a little ditzier than I actually am." She laughed and brought her fore paws together. "Because I can't resist being cheerful at any cute little thing, or making others feel happy."

Looking at her, Vanillite thought it was strange. But she was a kind of kindred spirit, wanting to be what she wasn't. "I see. It's odd to hear something like that out of a Pokémon like you. I guess it is odd for something like me to be goth."

She shook her head. "If that's who you are, then that's who you should be. You may not be able to easily change what you are, but you can change how you are. Besides, chances are that if you ran into me with other Beartics, you'd be able to pick me out after a little while. It will definitely make you more memorable. I guess what I'm trying to say is, be who you are, no matter what you look like."

"Would it really work?" Vanillite asked.

"You won't know until you try. Oh look, there's the bus…" she looked over and sat back. "Not the one I need to catch."

"It's the one I do," she said. "I'll try. I don't now how well it will work, though."

Beartic nodded. "I'm sure you can make being a cute goth work. I hope I get to see you later."

"Maybe."

…

Beartic White entry: It freezes its breath to create fangs and claws of ice to fight with. Cold northern areas are its habitat.

Vanillite Black entry: The temperature of their breath is -58 F. They create snow crystals and make snow fall in areas around them.


	245. Sewaddle, Caterpie

Weaving was a relaxing hobby. Silvia the Sewaddle was getting particularly good at pine needle rugs, making them with neat straight edges and a smooth surface. One by one, she would take the needles and pull them over and under needles in a set pattern, then push them in neatly and secure them with a bit of silk. She was supposed to be learning to sew with leaves and silk, as the leaf clothes that her mother had made for her at her hatching were getting old. But it was winter; there would only be a few suitable leaves around.

And those leaves grew on a tree that was some distance from her home. Getting there… outside of her home could be frightening. Silvia could remember taking a walk in the woods one time; something with a huge toothy face and no visible body had jumped at her from the trees above. Later, it turned out to only be one of her Caterpie neighbors trying to have some fun. The fright was too much, though. Silvia preferred to stay home, where it was safe.

Since home was in the base of a pine tree, it was easy to get needles to weave with. But although she was getting better with using them, they were tough and straight. Not good for making clothes with. But they did make nice rugs.

Silvia made the finishing touches on the rug and looked it over. Neat and straight. Looking around, she wondered where to put it. Her little home was already covered with pine needle rugs, all over the floor, hanging on the wall, rolled up in a corner pile… for the moment, she dragged it over to the pile of needle rugs she used for a bed and decided to settle down for the night. Curling up on that stack, she pulled the leafy hood over her head and closed her eyes.

Moments later, there was a sound as something thumped against one of the rugs. Silvia jerked herself out of falling asleep and got up quickly. It was a piece of wood from the tree. Looking up, she saw a green Pokemon, small like herself. He was standing on the wall with no trouble, wearing a red felt hat with a white fur rim and pom-pom. With one foot, he held onto a large brown bag that seemed like it had something heavy in it.

The Caterpie looked over at her. "Oh, sorry Miss Silvia. Didn't mean to disturb you." He hopped off the wall and flipped so that he landed right-side up on the floor. "Merry Christmas!"

"What are you doing sneaking into my house?" she asked, angered but alarmed. If he could get in, then who else could? Through the windows, she could only see the dark night, which could hide anything.

"Now don't you worry," he said, setting down his sack and opening it. "I'm just here to deliver some presents. I knew you were going to be up late, but I've got a lot to be doing."

"Why?" This had to be some trick.

He flipped his head so that the tip of his hat shifted back. "Because I'm Santa Claus, of course. I have to take a smaller form to visit tiny houses like yours." He smiled and winked.

Silvia pulled her leaves tighter in, hearing a fait tear as she did so. "How do you expect me to believe that? You're that Caterpie who lives in the really mossy oak, Ben wasn't it?"

"I'm not, and that was Benji you're thinking of," the Caterpie said. "I know it must sound strange, Miss Silvia, but it's true. Where here you are, your Christmas presents, two in one." He pulled out a leafy green sack that was smaller than his own, but looked like she could carry it easily even with a lot in it. As it wasn't made of leaves, it would last for a good long while. Something was inside that sack. "Just don't be opening the sack until the morning, all right?"

"Er, okay," she said. Still concerned about how he'd done it, she asked, "But how'd you get in here? I lock the door when it turns dark."

"Magic," he said. Looking at the floor and smiling, he said, "Say, your hot pads are pretty nice. They smell lovely."

"Thanks, but they're rugs," she said.

The Caterpie laughed. "Ah yes, have to remember the scale I'm at. I think I could spare something else for you in exchange for a few of these rugs. May I have three of them?"

At first, she was reluctant. Even if this was really Santa Claus, they were her rugs. Then again, she had so many of them, and a whole winter to make more. Silvia nodded. "Okay, if you like them that much."

"I love them. Let's see… this ought to do nicely. Here you are." He pulled out a small yellow box that was tied up with green ribbon. "The thing that lies inside this will help you have courage. But it's another one to not open until morning, or it won't work for you."

"Something that will give me courage?" she asked, curious. She wasn't sure if anything could. There was so much out there that was dangerous; Pokemon could get hurt in many ways and it was safer to stay at home and weave. But then, if she had the courage to go out further again, she could have the materials to make much more than just needle rugs.

"Certainly." The Caterpie took three of the rolled up ones and placed them in his sack. "I'd best be on my way. Again, merry Christmas and have a good next year!" He then vanished on the spot, leaving behind only the three presents.

Silvia felt startled at seeing that. Had it really been Santa Claus, or was it some trick of that Benji? She looked at the sack and the box, but any curiosity was drowned out by her suspicions and fear. Curling back up on her bed, she closed her eyes and hoped those things might be gone in the morning.

* * *

The presents hadn't been gone in the morning, but the sunlight coming in through the window had reassured her enough that she opened the gifts. As her only two Christmas gifts (at least until her Leavanny mother could make it here for a visit), she could feel a little excited if wary. Inside the cloth sack, there was a reddish-brown stone that gave off strong warmth. The Heat Rock had made things less chilly to wake up to, she realized. It would make her home nice and cozy as well as safe.

And inside the box tied up with a ribbon, there had been a white collar with a little bow. It was exactly the right size to sit between her head and abdomen segments. Would it really make her brave? Silvia decided to try it out. She gathered up many of her pine needle rugs, put them in the sack, then carried it outside. With the collar around her, she headed out to give presents to her neighbors.

Many of them were surprised to see her. "I had just about forgotten that you lived around her too," a female Caterpie said. "Sorry I don't have any presents, but thank you for this rug. It's so nice and will look pretty in my house."

"You're welcome," she said, bowing her head. She still felt bashful, but here she was, in the scary outside talking with people. The collar seemed to be working. There was just one particular Pokemon she had to find. "Do you know where Benji lives exactly?"

"Oh yeah, he's in an old hole several feet off the ground in that tree. Can you climb up that way?"

Looking at the tree, she saw that it had rough bark. "I think I can make it. Thank you and merry Christmas." She then headed up the tree, carrying her sack up with her.

Once up there, she found him, the one who had scared her with that mask. "I thought you'd moved away after that," Benji said. "Look, I'm real sorry about that. I didn't think you'd scare that badly."

"It was scary," she said. "But if you're sorry, then I forgive you. Did you come by my house yesterday?"

He looked surprised. "What're you talking about? It was freezing last night and I didn't want to set foot outside my hole."

Silvia believed him then too, as there was no sign of the red hat, the large sack, or the needle rugs in his home. "Oh, it's nothing," she said. "Here, I brought you a present." She gave him the last pine needle rug that she had brought with her.

After accepting his thanks and saying goodbye, Silvia left his tree and headed out for the one tree that would properly have leaves at this time, one of the ginkgoes that was in the forest. She only told her mother about her encounter with the Santa Claus Caterpie, as she wouldn't have believed it if she heard it. By the time that she saw him again, she had learned that her courage wasn't from that collar, but from herself.

…

Caterpie Leaf Green entry: Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls.

Sewaddle Black entry: Leavanny dress it in clothes they made for it when it hatched. It hides its head in its hood while it is sleeping.


	246. Carracosta, Omastar

Out in the middle of the ocean, there was an island. It was all alone most of the time, far from any other scrap of land and inhabited only by a few Pokémon who earned trust with the island guardian. It had some coconut trees, some tall grasses, some orchids, some bushes, and a hoard of treasure hidden away in its central lagoon. Centuries ago, the treasure had been left there by an infamous pirate. The only clues on its whereabouts were within a journal that held mostly navigational notes and business transactions. It had gone without notice, leaving the island a tranquil place.

That was no longer the case.

Cannons thundered over the ocean waves. Pokémon capable of flying zipped through the air, attacking the enemies of their Trainers. Below, Pokémon capable of swimming battled it out with each other more fiercely than usual. Even the humans were fighting too, using their technology like cannons and guns to attack each other and the Pokémon. To the south of the island, there were many ships, all decked out in armor and weapons. There was blood in the water, and greed in the hearts.

Technically, there were two sides to this battle. The directions to this island had been found by one person, but that person had told others, who informed two different governments. The leaders of both countries wanted to lay claim to the vast treasure that was supposed to be on the island. Thus, they had both sent fleets to do so. The two fleets met and now they fought. Yet each person in the battle knew of the treasure, and they wanted it for themselves.

On one ship, the captain checked over the battle and noticed that his side seemed to be winning. His country had more ships still afloat than the other. "But I know the Admiral is going to try taking all the credit, when my men have sunk more ships than his," he muttered to himself. So he took a Pokeball from his pocket and released his most valued Pokémon.

It was an ancient looking Pokémon, with a rough black shell and muscular blue fins. The race of Carracosta was indeed ancient, so much so that they could only be brought back with fossil DNA. But this individual, he was young for his kind, only a couple decades old. He was loyal to his Trainer, even enough to overcome the lure of treasure.

The captain was not so strong against temptation. He pointed out the Admiral's ship. "Go and attack that one. Make sure it sinks. They are planning on betraying us."

The Carracosta raised a fin, showing his acceptance of the mission. He then dove off the side of the ship and began swimming through the waters. On his way there, he passed by many aggressive Pokémon, battling each other and seeking out enemies. There were even bodies, of both human and Pokémon. But he ignored all that. He headed for the ship.

On the flagship, the Admiral was indeed giving orders to start turning on the other ships once the enemy ships had been wiped out. By his side, he had his favorite Pokémon with him, a pale blue creature with long tentacles and a large spiked shell. The Omastar was getting restless, shifting her shell about. She wanted to be out fighting too, but her loyalty to her Trainer kept her there until he gave her orders. After all, that was how it always was to be.

Finally, he did have some orders for her. "Go and patrol below the ship," he said. "I don't want any saboteurs and you're the one I trust to do it."

She cheerfully called out her acceptance of that, then headed off into the ocean. Although she didn't want the ship to sink, she wanted someone to attack it. Then she could get in on the action.

The Carracosta arrived at the flagship. He knew his Trainer wasn't supposed to be doing this. But, it was to help his Trainer that he would. He dashed for the ship's hull, slamming into it with his left forefin. Although it was armored with metal, his actions punched a hole right into it, with cracks spread out from it. He then bit one loose edge and further opened the hole.

Not long after she had started her patrol, the Omastar saw the Carracosta biting through the hull. Pleased and angered, she fired rocky spikes as she swam to encounter him. Carracosta paused in his attack on the ship to hurl a rock at her. He then threw another at the weakened part of the hull, making it more likely to sink the ship. Then he turned to face her.

She quickly dodged his next attack, then grabbed onto him with her tentacles and repeatedly bit him. He flailed in the water, trying to hit her, but often hitting himself as well. But this wasn't a civilian's battle. No, this was war, and they were expected to fight until their very last breath, if it came to that.

The Omastar died first, when her shell took on heavy cracks and a sharp edge of it pierced through her skull. But she had locked her tentacles tightly around the Carracosta, especially around his fins. Thinking she was still alive, he kept struggling to get free and attack her properly. He had hit himself too many times to notice that she wasn't biting him anymore. It wasn't long before he was dead too. Both sank to the ocean floor, along with the Admiral's ship.

And the island guardian noticed when the two most loyal and probably most worthy beings on the battlefield died. Appalled at the fighting and betrayal, the guardian unleashed an attack on the whole battlefield. None of them would be allowed to come onto the island itself.

Thus the tranquil and normally lonely island became known as the Isle of Red Sand.

…

Omastar Fire Red entry: Its tentacles are highly developed as if they are hands and feet. As soon as it ensnares prey, it bites.

Carracosta Black entry: They can live both in the ocean and on land. A slap from one of them is enough to open a hole in the bottom of a tanker.


	247. Reshiram, Servine

There was a certain level of power which, if one crossed over it, things became terribly unfair. For instance, Reshiram could tell any lie, which inconveniently tended to get people to hate him even though he was simply doing what came naturally. Also, he could torch a hundred acres of forest in minutes with just a single flare from his tail. He often spent energy intentionally weakening his power, because otherwise he'd have the whole land turned to ash before long. And that wasn't fair to the mortal Pokémon.

He also spent a lot of time keeping away from most others. That was pretty fair; others could still seek him out and if they did, they probably knew what they were coming up against. Probably. There were some idiots on occasion that challenged him to battle. When that happened, he generally made sure that they could walk away from the battle alive. Or that they could be carried away alive, if they were stubborn enough. But those who really wanted his help knew where to find him.

Yet, being in self-imposed exile was tough on the spirit. He got lonely from time to time, even though his sister dropped in fairly often. And the mortal Pokémon who visited tended to be overly rash or overly deferential. Then there was the matter of always being on the same mountain, day after day, month after month, year after year. That got to one after a while. Reshiram knew that for truth and did his best not to do something foolish. But sometimes, one just had to get away from getting away from the world. To keep from going crazy, of course.

That's how he came to be here, at a lake in a forest far from his mountain retreat. There was a festival going on in a town not too far from here, so many of the local Pokémon had gone to town for the day. While he did consider checking out the festival only from a discreet distance, Reshiram was more interested in the lake right now. It looked to be fairly nice; a bit dark, rather deep, but that was lakes for you. Seeing that things seemed okay, Reshiram dropped into the water to get himself a bath.

What few Pokémon were still in the lake quickly scattered, through underground water tunnels or out through the trees. They weren't sure what was going on, but they figured it was better to avoid the large stranger that radiated power so strongly that his tail and wings glowed through many stages of red, like the northern lights. Reshiram was a little disappointed that none had tried talking to him, but that was a pretty normal reaction. Pushing it out of his mind, he tended to his grooming.

It was some time later when he heard the rustling of leaves, indicating that something was running towards him. Lifting his head from the water, he turned to shore and saw a reptilian Pokémon: bipedal, with thin short arms, some leaves on the tail, light green scales. There were several who could fit the description, but he soon pinned it as a Servine, a male. The green Pokémon rushed out across a large rock and leapt at him. "Begone, foul beast!"

Reshiram saw a flicker of green and leaned his head back, although not in time or far enough to avoid getting hit by the whip of a vine. It stung briefly, but he was certain it wouldn't even leave a mark past an hour or so. Although he hadn't expected to be attacked, he didn't get angry. It was most likely some misunderstanding. That, and the Servine had crashed into the water, quickly flailing about as he did so. Reshiram watched as he hurried to swim out and climb onto the rock.

"Blast, where's the bottom of this lake?" the Servine asked, irritated.

"Further down," Reshiram said in a 'I'm helping, but not really' kind of voice. It was a pretty deep lake; he could submerge his wings fully. All in all, it had been rather relaxing here until the sudden attack.

"I can tell that," he snapped, turning to face him. "Now, Mr. Wise Guy, I am here to bring you to justice!"

"Pardon?" Reshiram said, but by then, the Servine had zipped off into the undergrowth and virtually disappeared. Shrugging, he went back to his bath, deciding to rub his head and upper neck against the large shore rock. It wasn't like the pumice he had back at his usual spot, but it was good enough.

A couple of minutes later, there was a shaking of leaves. He looked up in time to see the Servine back on the rock. "Hah!" he shouted, flicking small seeds at him. Leech Seeds; they would send many thin roots back to the Servine, allowing it to drain energy from him.

But it also had the effect of hindering movement a little for both sides. Reshiram thought of heat. In response, his inner flames appeared outside, torching the Leech Seeds into uselessness. If he really wanted a battle, he wouldn't do that in order to be fair. The water around him bubbled a little as thin steam curled out.

"Hey, what was that for?" the Servine asked, half-shocked and half-angered.

"It was rude of you to interrupt my bath with a battle," Reshiram said. "Why would you do so?"

Now he turned indignant. "Rude? You've been terrorizing the woods for months now, and we're not going to stand for it any longer."

Slightly puzzled, Reshiram said, "I believe you have the wrong Pokémon. I have only arrived here today." Really, what was he being mistaken for?

"You lie! You try to be sneaky and sly, but I've been investigating you. You can't hide any more!"

"I couldn't lie if I tried," he replied. And that was true. Untruths grated against his soul, like nails screeching across stone, or slow rain falling on a fire, or a rotten berry among ripe.

The Servine growled. "Stop being a coward and fight." He attacked with his whip this time, helped in that Reshiram was closer to shore than before.

He remained calm, though. "If you wish." He then snatched at the Servine, gently picking him up by the torso. Then he swung his head around, flinging him across the lake. Skipping once off the surface of the lake, the Servine cursed as he landed back in the water and had to swim out again.

Pity he hadn't been the right shape to skip all the way across the lake, Reshiram thought. But once had been good. He waited for a bit, but when the Servine didn't come back immediately, he went to finish off cleaning.

The Servine came back several minutes later, along with a few of his kin. "There he is, that's the troublemaker," he said. "You'd better watch out now, punk, cause we got you outnumbered!"

"He might be the one wrecking stuff," another Servine said.

Reshiram sighed. It was worse than those rash ones that climbed his mountain; at least they had some kind of idea of who they were challenging. As he was done with the lake, he beat his wings and rose out of the water. It was a tough take-off, what with the water resistance and the extra weight in his soaked fur. But he had no intention of flying like that, just getting over to the large rock and landing there. He shook his body, spraying water droplets all around.

The Servines skipped back, trying not to get hit. "Or he might not be," the one said.

"He is rather too big to go unnoticed," a third said.

"And rather too bright."

"But he threw me across the lake!"

"I told you that I was just here for a bath," Reshiram said, settling down on the rock and increasing his heat output. It would help him dry off quicker.

"Sorry about him, great one," one of the females said, bowing. "He gets ideas in his head and doesn't think them through much."

"I understand."

And the Servine in question didn't even flinch at the insult, looking more surprised. "Great one? Why're you calling him great one?"

"You can't tell?" she hissed at him. Then, speaking up again, she asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I am Reshiram, Dragon of Yang, Herald of Truth." He'd gotten more titles over the years, but those two described him well enough. "I'm out seeing the world."

"Oh really?" the rash one asked. "If you're a herald of truth, then can you tell us who's been wrecking homes and crops all over the forest lately?"

He nodded. "I could. But I don't think I will."

"And why not?" he asked, although the others all hissed at him for being so argumentative

"You've been exceptionally rude to me today, so from my point of view, it's not a vital thing to look in to." He yawned, more to show his indifference than in being tired. "But if your peers would bring me a few apples, I might consider things differently. Not you, though."

"We'd best leave him be at the moment," one of the other males told the rash Servine. "Come on, let's go." They more or less dragged him off back into the woods; bit of argument and the crunch of footsteps floated through the trees.

Destroying crops, huh? Well from what he'd seen in flying in here, a request for a few apples shouldn't be too difficult. But if they came back and honestly told him that there weren't any to spare, he'd accept a spoken apology and use his power to find the truth.

Not knowing how long they'd take, Reshiram tucked his head under his left wing and rested there, surrounded in his own heat. He had left his mountain to keep himself from going crazy with solitude. But sometimes you came out and discovered that craziness was waiting for you anyhow.

…

Servine White entry: They avoid attacks by sinking into the shadows of thick foliage. They retaliate with masterful whipping techniques.

Reshiram Black entry: This Pokémon appears in legends. It sends flames into the air from its tail, burning up everything around it.


	248. Deerling, Stoutland

It was a soft spot to be, if damp. She took a deep breath and smelled the salty water, the earthy fur, the woody herb… the last being herself as a summer Deerling, the fur belonging to the Stoutland she was riding, and the first being the ocean. Filling the air, there was the constant slow movement of the currents, along with the quicker yet still constant paddling of the dog's legs. Heh, doggie paddle… it wasn't very funny.

Dinah opened her eyes and looked at the back of her rescuer's neck. Lifting her head up, she could finally see the shoreline. It was some relief, but not enough to cheer her. "How long have you been swimming, Richard?" she asked.

His ears lifted a little, but he kept looking straight ahead. "Dun worry none about that, lass. I've been pacing myself. We'll get to shore in good time. I even know this place; wait a bit and we can be in a nice inn, all dry and safe."

"That's nice," she said, although not spirited. She lay her head back down; her legs were feeling twitchy from lying down so long, but there wasn't anywhere to get up and walk around. "I can't believe it ended that way."

"Who said anything about it ending? We're alive, and you've still got that magic talismum thingamabob."

That. Dinah looked down at it, a strange infinity symbol in gold, with a prismatic crystal in the center. When one looked through the spaces inside, one would see things in the near future, the possible results of doing things. it had seemed like the most amazing thing when she'd found out how to use it, but now it seemed like a curse, making her the focus of those with evil intentions. "But what about everyone else? They're all gone."

"Now we don't know that," he replied, still swimming along.

"But you saw how bad that wreck was!" People who were willing to destroy a boat with hundreds of Pokémon on it, just to get the talisman from her, that was what it had brought her. It had been bad enough when they wanted to just kill her, forcing her to hide in unfamiliar territory while they walked nearby, speaking of how they'd hide her body and what horrible things they'd do with it. "It was an inferno on the ocean, in a million pieces. We barely got away."

"But we did get away," Richard echoed. "Other's might've done the same, and the ocean Pokémon are pretty good about rescuing land folk. But it's big out here, and the sun rose not that long ago. I might've missed 'em swimming out here too. And we ain't the only ones who want to see a revolution. We can meet some new friends, find our old friends, and get back on track."

"I'll just end up causing grief again," Dinah said. The shore still seemed a long way off. "I'm not strong enough to make use of the talisman. I should just give it to someone like you and go back to the mountains." Back where she knew she was safe if she just hid in the grass.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Miss Dinah," he said, swishing his tail and flicking water around. "I feel like the thing came to you for a reason. You have a way with people, getting them to do things they wouldn't normally do. We've made a lot of progress now because of you."

She gently bumped his neck with her head. "You're too nice, Richard. I'm just not sure anymore. I thought I could be a hero by using the talisman to make things better. But I didn't even see that attack coming, and I'm the weak one in battle. I try to make others happy, but is it really that much help?"

"Course it is," he said. "Maybe you ain't the greatest in battle, but not everyone can be. But you do give us hope that we can have a brighter future. And you make people feel good about what they're doing, even if it is dangerous. Cheer up; no need to look sad."

"You can't even see me like this," she replied.

He lifted his head some, then said, "True, but you know what I mean."

Dinah sighed. This had all seemed like something wonderful when she'd first figured out how to use the pendant. With it, she could stop people from getting hurt, or know what to say to encourage them. But then there were people who wanted to abuse it, and there were attempts on her life… and now this tragedy, where she didn't know if anyone had survived other than her and Richard.

Continuing to swim, the Stoutland said, "You know, I've been around a while, seen a lot of things, and from it all I've learned many things. Like with a hero, I don't think the hero is the one who battles the best, or is the strongest. Or even knows the most. A hero is the kind of person who does something to change things when no one else will even try. A hero is someone who does something good even if it's tough, or who encourages people to realize that they can make things better if they stand up for what's right. It ain't easy, I know, and it's tempting to give up with things are looking so dire. But if you stick with it to the end, then it'll be worth all the trouble."

"You think I can really change things?" She put her head down on his shoulder. "I haven't been anyone special until the talisman showed up."

"You already have been changing things, and I think you could even without that thing. It just helps. And I'll be here to help you; I won't let them hurt you."

Maybe she wouldn't be a hero without the talisman. But since she had it, maybe she could prove herself worthy. It would be nice to know if others had survived the attack to. "Thanks Richard. When we get to land, we can search for others."

"That's the way! We'll get things set right."

And so he kept swimming to shore. If he was willing to swim for most of the night to get her to safety, then surely she could brave the threats and bring the fellowship back together again.

…

Deerling Black entry: The color and scent of their fur changes to match the mountain grass. When they sense hostility, they hide in the grass.

Stoutland White entry: This extremely wise Pokémon excels at rescuing people stranded at sea or in the mountains.


	249. Heatmor, Durant

Once upon a time, there was a hungry Heatmor named Tom Reah. Much of the time, he lived off of small nuts, acorns, and non-Pokémon bugs. But these things weren't filing, and to him, they were bland. What he would really like was a Durant. It took a little while to crack their shells, but they were so tasty, especially when quick roasted. However, some bad experiences had turned Tom off of Durant hunting for a while.

Until winter came. He had made a stash of nuts and acorns but even in the fall, he knew he couldn't gather enough for the full winter. Tom had to keep his internal fires going so that he could stay warm in the cold. Even as he made the decision to try hibernating, he just got more restless and more hungry as the hours went by.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any more. The acorns are tasteless after eating them for a full month! He kicked his box of them, making an unsettling rattle as there were so few of them. He thought he'd get into his box of nuts, as they at least were somewhat nice to eat after he'd toasted them a little bit. But when he checked in the cubby, the box was gone! Nothing but a dead leaf there now, which he wouldn't try eating unless he was really desperate. Tom hunted frantically around his little home. Not under the shelf, nor under the table. It wasn't under a rock, by his nest, in the woodbin, or in the TV cabinet. The box of nuts was completely gone, leaving him nothing but a small pile of acorns.

This was not good; he was going to starve. With no clue of where to find the nuts, and with all the little bugs gone, that left trying to catch a Durant. It would be hard, but he didn't see any easier choice. So Tom left to find the Durant nest.

The Durants lived in the side of a nearby cliff, digging through the earth for the minerals they ate. Tom got there and found some cover in a bush. While leafless, there were enough branches to obscure him a little. Better than nothing. From there, he could see some Durants working, removing wastes from their tunnels, fetching branches, even a small group that seemed to be playing music. They were all in groups though, at least two together. That would make it harder on him, as if he caught one, the other would attack.

And then he spotted one Durant that was alone. He had come out of a hole with a walnut in his jaws. The Durant then proceeded to crack the nut open and eat it, apparently not bothering to work like the others. Around his neck (well, the connection between his head and abdomen), there was a checkered blue kerchief.

Ah, that was the ticket! A lone Durant, apparently lazy. Twitching his snout as he was pleased, Tom began sneaking around the bushes and snow piles to get closer to the Durant. If he moved quick enough, the others wouldn't be able to interfere. And they were naturally slow.

The Durant finished the walnut, then started gathering up snow. Tom waited until he was certain that his prey was distracted… and then he jumped out and blasted the steel-armored ant with a stream of fire from his snout. It took quite a bit out of him, but it would be worth it.

Somehow, the Durant seemed unimpressed. He hurled half of his walnut shell at Tom, hitting his eye right on. Tom yelped at the pain and closed his eyes, patting the injured one with his paws. Was it bleeding? Then a snowball smacked him in the face. The Durant gave an irritating boastful laugh.

After wiping the snow from his face, Tom cautiously opened his eyes. He could still see, so he hadn't been blinded by that shell. Off in the distance, he could see other Durants watching him cautiously, but not bothering to interfere. Where was that one with the blue kerchief, though? With the way he had laughed at him, Tom would be glad to eat that one.

He knew where the one Durant was when he stuffed the other half of walnut shell into the hole on the end of the Heatmor's tail.

Not good, not good! He breathed through his tail! Gasping for breath, he twisted himself around that grabbed hold of his tail. The shell was in there good, enough to choke him. Tom managed to get a hold of it and yank it out, even though it scraped the sides and hurt. But once it was out, he could start breathing again. He heard that irritating laugh of the Durant.

Now he recalled why exactly he had stopped hunting Durants. Feeling weak with hunger and dizzy from the choking, Tom sat down on the ground. Back in early summer, he had been hunting some Durants when one of them dropped a boulder on his head from the top of the cliff. Not a rock, a freaking boulder that had easily been bigger than he was. And then made him run across a bunch of sharp sticky thorns. And then tricked him into falling into a lake. That Durant had laughed in that same prideful manner. Was it the same one, or were all Durants like that? if they were, he had to wonder how his ancestors managed to survive by primarily hunting them.

He heard a clicking sound, so looked down as saw the Durant with the blue kerchief. Tom's eyes went wide and he thought of running back to his home; he'd find a way to survive on bark if it meant not dealing with this Durant any more. However, the Durant offered him a bouquet of flowers, a bunch of white daisies nicely tied up with a red ribbon.

That was… weird. Tom picked up the bouquet. Was the Durant apologizing? Why? He flicked his tongue across the flowers and realized that they were fakes, made of plastic. Obviously; where would he get daisies with all this snow on the ground? But the bouquet was hissing oddly. Looking closer, there was a spark there for some reason, attached to some red cylinder. It seemed like something a human would make… no, wait, it couldn't be…

BLAM!

It was a stick of dynamite, leaving Tom stunned and covered in black ashes. The Durant laughed in hysterics.

This was not right. Something stirred in Tom. Maybe it was a feeling of being dealt with unjustly, or maybe it was a cry from his ancestors not to take this from some lowly prey. Or maybe it was just a combination of being hungry and desperate and having just taken an exploding stick of dynamite to the face. That laugh was mocking him, mocking him! He got so angry that he kicked the Durant into the wall hard, then blasted him with the most powerful fire he could muster. It left his natural fire feeling spent; he couldn't recall using a move like that at all before. After leaving a sizable scorched dent in the side of the cliff, the Durant clattered onto the ground, his kerchief all burnt up.

Was he dead?

Well that would finally get him a decent meal. Tom snatched up the Durant, then rushed back into the woods. He didn't want the others mobbing him.

Despite that attempt to get away, he was still feeling weak and couldn't run far. Even after he'd had a decent meal, he found he had to rest before he could get back to his home. That was how the other Durants caught up to him, eight of them in all. Strangely enough, two of them were packing along a distinctive box that was green and yellow in a jagged pattern. That was his box of nuts!

Tom was scared at first of the group of them; even if they were weak to fire, a group of them could overwhelm larger and tougher Pokémon than him. But as it turned out, the Durant with the blue kerchief had not been popular in their colony. In fact, he was a jerk who would do bad things to others and laugh at their misfortune. He had come back with the box of nuts just yesterday, showing it off to the others, teasing them with it, then not sharing a single nut. So they were glad he was gone, enough that they were going to give the box of nuts to Tom.

And if he would give them a little fire to help them keep their tunnels warm, and promise not to kill any of the rest, then they'd help him get more nuts to survive through winter. All things considered, it was a good deal. Tom agreed and settled himself for a nut-based diet.

At least for the winter. And there was always the possibility of finding another colony.

…

Heatmor Black entry: It breathes through a hole in its tail while it burns with an internal fire. Durant is its prey.

Durant Black entry: They attack in groups, covering themselves in steel armor to protect themselves from Heatmor.


	250. Zorua

Babump babump babump… her heart seemed to be pounding rapidly in her throat. She set a paw down and stepped on a dry leaf, making it crinkle. Her nerves went all rigid as her black fur stood on end. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to whine and cry, but then she would be caught too. She pulled her paw back and crouched down under the bush.

Just beyond the cover, there was a human there with large heavy boots that kicked up dust every time he put his foot down. She could see those boots with those metal spikes and smell them with their mud and leather. He laughed, making her shudder. "Now that makes this trip more than worthwhile," he said proudly. He set down a black and grey sphere in a shallow cup that was attached to another human device. That one made some noises, causing a light to appear near the sphere. Then the man walked off a few steps.

Babump babump.

Her jaws moved slightly, trying to cry out but not wanting to. She was going to be all alone now and she didn't know everything she needed to to be on her own and there were some scary Pokémon around and scary humans and all alone! What was she supposed to do? The man was still there, but he wasn't quite looking. Maybe if she took the Pokeball…

Babump, babump.

The other option was living all alone.

Terrified of that, she hurried out of the bush as quickly as she could; the rattling of the leaves caused her to move quicker as she got up on her hind paws and tried to get the Pokeball. But she simply couldn't grip it like that, as it was too smooth and her trembling paws were too small. So she focused on her inner power and transformed into a small human. Her new form was like a girl she'd seen not too long ago, with a pretty light dress with ribbon bows and larger bows on cute shoes. But she wasn't as skilled at making her transformed state have color, so the hair was dark gray while everything else was some form of gray. She could pick up the Pokeball easily as a human.

"Hey!" the man shouted in a booming voice that sent shivers straight to her bones. "Put that back, kid!"

She gripped the ball in both hands and ran, her heart continuing to race. Hearing his heavy boots behind her, she hurried on blindly until she shot out of the forest and onto the hard road that the humans used. There was nothing to hide in now, as there were large fences along most of the road. What did she do now?

Before she could find a place to hide, she heard a roar to her left. It was one of those things that humans rode, with two large wheels, a bright light in front, and an awful stench belching out behind. And it was coming her way. With the man in heavy boots behind her, she bolted to the right, following the crooked path of the road until she came across a building.

There was so much light in there. There were lights out here in the road, but there were still shadows to hide in. In there, it was all light. And all enclosed, with the sky completely blocked off. Even worse, there were people inside.

"Give back that Pokeball, thief!" the boot man roared, still running after her.

At least those people weren't mad at her. She ran into the building, rushing right by humans who were all twice as tall as her human form. Some of them cried out; one yelled at her for doing so. Thankfully, there was another wide door leading back outside, straight across from the one she had gone through. She kept running, hoping to find another forest.

And found a city beyond that. There were even more lights here, in all kinds of colors like blue, red, orange, and white. Some of the lights were even powerful enough to reach into the sky in fully visible beams. There were fences and buildings and poles and flags and so many human things that bewildered and terrified her. But there was also a lake, behind a fence, with some bushes alongside it.

She ran until she came to a shadowed spot, then went to the fence and squeezed herself through the bars. Then she crouched down by the bushes, which were formed so straight and regular that they almost didn't seem real. From there, she watched as the boot man ran by, stopped, then chose the wrong direction to keep running and yelling.

She'd escaped him. Relieved, she clutched the Pokeball to her chest and stayed like that for a moment. Once her heart had calmed back down to normal, she examined the ball. How did she get it open? There was a line between the black and gray but when she put her fingernails to it, she couldn't find a place to grip and pull it apart. She squeezed it and nothing happened. She turned it around and around, trying all the lines to find a place to pull it open. Nothing seemed to work.

Whining, she patted the Pokeball, wishing it would work. Then it slipped from her fingers, hitting the dirt. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to grab it, but it had started rolling down the slope. And it went right into the lake.

She cried out and plunged in after it. The lake turned out not as deep as she thought it was, but she was still soaked when she pulled the wet and muddy ball out. And it nearly slipped out of her grasp again, so she clutched it in both hands tightly. What now? She was so close and yet still alone. Not wanting it to fall back into the water if she lost her grip, she went back through the fence and started to head back for her home forest.

"There you are!"

Oh no! Her heart started racing again as she realized the boot man was standing between her and the building that led back to the forest. She turned and ran quickly, in such a panic that she didn't notice the other human until she ran right into her. Not only that, but the Pokeball slipped out of her grip once again. Not wanting to lose that, she scrambled onto her knees to get it back.

"Don't let her get away again," the boot man said.

"What's going on here?" the woman asked. When she looked up at her, she noticed this human was tall and thin, wearing an odd hat with long dangly things coming off it. An Emolga glided around her, eventually coming to land nearby. He seemed to be with the woman in the dangly thing hat.

"That little punk stole the Pokémon I just caught," he said, his face snarling.

Babump babump. She burst into tears, whining and keeping the Pokeball close. She could sense the power from the Emolga, so he would surely beat her if they tried ganging up on her. After all, she was only a few days old.

The boot man started walking towards her, but the woman stepped between them. "What exactly did you just catch?" she asked.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked. After a pause, he said, "A Zoroark. I know I'm not going to get lucky enough to get another one there any time soon."

"You seem to have caught this young one's parent," she said. "This is a Zorua."

"That's…" the boot man looked at her, hesitating. "I caught it fairly."

"You'd separate them? Even if you meant to catch her too, it seems you've already earned her distrust."

The boot man clenched his fist; she whimpered.

The woman with the dangly thing hat went up to the boot man. "Here, I'll cover the cost of the Pokeball…"

"That's much less than what that Pokémon is worth," he insisted.

"Just the Pokeball," she said sharply. "As you failed to observe the situation long enough to know that the Zoroark was likely protecting a cub."

"All right, but I'm still going to issue a complaint against the League." The two humans did something, then the boot man left.

The woman then came over to her. "Don't worry, little girl," she said in a kind voice. "I'm not going to hurt you or catch you. If you give me that Pokeball, I'll let your parent go."

Uncertain, she whimpered and clutched the Pokeball defensively. But the woman was being nice and she'd gotten rid of the scary boot man. So she reluctantly passed the Pokeball over. The woman then brought her to a big building that was really bright inside, with many people inside. She stayed close as the woman went up to one of the human devices and set the Pokeball in there.

And seconds later, her mother appeared right there in front of her. The Zoroark growled, tense at the strange bright place. The Zorua cried out and ran to her, hugging her. This night had been terrible, but at least things were as they should be. With her mother there, she wouldn't be alone.

…

Zorua White entry: To protect themselves from danger, they hide their true identities by transforming into people and Pokémon.


	251. Deoxys

The treasure of the pirate captain Redclaw was widely regarded as the biggest unclaimed treasure hoard in the world. And all that stood between them and it was a boulder blocking the cave tunnel and rumors of a Pokémon guardian. "So we just have these Pokémon use Explosion, simple as that," the leader of the group said.

"But boss, what about the guardian?" one of his followers asked. "I mean, that beach…" he shuddered.

"If it is here, it's just a dumb Pokémon," the leader said. "Get them in place and give them the orders, then we hightail it out of here."

Although some of them were still uneasy, the lure of the treasure overcame that. The orders were given and the Pokémon were left behind in the cave to clear out the offending boulder. The group waited eagerly for the way to be opened. Instead, the Pokémon came flying out of the tunnel, exploding uselessly near the waiting group.

"What the heck was that about?" the leader shouted in anger, ignoring the plight of the men and Pokémon that had gotten injured in the blast. "You did tell them to remain didn't…?"

He paused as he saw another Pokémon emerge from the tunnel. It was unlike any Pokémon any of them had seen: vaguely human-like in form, but abstracted in strange colors of orange and blue. A red crystal glimmered on its chest.

"Is this supposed to be the legendary guardian?" the leader asked, snorting. "You don't look like trouble; in fact, I could probably catch you with little…"

A bright light flashed from the crystal, right before the Pokémon fired a laser attack at the leader. The man dropped to the ground, dead. Terror overtook greed for the treasure and the rest of the group fled back to the ship. Later, it became apparent to them that the guardian had allowed them to grab their injured peers and flee. But that fact was often lost in tales of the evil Pokémon guardian of the Isle of Red Sand.

* * *

Deoxys placed the body down on the beach; it was already attracting the attention of scavenger Pokémon. He let them have the ugly thing. After all, these Pokémon only had the pale red of hunger on them. That was natural and they needed it to survive. In taking care of the body, the scavengers would remove portions of the horrible muddy and bloody gore of greed and lust the man had. Then time, sun, and the surf would clean away the rest.

He then floated back to the interior of the island. This place was lovely, with muted emotions of contentment and peace covering it. Unfortunately, there weren't many resident Pokémon beyond himself, so those colors would never get strong. But it was much better to have these pale quiet feelings than the harsh and sharp ones the treasure hunters had.

At one time, long ago, he had been in the blankness of space. Even he hadn't had emotions to color his vision then, or the awareness to see them. But then he had been captured and transformed by this planet. It allowed him to appreciate the beauty of feelings, but also revealed the ugliness of the same.

He went back to the cave he was protecting. The large boulder was no longer blocking the way. instead, it sat in a small room just beyond the tunnel, there to be moved if people returned. Not far after that, there was a series of larger rooms that contained what they were all after: the pirate's treasures.

Being there among the gold, jewels, and other fine things, Deoxys still wasn't sure why all of this inspired such violence and drama. It was simply unfeeling stones, things he saw with no color. They saw something valuable in them, though, valuable enough to betray friends and kill peers over. At one time, there had been a battle so marred by green and betrayal that it had brought Deoxys to tears, wishing he couldn't see all of that ugliness. And then the only two that he had seen as possibly worthy had died on the orders of others. He hadn't been able to remain hidden after that. These days, it was much faster to kill the worst of the lot and let the rest run away.

They called him evil for it, but he didn't understand why. It was his orders, the last ones from the man who had first found him after falling to Earth. "Stay here and make sure the unworthy do not get this treasure." Even though the pirate was one of the ugliest persons Deoxys could remember, laughing at the pain he caused and enjoying the tears and begging of his victims. Protecting the treasure had kept him away from that horror.

But with all the terrible things that he saw in the treasure hunters, Deoxys thought that maybe there was no one worthy.

* * *

"They're all bones!" It was tinted with a bright yellow of terror and repulsion.

"They are?" It was worried and scared, with a shine tying to clamp down on them. "I, I'm sure that I can get the radio working. Stay here."

Hidden in the plants beyond the shore, Deoxys watched these two in interest. They looked different from the treasure hunters. He listened and learned that their ship had been damaged. As it couldn't make it back to the mainland, they had come here to get help or get their boat fixed enough to go back. He wasn't sure what to do about them, so stayed hidden and watched.

The man had gotten in contact with people through the radio. "We're on the Isle of Red Sand," he said. "That's why there's so many bones out there: they were looking for the treasure that's supposed to be here." There was a bit of desire coming into his feelings. However, it wasn't as repulsive as before. This desire was a small bit of hope for better things.

"It can't be worth it if all of them got killed for it," the woman said, although she had a bit of that hope as well. "Can they get to us?"

"Yes, but not until tomorrow. We'll be spending the night here." Unease tempered any other emotion he was emitting.

Deoxys kept watching them as night fell. They gathered items from their boat and form the island to set up a camp, on a patch of sand that didn't have any visible bones. Even if the treasure gave them hope, they wanted to keep their lives more than that and didn't go looking for it. He thought that could make them worthy, but what did it matter if they weren't even going to look?

As he watched, he soon found something more interesting then watching those little spots of hope. The way the emotions of these two humans interacted was fascinating. They reached out to each other, but didn't quite touch. Although they both wanted to get closer, they didn't want to lose what they had, a timid blush to vivid love. That was yet another proof that they didn't see the world as he did. If they could, they wouldn't have been so uncertain.

It was dark now and the sky began singing. The atmospheric electro-magnetism had flared up once again and it was something beautiful that he could see. "Look, the aurora can be seen here," the man said.

Deoxys wanted to go watch that in a better spot, but there were still these visitors to be concerned about. He moved through the bushes, causing some of them to rustle. When their attention went sharp in noticing that, he paused again.

"I'm scared," the woman said.

"I'm here," the man replied, going over next to her and wrapping his arms around her.

And in that, their colors bled into each other, become brighter and more beautiful. It was an aurora on Earth, a time in which they seemed to know each others feelings and share them. They said nothing more, but forged bonds that might last a lifetime.

Deoxys stayed there, as this was certainly better than watching the song of the sky.

* * *

It was late at night; the two humans were asleep. Deoxys was watching them, but to protect them rather than to protect against them. Since the most dangerous thing on the island was probably him, he had left them for a short time. Now that he had returned, he set a bag near their campsite. It was something he had taken from their boat, but he had filled it with some treasure from the cave. If it gave them some hope to start a better life together, then they were worthy of taking it. He wouldn't even make them go in the cave after it.

And now that he had found something worthy, Deoxys thought about leaving this island. He wanted to know if the treasure really attracted ugliness. He wanted to go out and see if there was more of the beauty of love out there.

…

Sapphire entry: Deoxys emerged from a virus that came from space. It is highly intelligent and wields psychokinetic powers. This Pokémon shoots lasers from the crystalline organ on its chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a follow-up to the Carracosta and Omaster story a little while ago. It was an interesting idea and I couldn't leave it at just one side of the story.


	252. Groudon, Kyogre

A long long time ago, back before humans were in this world, the region of Hoenn was a much different place. It was all land, with little water to be found save for the salty sea surrounding it. Fresh water was scarce, but enough to keep life going. Every day, it was bright, sunny, and hot; never a cloud in the sky, never a chill on the wind.

Most of the Pokémon there liked it, but when migrating Pokémon came around, they often complained. "It's too bright," some would say, or "It's too hot." Others would ask, "Where's the water to drink? We'll dry up if this keeps on." Or they would say, "It's so hard to reach this place! There's so much sea all around."

The guardian of the land was Groudon, a giant with thick red scales and powerful claws. With every step he took, the land would shake. But the land was also his domain. When the world had been very young, it had been Groudon who formed the great masses of earth called continents. His presence caused the sun to brighten, drying the air and exposing the land. But this made him not popular as a neighbor, and thus he had retreated to this island to live out the rest of his eternal life.

When Groudon heard the complaints, he mostly thought they were whining. "The bright sun and the heat are ideal conditions," he would say. "The plants here never lack for sun and so they are healthy and green. I do allow enough water to maintain your lives, but any more would be a nuisance." He thought this because the conditions were ideal to him.

But when migratory Pokémon complained about the distance, he listened. That sea is an obstacle, he thought to himself. For the fliers, there would be no place to land and rest their wings, nowhere to get food. And for those unfortunates who must swim, there would be no place to stop either. They would have to struggle on against the water.

Thus he decided that he would do something about it.

One day, he set out for the northeast coast of Hoenn, as he recalled the nearest lot of land to be that way. He used his powers to intensify the sun and empower the land, raising a sandbar bottom of the sea. Groudon then walked out across that sandbar, moving the sands to continually make a path he could cross the water with. After making sure of where the mainland continent was, he walked back halfway to Hoenn. There he stopped, calling on the power of the sun even more.

And the earth at the bottom of the sea began to grow. It rose out of the water, emerging into the sun. Then Groudon let some water remain, so long as it was filtered through the sands to be salt-free. This allowed him to take seeds he had brought from Hoenn and grow them rapidly to full maturity. When the plants were established, it made the new island solid, a permanent feature of the area.

Looking over the island, Groudon felt satisfied with his work. This gave the migratory Pokémon a place to rest, or even settle if it suited their interests. With his work done, Groudon raised the sandbar again and walked back to Hoenn.

In the seas surrounding Hoenn, there lived another powerful Pokémon. This one was Kyogre, a large blue whale that had fins like wings. She had created the oceans and seas when the Earth was very young, causing torrential downpours to cover the raw hot surface of the planet. In fact, she loved the rain so much that she caused it to rain wherever she went, pouring down on the surface of the seas she swam in.

Although she birthed storms in this manner when the rains left her control, she thought it was necessary. "The Earth needs a constant supply of fresh water from the sky," she would tell other Pokémon who asked. "This waters the plants and allows us all to live. And if the storms destroy something, then it was weak and needed to be destroyed. This will leave room for newer and stronger life to take hold." She thought this because she liked those ideals.

Kyogre rarely stayed in one place, swimming through the seas and oceans to make sure they were doing well. One day, she passed by Hoenn, thinking to herself. She knew the maker of lands was right here, so she never stayed herefor long. But she had to make sure that his tyrannical sun wasn't disturbing the sea creatures. While she was in thought, she bumped face first into a column of land.

Startled from her thoughts, Kyogre backed up and observed the area. "I don't remember an island being here," she said. She double-checked where she was and realized that yes, this should be open waters. So what was an island doing here? She ascended to the surface to see what was going on.

It was raining on the island, as she was there. In spite of that, she still recognized the signs of his power: the sun-touched rocks, the rapidly-grown plants, and the island where the sea floor should be deep. This angered her. The time of creation was over! He shouldn't be forcing his power on another Pokémon's domain! Kyogre knew she had to do something.

And so she did. She intensified her power over the rain and the seas, causing a torrential downpour and a massive tsunami to pound against the new island. She was able to submerge the island back to the ocean floor once again. There, that should show him. Kyogre then moved on, satisfied with her work.

Some time later, Groudon met with a group of migrating Wingulls. "It's almost not worth it to fly all the way out here," one said. "It's so tough to find drinkable water and you have to fly all the way from the mainland and that takes nearly two days."

"Two days?" Groudon asked. "I recently made an island between here and the mainland. That should at least give you a break."

"That's what I was saying!" another Wingull said. "I've seen that island before! Landed on it and found it to be a really nice place. But when we passed over the spot, there was nothing but water there. We're really pooped out because we were expecting that break."

"I'd better go check on that place," Groudon said. "Rest here, and hopefully the trip back won't be so bad."

He set out across the sea on his sandbar path and found what the Wingulls had said to be true. The island was gone. Angered but not knowing right off why it had happened, Groudon used his powers again to raise the island back to the surface and get its plants living again. But a month after he returned, Kyogre found the island again and sank it. Groudon went back out and raised it once again.

This time, Kyogre was waiting under the surface of the water. She knew how stubborn he could be and wasn't going to let this turn into a back-and-forth game. As she came to the surface, the extremely bright sun and the relentless torrential downpour clashed violently, spawning storms of ferocious intensity. While thunder boomed in the background, she sent one of her tidal waves right at Groudon.

He looked over the sea and saw her smirking at his drenched state. Groudon clenched his fists; he always hated coming into conflict with her, because she nearly always won. "What do you want, you jerk?" he asked angrily.

"You're overstepping your boundaries," she said, certain that she was in the right. "I want you to quit putting this roadblock in my way."

"What do you care about this one little island? Your waters own over two-thirds of the world and beside, you can always stop being a daydreaming idiot and swim around it."

"It's in my territory and it has no reason to be here. So stop raising it, you power monger."

"Says you," he snarled. "You just want to lord it over everyone and everything, don't you? Well I'm not going to let you bully your way around me anymore!"

Back in the time of creation when the two of them had fought with regularity, Kyogre had a massive power advantage over Groudon. Thus, water covered most of the planet. It would cover all of it if other Pokémon at the time hadn't backed him up to be allowed some land to live on. But he was prepared this time, knowing the perfect move to counter her tidal waves. Groudon drew on the power of the sun and on the power of the earth to blast her with Solarbeam.

Being hit with such a powerful move only angered Kyogre further. They began to fight in earnest, a battle that lasted for weeks. The sun and the rain constantly pounded down on the areas around Hoenn, spawning hundreds of storms that wrecked the mainland and other islands around. But even with his powerful Grass move, Groudon kept getting pushed back. Kyogre even managed to sink most of the eastern half of Hoenn while he tried vainly to raise small islands to keep her trapped in shallow waters. It seemed like his refuge was going to end up on the bottom of the sea floor as well.

And then there came a roar from the sky that seemed to make everything stop. The torrential rains ceased, as did the intense sunlight. From the sky, a large dragon descended. Rayquaza rarely descended to the surface, so even Groudon and Kyogre stopped in their battle.

"Will you cease this senseless fighting?" Rayquaza growled in a slow angered tone. "You're disturbing the flow of the air; you're disturbing everyone around you."

"It's her fault," Groudon said.

"It's his fault," Kyogre said at about the same time.

"Don't bicker," the sky dragon reprimanded. "Explain what is going on, one at a time."

They both did so. Groudon felt that Kyogre was being petty; raising one island to help other Pokémon wasn't overstepping his bounds. It was barely leaving a mark when compared to the scale of the world. On the other side, Kyogre thought that Groudon was being selfish in that he was only choosing the address complaints that bothered him. If he really wanted to help, then he'd stop with his overbearing sun.

"You wrecked what was established as his haven, Kyogre," Rayquaza said at the end of it. "And you should have found out why he put the island there. It doesn't sound like something to get riled up about. But you Groudon, you shouldn't have dealt with this yourself as you have a natural disadvantage to her. You should have told someone why you were putting that island there so that its appearance could have been discussed sensibly instead of with violence. Now both of you, swear that you won't disturb the other Pokémon around with your own squabbles again! If you don't, then I will force you both to sleep so that your powers won't be a burden to anyone else."

Neither Groudon nor Kyogre liked the sound of that, so they tried to fight him. However, they were both nearly exhausted from their long battle and Rayquaza defeated them soundly. He then made good on his threat and sent them both into hibernation. The sun faded in intensity and the rains stopped being constant.

But with the weather in a normal state, Hoenn began to truly thrive. Now it is a place rich in life for both the water and the land. However, it is said that the rage of the two great Pokémon still smolders, deep in the hidden chambers where they sleep. Should they be awakened, their rage will overtake their reason and their powers could ruin everything..

That is why we say, honor the blessing of Rayquaza, and keep the peace of sleep over Groudon and Kyogre.

…

Sapphire entry: Kyogre is named in mythology as the Pokémon that expanded the sea by covering the land in torrential rains and towering tidal waves. It took to sleep after a cataclysmic battle with Groudon.

Ruby entry: Groudon has long been described in mythology as the Pokémon that raised lands and expanded continents. This Pokemon took to sleep after a cataclysmic battle with Kyogre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Groudon can stand on somewhat equal ground as Kyogre, given that he has access to Electric moves and learns Solarbeam through level up. But then Kyogre will always have STAB advantage over him. Guess that's why most of the Earth is covered in water! Hah hah.


	253. Sandshrew, Grimer

It was a cool bright night where the full moon hung in the sky like a bare light bulb left to hang in a black room. The moon poured blue light onto the landscape, lighting up the world but not really making things clear. Instead, everything seemed more mysterious and magical than ever. The budding trees seemed to be ancient nature spirits watching over their domain, and the grass seemed like it might hold unforetold power. It didn't obviously, since it was grass, but it sure looked so different.

Sandy walked along a dirt path in this moonlit landscape, searching. Her paws felt tired as she'd been searching all day. Why was it so hard to find a new place to dig a home? Some of her desert neighbors thought it'd be a brilliant idea to start up a rock band. Listening to them beat rocks against each other all day and all night pushed the limits of even her patience. Finding a new home sounded good, but then she didn't realize just how small their desert had been. All the good spots had been taken by other Sandshrews or too close to the rock band. At the time, she declined to take one of the less suitable spots.

Maybe she should have settled for one of those. She hadn't seen good sand in several hours, only grass, clay, and now a stream. It wasn't even a nice stream, something that smelled like poo and rotted vegetation. As the surface was slimy, it was hard to see into it, not something she'd dare drink. How could people be so careless as to let it get this bad? More importantly, how could anyone stand to live near it? She couldn't so she prepared to move on.

Further along the stream, she came to a drop off with a waterfall. A cliff meant that there had to be rocky grounds somewhere around, and that would make a suitable home. She considered following the cliff line to get away from the stream, but then noticed something peculiar. There was something else in the water there, two white orbs with round black spots. The polluted stream was watching her.

And it only further spooked her by gathering up in a slimy lump, made dark violet under the blue moonlight. It sprouted hands and a wild grin that seemed ripped off the face of a madman and pasted there. As the eyes seemed to glow, the thing said, "Hello, lunch."

Now Sandy was normally a level-headed Pokemon, but this was simply too much. She screamed and ran away from the stream as fast as she could. Unfortunately, she didn't look quite where she was going and ran straight off the cliff. Without the reassurance of solid ground underneath her paws, she curled herself into a ball and hoped for the best. She bounced off the land below, getting thrown back into the air. She continued to bounce and then roll for quite some time before she was able to stop.

Back at the top of the cliff, the Grimer that had been in the stream emerged from it, along with three others like it. They shuffled over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. "Wow, you scared that one good," one said. "I'd go splat all over if I dropped down here."

"Yeah, she thought you were really gonna eat her!" another said.

The Grimer in question stood up straight... actually, it was more of a pulling its slimy goo in and making itself a few inches taller. "That's cause I'm the best! You guys can't even dream of being as awesome as me."

"Oh please. You just got lucky in getting one that was easy to scare."

"It ain't luck! It's car-ism-ma, that's what it is. I got so much car-ism-ma that it leaks out my ears."

"Pssht, yeah right."

"Then just who is leading in the all time scare record?" He punched his fist into his chest, making a squelch sound. "It's me, that's who. You have no clue how to do things right; you got no pizzazz. I can scare anybody and nobody scares me."

The other Grimer rolled his eyes, twisting the eyeballs themselves. "Scaring folks is only a diversion, doofus. When it comes to the important stuff, I'm top slime around here. You can't compare."

"I think I..." and he got interrupted by a spot of dirt that began bulging up in the ground nearby.

Moments later, the Sandshrew emerged. "Ugh, that clay," Sandy said, glancing at her claws. "It's gonna stick, I know it."

"Oh my gosh, it's alive!" one of the other Grimers said, shrinking down closer to the ground.

Sandy looked at them, puzzled as to why they were all staring at her, spooked. Now that she had a good view on them, they didn't seem that scary, just blobs of poisonous slime. And she knew how to deal with Poison Pokemon. "Yeah," she replied. "It's not that far of a drop. Although, I did bounce quite a ways there."

"You are so amazing," another said. "We're not worthy!" Then the two of them bowed down to the ground with her. Or more specifically, they splatted their faces on the ground in deference. The two squabbling Grimers glanced at each other, then her, then followed suit.

Why did she get the feeling that she was getting involved in something stupid? Sandy bit down on her tongue, then said, "Maybe. What in the world are you? I don't remember seeing Pokemon like you before."

"We are Grimers!" the braggart one said, lifting his head. The others soon followed. "Born by x-rays from the moon and gunk in the rivers, we are the toxic avengers! We're here as the world's vengeance on pollutions."

Sandy wasn't sure about that. At any rate, it didn't apply to her as she lived neatly. "Okay, you do that. Hey, do you know a rocky or sandy area around here? I'm looking for a new place to live."

The four Grimers glanced around. One pointed across the stream. "There's a place like that a ways off that way. The stream doesn't go there, but I didn't like it over there as it was much cleaner than this place. No gunk at all; it's not nice."

"I think I can deal with that," she said, glad for it. "Thanks; I needed to escape that noise pollution."

"Pollution, you say?" the braggart Grimer asked, interested.

"Not your sort, I think," Sandy said, looking around for some way to cross the river. Maybe down on the lower ground? "A couple of my neighbors in the desert off to the southeast were putting together a rock back and it was so noisy. I can't stand people littering the air with all that ruckus. I don't think even you could stand it." Then she burrowed back under the ground, not wanting to drop off the cliff again. She could pass under the river that way.

The four Grimers looked to each other. "Noise pollution, huh?" the braggart said.

"What kind of half-baked scheme do you have now?" his rival asked.

"We can make noise pollution too, I'm sure," he said. "And that might attract even more gunk and grime! Let's form a grunge band!"

"What for?" one of the other Grimers asked.

"For a battle of the bands," he said, grinning with dark mischief.

…

Sandshrew HeartGold entry: If it fell from a great height, this Pokemon could save itself by rolling into a ball and bouncing.

Grimer B/W entry: It was born when sludge in a dirty stream was exposed to the moon's X-rays. It appears among filth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...the moon's X-rays... O-kay then. *adds Grimer to list of nonsensical 'dex entries*


	254. Lombre, Nuzleaf

Adam the Lombre patted down all that was in his backpack, then closed the latch. "Okay, that should do," he said. "I couldn't carry any more, but it should help."

"Oh, I hope it does," his wife Lisa said. She bumped her lilypad into his. "It sounds like they're having such a horrible time over at that pond. It's good that you're willing to go all the way over there."

He shrugged, then slipped one of his legs into a backpack handle. "It's not that far. Besides, that pond is where I was born. I ought to go. Oof." He struggled for a moment to get the other handle on his other front leg, but it was heavy. "Must've packed it better than I thought. There we go."

The two Lombres then walked out of their little den. "Now don't go pushing yourself with that heavy load," Lisa said. "Take a break if you need to."

"Yeah, I planned on that," Adam said.

"And don't go off the forest paths too much, because then you might end up with heavy undergrowth blocking you or even find the human paths. And you couldn't fight them very well burdened down like that."

"I'll probably have to cross their bridge, but I can do that without trouble," he said. At least he hoped there wouldn't be trouble.

"And watch out for those berries that are still a bit green, or the overripe ones. You remember that tummy ache you had after the last batch when you..."

"I'll be okay," he said, trying to cut her off.

She tilted her lilypad slightly over her face. "I'm just worried about you. Be careful, honey."

He rubbed his cheek against hers. "It's okay; I just need to get going to help them and come back home before dark. I'll see you later; love you."

"I love you too. See you then." She lifted a paw and waved to him as he set off away from their little pond and out into the woods.

It was a nice day out in the woods, nothing like yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, a storm had blasted through the woods hurling all kinds of sticks and stones through the air. Adam and Lisa had hid out in their hut, but it seemed that they had gotten lucky. In another part of the woods, another pond had been hit with a very destructive wind, tearing up the homes of many Pokemon and knocking some trees over. That news had all come from some Spearows who were flying away from that scene. But there were also some Lotads and Lombres over there, cousins and siblings of his. Even if they didn't need all the stuff he was bringing, at least he could check up on them.

To get to the other pond required a long walk in the woods. Adam stuck to the Pokemon foot trail, thinking about things on the way. Sometimes he heard the rushing water of the stream nearby, swollen with water after the storm. He might swim across it any other day, but with as fast as it was going and as heavy as his backpack was, he didn't want to risk it today.

An hour or so into his walk, he heard some strange notes. It sounded like a flute. Possibly a human? Adam walked slower as he came closer to the source of the melody. If it was a human, he'd have to get around it carefully.

It turned out to be another Pokemon, though. A Nuzleaf was siting on a stump, legs crossed and playing the flute music with the green leaf on top of its head. Its long pointed nose swayed in time with the music. Since it was another Pokemon, Adam figured he was okay in simply walking past the stump.

But the Nuzleaf stopped playing when he did. "How interesting," she said. "You don't see a Lombre this far from the water that often."

"The stream's not that far away," he said, puzzled.

She chuckled. "I still don't. You seem geared for a long trip."

"Not that long. I'm going to the reed pond on the other side of the woods. Apparently, they got hit hard by the winds yesterday."

"Ah, that place." She tapped the side of her head. "But don't you need to be on the other side of the stream to get there?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, but I can't swim in the stream the way it is now, and with this heavy backpack. I'm going to try getting across the human bridge without being noticed."

"Oh, now that's going to be hard. Hmm." She thought, then smiled. "But I do recall that the storm yesterday knocked one of the trees across the stream. You might be able to avoid the human bridge by crossing that."

He lifted his front half up on hearing that. "Really? That'll be a great thing. Where is this tree?"

"Mmmm," she twirled her paw in the air, then pointed further down the path. "Go that way until you find an oak tree with two trunks. Then head for the stream and it should be around there."

"I see. Thank you, that helps a lot." He smiled and made a quick bow of his lilypad.

"No trouble, Lombre," the Nuzleaf said. Then she leapt up into the trees, laughing once she was into the leaves.

An oak with two trunks sounded easy enough to spot, as he couldn't think of seeing anything like that before. Adam walked along the path until he found it. Sometime long ago, something had slip this tree's trunk nearly down to the ground. Yet it lived and continued to grow, making it a tree with two trunks. There wasn't a footpath to the stream there, but the undergrowth didn't seem that bad here. Adam headed off the path and towards the stream.

The stream was gushing, frothy and muddy. Adam stood a distance away from its edge and looked around. On the other side, there was a splintered trunk of a tree that had been knocked over. However, the rest of the tree was nowhere to be seen. There was certainly no way across the stream from here.

"Maybe it got swept away," he said. He headed back to the path, for smoother travel at least. But when he got there, the path seemed rougher than before. Looking down, he noticed that he had sticker seeds stuck all over his paws. Grumbling, Adam stopped a few minutes to try pulling them off, at least those he would step on. He didn't get them all by the time he decided that he really needed to be going.

Further down the path, he heard that flute music again. He found a Nuzleaf playing its leaf while leaning against a tree. Was it the same one, or another? He tried to walk by.

But the music stopped again. "What happened?" she asked. "Didn't you cross the stream?"

"The tree got swept away by the water," he told her. "And I got sticker seeds all over my paws going that way, so I'm going to stick to the foot paths this time."

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I'm not watching the stream constantly, you know. Then how are you going to cross the human bridge safely? Maybe you need a disguise."

"What do you mean by that?"

She picked up a stick that had some dried leaves on it. "You know, getting some branches and making yourself look like a bush. We hide best while in the bushes, right? So if you were to look like a bush, no one would look twice at you crossing the bridge."

He considered it. "I wouldn't have thought of that. But, I'll see what it's like when I get there. Thanks for your advice."

"No problem." She then jumped back into the trees, laughing.

Adam continued on the Pokemon trails until he came to the area that the humans had cleared for their use. While he had thought about the Nuzleaf's disguise idea, he decided against it. It would only waste more time. He left the woods and started heading for the bridge.

Before long, there was a call from a human boy. "Hey look, it's a Lombre!"

He froze, but then the human girl with the boy said, "Wait, leave it alone. Can't you see his backpack? He's probably owned by somebody and was sent to go do something."

"Huh, guess you're right," the boy said.

Adam smiled as he started walking again. So there had been no need to worry. They could tell that he was doing something important. With the way clear, he headed across the bridge. It was a sturdy thing of stone; the storm yesterday didn't seem to leave a scratch on it.

On the other side of the bridge, he found an old human woman standing there with a wheelbarrow. Adam tried to walk past her, but then she came over. "Is that you, little Todd? You've had me waiting."

"I'm no one you know," Adam said, even though the human wouldn't understand him.

With his heavy backpack, he wasn't able to get away from her when she reached over and grabbed the handle of the pack. "And I think you've brought a little too much on this trip, dear. You're going to hurt your back with all that." She started to pull it off; Adam tried to struggle away, bu that only let her get it off easier. She then headed back to the wheelbarrow to drop the backpack in it. "And just what have you been playing in? Your hands are filthy and slimy; I'm not seeing all that well, but I can sure feel them. Come along, there's things to be doing." She then picked up the handles of her wheelbarrow and pushed it along.

Adam ran after her. "Hey, give me back my pack!" he said. "It's got important things in it I need to give my family back at the reed pond."

"Speak clearer, dear," the old woman said, not slowing even though she was on a small path in the woods now. "My hearing's not what it used to be and I can't pick out your mumbling. Oh, but listen to me complain. It's wonderful that you'd come to help your dear granny on such a nice day."

"But..." Adam protested, then decided it wasn't worth it. He followed the old woman. While she was going the right way, he had no idea if she was going to the right place.

After some distance, they heard a flute playing. Or rather, a Nuzleaf... the Nuzleaf. She was sitting on a sign now. "You're no fun," she said when they got closer. "You didn't even try to become a bush."

"You've been giving me pretty rotten advice today, I think," he said. "I was able to cross the bridge just fine, but then this old woman stole my pack."

"It's not like I'm some Alakazam, Lombre," the Nuzleaf said, hopping off the sign. "But if you want your pack back..."

"And just what are you doing here, missy?" the old woman said unexpectedly. She grabbed the Nuzleaf's nose and pulled her closer. "These woods are dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. You don't even have a Pokemon with you, do you? Just hanging out here and playing your little recorder."

"Oooh, not the nose," the Nuzleaf whined, her body going limp for some reason. "Let go of my nose. I won't bug you, just let go."

The old woman did let go, but not before pushing her away. "Now get back home and don't waste time about it."

"Ugh." She leapt into the nearest tree. "And it's not a recorder, you foolish woman!" Then she took off.

"Um, do you know that I'm a Pokemon?" Adam asked, curious. Either this woman was really smart and tricky, or she was delusional.

"Don't worry abut it, Todd," the old woman said. "You're just fine with me. Now let's get to that reed pond."

Amazed at this strange person, Adam followed her all the way to the pond he had been born at. He was able to meet up with his family and give them the things to help them rebuild after the storm. Then, he followed the old woman back to the bridge, where she gave him his backpack back and told him to go on home too. Had she understood him? Or was it all a really strange coincidence?

…

Sapphire entry: Lombre's entire body is covered in a slippery, slimy film. It feels horribly unpleasant to be touched by this Pokemon's hands. Lombre is often mistaken for a human child.

Nuzleaf Emerald entry: A forest dwelling Pokemon that is skilled at climbing trees. Its long and pointed nose is its weak point. It loses power if the nose is gripped.


	255. Yanmega, Oshawott

Patriotism was a very big deal. It was all over the place, that although their kingdom was made up of many kinds of Pokemon, they were all united in one land and it was a mon's duty to defend the homeland against the other kingdoms. While the other kingdoms were also inhabited by Pokemon, they were different, and worse. The others didn't do things right; they had no class or manners. Their kingdom was the best.

But there were times when all that talk about patriotism didn't seem right. There was when one ran into trouble and a Pokemon from another kingdom helped out without hesitation. And there were times when two Pokemon met and began talking, only to realize later that they belonged to different kingdoms. While they might be friends otherwise, patriotism insisted that they could not be. Then there were times like this.

Captain Wyrewing the Yanmega of the Dawn Guard was preparing his unit for battle. They were to take back a section of forest that a neighboring kingdom had stolen from them. At least, that was the official statement. Wyrewing had fought this battle before, though. He had fought it many times, as one side would claim that area of forest, and then the other side would claim it back. As for who it had originally belonged to, he had no idea. He just knew that the forest was a valuable resource, for its healing mineral waters and powerful herbs, berries, and other plants that grew there. He didn't see why they couldn't arrange a treaty to share it, but it wasn't his place to think on things like that. He was to protect his kingdom by continuing this battle.

For the most part, the strategy was familiar too, one that had worked well in the past that had been adapted so the enemy didn't guess it too soon. There was just one part of it that worried him. one important part of this plan was taking out the Pokemon who maintained a barrier around the enemy camp so that the greater part of the force could get to the enemy Pokemon faster, without fear of getting pinned in a bottleneck. Normally, this kind of role would go to a Dark or Ghost type that could sneak around easily. This time, the royal army's tactician had inexplicably set an Oshawott to this task.

After he had given out instructions to the rest of the unit, Wyrewing met with the Oshawott in private. "So who are you?" the Captain asked.

The Oshawott saluted. "I'm Shelby the Oshawott of the Castle Guard, sir. I got transferred here for the next month."

"I know," he said. "Odd to get a Castle Guard sent out here; the fights are different in this area. But you have to be good to get in there, so I'll trust you."

"Thank you, sir." Shelby paused. "I was a little concerned about getting sent out here. It's an area populated by a lot of Grass Pokemon."

Wyrewing waved a pair of legs on his right side. "Not as much as there are Bugs like me out here. And the enemy tends to bring in Fire Pokemon here, so you'll be a help. You young or just unevolved?"

To his credit, he replied with no shame, "Just unevolved. I haven't been able to afford the time to get over to the evolution springs. But it's near here, so I might be able to; I wanted to before I got married."

He chuckled. "Married, huh? You got a girl?"

Shelby smiled. "Yeah, I've got a wonderful girl, Emilia the Prinplup. I've known her for several years now."

"That's sweet. But at this time, we need to focus on the battle yeah."

"Yes sir," he said, nodding.

Wyrewood then went into an explanation of his job. Shelby listened closely and didn't seem put off by what he was being asked to do. Still, the Yanmega felt that there could be trouble for him. "I'm going to fly you in and help you out," he said, deciding to go against the established plan some. "I've got my assistant running the main attack force, so we'll work on making things easier on them."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Sometime later, the Dawn Guard was gathered outside, on the last preparations for the battle. Wyrewing spoke with his lieutenant, then went over to where Shelby was loading a modified handcart with a bomb. The cart had no wheels; instead, it had a frame that extended over it. The Yanmega landed on the top of the frame with his back pair of legs, bringing his tail wings up and buzzing to keep himself balanced there. "You figuring out how to connect it all?"

"Yes sir," the Oshawott said. "Almost done. Can you handle the cart with me and the bomb in it?"

He laughed. "It's no trouble at all. Tell me when you're ready and I'll give the word to head out to everyone. Oh, and brace yourself; the draft of my wings gets pretty strong."

Shelby took the yellow scalchop off his stomach and used it to cut off another length a rope to secure the bomb in place. It seemed pretty sharp based on how cleanly it cut the thick rope. Once they were certain that the weapon wouldn't slip off and explode early, Captain Wyrewing latched onto the cart's handle and took off carrying it into the air. The Oshawott hung onto a part of the frame to ride into position.

Deep into the forest, Wyrewing and Shelby were the first to come to the enemy camp. The Yanmega had been flying slower than usual, more to keep the noise down than any trouble in carrying the cart. He kept the cart bomb high, and tried to keep out of notice. If they were using the unit's own Ghost Type, a Misdrevous, she could have blending into the trees and the ground in order to get close, and to get out once things were done. The Oshawott stood out in the green and brown forest by being a light blue and white better suited for water camouflage. In the cart, he was observing the camp through a spyglass and watching the path the rest of the unit would be using. When he spotted them, Shelby waved the signal up to Wyrewing and put his spyglass in his bag. He then started work to trigger the bomb.

The enemy camp had barriers set up as expected; it was fairly standard procedure. But they only reached up so high, like a fence maintained through Psychic powers. Flying over that, Wyrewing made a quick look over the camp and decided to drop the bomb nearest to a tent set apart by the flags of the neighboring kingdom. That would be either their meeting place or the commander's tent. Very likely both too. Shelby leapt off of the cart as it was falling, then rolled onto his feet, snatched his scalchop, and attacked a Magmar that was there before he called further attention to them. Wyrewing then rammed into another soldier that was stunned at seeing them. A few extra seconds might not be much, but it might make a difference. The two then rushed away from the cart, towards the nearest barrier Pokemon.

And the cart bomb exploded, sending the enemy camp into chaos and giving Wyrewing and Shelby free attacks on the Bronzor they had singled out. Thus the battle over this patch of forest raged once again. This time, though, Wyrewing wanted to come out of it without any deaths on his side.

* * *

To Captain Wyrewing: that was a well-won battle you conducted, although I fear that using a cart bomb there may have been unwise. Such a thing may cause them the escalate their tactics next time; set up your station there to be as secure as possible. I must say that the plans you sent back were not the ones I would have written up. I was in the process of planning the battle when I heard that it had happened already. What you sent back is a copy of the plans from a couple years back in a similar scenario. I most certainly would not have put that Oshawott in the position of breaking the barrier. As you say, he may be an excellent fighter, but he is not naturally effective in that area.

I am uncertain of where those plans are from, but I have my suspicions. I'm not sure why it would be done that way, though. It all seems extreme. And yet, things have been uncertain back here in the castle. A number of people aren't happy with the new King; he's certainly not like his father. He isn't putting the right things into priority, such as how he seems to be pursuing a girl named Emilia. It is undecided what to do yet, but several people I know have been talking.

Hold the forest for now and secure your position. That should be enough. From Tadd.

Wyrewing reviewed the letter he'd gotten from the royal tactician. This certainly wasn't good. Feeling he ought to at least tell Tadd that Emilia was engaged to Shelby, he started writing a letter back. He was supposed to be doing as the King ordered. But then, he has sworn his loyalty to the kingdom, not necessarily to the king. Now how to do this without bringing harm to anyone else...

…

Oshawott White entry: The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same elements as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade.

Yanmega Heart Gold entry: This six-legged Pokemon is easily capable of transporting an adult in flight. The wings on its tail help it stay balanced.


	256. Archeops

A lot of the times that a Pokemon Hunter like myself is called on, it's to deal with local Pokemon who try to settle in communities where they disrupt normal life. But sometimes you get those cases where where a person releases a Pokemon in an area that the Pokemon doesn't belong to at all, which is often as bad on the Pokemon as the nearby residents. And then there was that trouble with the Archeops, where even I was caught unaware.

I got the call from an older woman who said that a colorful bird Pokemon was scaring her pets and breaking windows. From the initial description, I thought I was dealing with a Swellow, one that sometimes gets aggressive when it's taking care of young. So I go out there with my scouting Pokemon and some nets, thinking I'd check to see if it had any babies or eggs before attempting to move it.

After spending several minutes in the woods near the woman's home, checking for any nesting activity or lost feathers, I didn't see any signs I was expecting. There were footprints, but they weren't like any Flying type that I knew of, being a three-toed specimen with claws and a compact shape, more like a running foot than a flier's claw. There were also some claw marks in trees, as well as bones with teeth marks that didn't match local predators or scavengers. At that point, I knew I was dealing with a foreigner.

Then my scouts found it, and it was like no other Pokemon I had ever seen. This marvelous bird was covered in beautiful bright and fluffy plumage of blue and yellow, but it also had smaller head and tail feathers, looking more like a reptile's scales than an avian's feathers. Standing up to my chest height, it didn't seem certain what to make of me or my scouts. It puffed up its chest and held its wings up to emphasize its size, showing that it did not like threats to its dominant position.

At that point, I had no idea what kind of Pokemon I was dealing with, something that doesn't happen to me a much. I decided to be cautious and back off, but not before getting a picture of it to help identify it. After telling my scout Pokemon to back off slowly, I took a few steps back myself before reaching for my camera in my vest pocket. The strange bird protested that move with a squawk, lowering its head and leaning forward. I was worried that it meant to attack, but I still needed that picture, so I got my camera out and held it low. Once I could see the bright colors of the Pokemon on the viewscreen, I took the picture.

The camera flashed and the strange Pokemon screeched in response. Then it sprinted right by me, close enough that I could feel the air being displaced. And you would not believe how fast that critter could run! Seriously, it was there ten feet in front of me, and then it was all the way across the large field, as fast as a hot rod. I could tell that I wasn't going to be getting that one in a net.

I let the Pokemon be for that day, instead contacting friends who might be able to identify this bird. The usual bird experts didn't know what it was either, but after several hours, I did manage to get a positive identification from a fossil expert. This was an Archeops, which lived millions of years ago. And according to fossil dating technology, it is most famed for being the first recognized bird Pokemon in existence. It was also the secondary form of this Pokemon, as all revival attempts had come up with the Archen.

With that information, I knew it had to be a Pokemon released by a Trainer. And being an ancient Pokemon, there was no way I could let it remain loose in the wild. Most modern Pokemon can adapt and blend into a new environment, but Pokemon from ancient fossils do not integrate well and tend to upset the balance in the ecosystem. I went back to the scene with Pokemon to assist in capturing as well as a number of Ultra Balls.

It was quite a struggle, getting that Archeops. Any time I managed to flush it out, it preferred to run both away and closer to me, threatening me that way. And it was a powerful critter, knocking out my team one by one even though they were experienced and well-trained Pokemon. It even made moves to attack me, being from before a time when humans existed in this world. My Pokemon managed to deflect the blows and keep serious damage from me, for which I'm always grateful.

Finally, my Pokemon managed to get several hits in, weakening it considerably. And then the most peculiar thing happened. This predatory Pokemon, which so far had acted in a proud and aggressive manner, just gave up. It lowered its stance and acted much meeker, squawking in a pitiful tone. When it became apparent that we were going to capture it, it ran a few steps and attempted to fly away. It was much slower in the air, so I was able to throw an Ultra Ball after it and capture it easily.

Since it was an ancient Pokemon, I kept hold of the Archeops until I could pass it over to a caretaker I trusted to keep it. As revivable Archen fossils are unusual, we were able to track down the original Trainer and press charges for that irresponsible behavior. You should always respect any Pokemon that you capture, but when it comes to Pokemon fossils, you must acknowledge that bringing them back to life is a lifetime commitment as they should not be released into the wild.

…

Archeops White entry: It runs better than it flies. It catches prey by running at speeds comparable to those of an automobile.


	257. Tynamo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This entry is more violent and disturbing than usual.

If he didn't know better, he'd swear that he was underwater. He was in a strange cave where the walls were blue and the floors were covered in gray sand. Ahead of him, there was a giant glowing crystal, shimmering with power. And not too far away, there was a small school of fish-like Pokemon, small white and yellow eels that didn't seem in any hurry to get anywhere. However, there was no water here. The air was dry, dense with a static energy that tingled his skin and frizzed his blue hair. This was Chargestone Cavern, a place where electricity seemed to naturally build and store itself.

It wasn't a popular place, due to the high amount of electrical charge around. People who had to come through here to get between Driftveil and Mistralton usually kept on the upper levels, crossing the wooden bridge that had been made between the entrance and exit areas. Because of this, he could hide out easily in this place. Wait out down here until all the excitement passed, then go back to finish things up. This place was a good enough hideout that he considered doing his next job in Mistralton.

One of the Tynamo fell out of its school and swam through the air to investigate him. He quickly flicked out his knife and slashed at the creature. Pokemon really were a bothersome bunch and those that might have been useful to his plans complicated things by messing up or required too many resources to make into a good partner. The Tynamo squealed and tried to sap him. However, that caused nothing more than a tiny shock and one singed hair.

Still, he objected to any inconvenience. He picked the injured Tynamo up, noticing that the other three had stopped. He didn't care about them, though. "You need to learn your place. You're nothing but an insignificant animal. Now tell the others to stay out of my way."

The white eel squirmed about in his hand, trying to escape. After watching it in mild amusement for a moment, he flung it into the crystal. The other three Tynamos tried to charge at him, but when he nicked one of their tails, they swam off to the crystal where their injured member was.

"Hmph." He walked off, keeping his knife out. It wasn't even any fun anymore, reminding Pokemon that it was humans who ruled the world, not them. He used to torment them a lot when he was a kid. But even when he sent one of the smaller crystals flying at the large one, to cause them to split apart in fleeing, it held no thrill. It was just the same old fear of lesser beings. These days, he preferred more powerful Pokemon to mess with, or other humans. They gave a much more satisfying response.

He went down the ramp that led to the lower levels, to where he had made his hideout. It was a hole in the wall that led to a small room, where he had built up a good amount of supplies. Over in one corner, there was a generator made for places like this, as well as a static dampener to reduce the chances of sparks in this room. The dampener allowed him to have a television there, as well as other electrical and computer equipment, without worrying about ruining it. A card table and a couch that converted to a bed gave him all he needed for a safe place to fall back on.

He set about to counting the money and tallying his score.

Several hours later, he heard a snap. Then a pop. When he looked, the dampener tipped over, a thin stream of smoke coming from the cracks. Next to it, there were three Tynamos, including one with a cut fin. That infuriated him. He had been in and out of this cave for months now, preparing. They should know better. Grabbing his knife, he ran after them.

The Tynamos fled out onto the main pathways. "You should know better than to mess with me!" he shouted, pursuing them. "You should accept my dominance and leave me alone."

That did not stop them. They swam back up the ramp and he continued to give chase. Up there, a number of the levitating crystals had been moved to block off passages. But he didn't notice. They had ruined his hide-out; they had made it harder for him to watch the fallout of his latest plans. And they mocked him by doing so as lowly first-form Pokemon! He might have playfully tolerated a powerful Pokemon doing that, while making plans to humiliate it. But this required immediate termination.

By the time they led him to the bridge, his reason had managed to shout loud enough to alert him to his situation. A few of his steps echoed woodenly into the air before he stopped. At least that one would be easy to pick out and get revenge on. Being up here on the public walkway was taking a risk of someone seeing him like this. And silencing that person would make things messier.

He turned to head back, but a rising hiss blocked his way. Behind him, there were dozens of Tynamos, keeping so close together that they became one shimmering white mass. He only sneered. "So you had to gang up on me to stand a chance, huh?" he dared them. "I've taken out many of you. You ought to know better than to mess with me."

But his only weapon at the moment was the knife. He'd need something larger to take care of them, larger with more spread. He turned back around and started to head across the bridge. But on the other side, there was another white mass of Tynamos. What did they think they were up to? He was the ultimate predator among humans. The ultimate monster. They didn't stand a chance.

But when the positive and negative charges built up strong enough, he was the one who didn't stand a chance in the face of an indoor lightning bolt.

_Notice: The shortcut bridge inside Chargestone Cavern has collapsed, apparently due to a massive discharge of electricity. One person died as a result of the accident; the remains are being examined for identification. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes travelers, but rebuilding a bridge is unlikely to happen within the next few months._

...

Black entry: While one alone doesn't have much power, a chain of many Tynamo can be as powerful as lightning.


	258. Latios, Loudred

A lot of people spoke of having a dream that guided their way through life. Maybe it was to become a Pokemon Master, maybe it was to become famous, maybe it was to help a certain Pokemon gain popularity. His dream started when he was a young child, at an outdoors production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. At first, he'd been interested in all the costumes and the fighting that was supposed to happen. But he didn't fully understand the Elizabethan speech at the time and so the play eventually lost his interest.

While his eyes were wandering around the dressed up crowd and the trees surrounding them, he spotted a glint of white in the trees, something that didn't quite belong. He made sure that his parents weren't paying attention to him, then slipped out of the row to see what that was. The people he had to pass were engrossed in the play, so the small boy going by didn't get much heed. He passed under the raised boxes where people could pay more money for a better seat, and got into the trees. Then, he looked up and searched for what he had seen.

And it didn't take long for him to spot it. It was a Pokemon, but such a strange one. About the size of his father, the white and blue dragon was perched in a sturdy tree, also watching the play. It wasn't like any Pokemon he had seen before, in person or in picture books. Fascinated by it, he climbed up the tree the Pokemon was in and came out to him.

The dragon noticed him and gave a soft coo, as if warning him to be careful. The boy got onto a branch next to the Pokemon's and smiled at it. "Whatcha doing?"

For an answer, it looked back to the stage. They had a good view of the play from here; the actors' voices also carried even up to here. The boy went back to watching the play, but this time, the dragon spoke to him without speaking, just words that came into his head. In this way, it interpreted the strange speech and told him what was going on.

When the play was over, the dragon waited until the boy was safely back on the ground, then took off into the air and flew away. And thus a dream was born in the boy's heart, to see that dragon once again.

* * *

It was many years after that play and the boy was a young man. Adrian was in college now, studying Shakespeare and stage productions. Although he knew the language enough that he could speak it well himself, he didn't have an interest in acting. Some of his friends and professors thought he could do well, but that wasn't the point. If he was acting in a play, then he wouldn't get to see if that dragon came by to watch again. Instead, he wanted to direct. Be on a stage crew at the very least, he thought, so that he could help make a good show while keeping an eye out for his dream.

But right now, he was dealing with a different problem. His acting club was getting into a competition with other school organizations, a test to see how well they could work with their Pokemon to get through a forest hike and obstacle course. For that event, he needed to do some more training with his team to help out the club.

Especially with his Loudred. "Okay buddy, Roar."

The stocky blue Pokemon looked up at him and blinked.

"Use Roar," Adrian repeated. It was a move he knew Loudred could use, but they hadn't quite worked out the command for it.

Smiling at that, Loudred turned to his current foe, a Linoone, and began stamping his feet. The Trainer put his hands over his ears as the Pokemon took a deep breath. Then Loudred opened his mouth to about half of his own size and let loose a high-pitched high-volume Screech. After shuddering, the Linoone tackled him.

"Not Screech," Adrian said, dropping his hands.

Loudred didn't even look at him. Oh right, he had trouble hearing after one of his louder moves (and everything else in the immediate vicinity also had trouble hearing). Loudred just shoved the Linoone onto the ground.

"Not Screech," he said when he felt Loudred could hear again. "Use Roar. You know, when you bellowed earlier today and every other Pokemon bolted from the area." That would be very useful in the competition.

But while the white dragon had understood humans, he had learned that other Pokemon didn't understand as well. They could understand spoken commands, but only a few such commands. It was estimated that most Pokemon could learn three to five command words at a time, and that they could learn their particular name as well as a few other commonly used words like 'food' or 'bed'. Because of this, he had seen Loudred use the move Roar several times previously, but getting him to learn the command was important. Once he'd gotten that, Adrian would then have to review the commands for the other moves he wanted Loudred to remember.

After thinking about it, Loudred began stomping his feet on the ground again, taking a deep breath. But this time, he just bellowed at the Linoone, putting no power behind the sound. The wild Pokemon tackled him again, causing Adrian to get out a Super Potion to keep Loudred from fainting.

But as he was spraying the potion over Loudred's body, something was flushed out of the bushes. All three of them, Loudred, the Linoone, and Adrian, paused as a magnificent white dragon came into the forest opening. Although it didn't seem as large as he remembered (probably as he wasn't as small as before), Adrian knew immediately that it was his dream Pokemon once again. But, here? Not at a play, just out in a forest? At random?

Although unexpected, he now knew what to call it. "Latios," he said, feeling his heart beat strongly in awe. "I hoped I could see you again. Do you remember me?"

Latios gave a cheerful call and an image came to Adrian's mind. He didn't recognize it at first, the boy dressed up nicely but sitting on a branch in a tree. Before long, he knew it was because of perception again; it was himself, back at that play. Adrian smiled. Of course a Pokemon that could interpret Shakespeare would be able to remember something like that.

Then he got another image in his mind, but this time it was like text in a book. "Third time's the charm." Then Latios gave another call.

At that, Loudred came alert, then grinned widely and stamped his feet. Adrian noticed the thumping in time to get his hands over his ears just before his Pokemon let loose a powerful bellow that was the true Roar. The Linoone got spooked and fled, along with all its neighbors in the forest opening. Along with Latios, who flew off into the sky like a shooting star in reverse.

Still, he had seen the dragon again. His heart was pounding, although he didn't know if it was from the unexpected sighting or from the force of the sound waves of Loudred's attack. And, did that phrase hint at a possible third meeting with Latios, where he might be able to capture his dream Pokemon.

Or did it have to do with Loudred? Adrian looked down at his Pokemon, who looked immensely pleased with himself. He snapped his fingers until Loudred's hearing was back enough to notice. "That is what I mean when I say to use Roar. Good job."

Loudred began stamping his feet and used Roar once again. Well, he did know the command now...

…

Ruby entry: Latios has the ability to make its foe see an image of what it has seen or imagines in its head. This Pokemon is intelligent and understands human speech.

Sapphire entry: Loudred shouts while stamping its feet. After it finishing shouting, this Pokemon becomes incapable of hearing anything for a while. This is considered to be a weak point.


	259. Cleffa, Tentacruel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This entry may be more disturbing than usual.

It was late one night and they were at the beach, talking. The two young sweethearts weren't keen on going back home, as they would be nagged and scolded for having been out so late. So they kept putting off going back home further and further, preferring each other's company. And if people wanted to gossip about them being improper, let them gossip. The two did not care what 'they' thought, as long as they had each other.

The teen boy pointed up into the star filled sky. "Look, a shooting star."

Seeing the thin streak of light, the teen girl thought of teasing him that she had nothing to wish for, as he was there by his side. But this star did not fade out as rapidly as normal. This star descended, then curved around into a wide spiral. It grew brighter and more yellow as it approached. And then, when it was only a few feet above their heads, the star turned out to be an almost cartoony thing, a glowing sunny yellow five pointed star. On top of the star, riding it down like a surfboard, there was a little pink Pokemon with triangular ears and a cartoony-star look itself. It bubbled with laughter as it passed by them, zipping out over the ocean and eventually plunging down into the water.

The boy got up and stared at the spot. "That was a Cleffa." He smiled. "I guess they really do ride on stars."

"Wow, it was so adorable," the girl said, clasping her hands together. "I love them. But, I'm not sure if they can swim."

"Do you think it's in trouble?" the boy asked. For her, he'd go out into the water after it.

"We still have our snorkels," she said, grabbing them out of the bag. "Let's go look for it."

They put on the masks as they ran for the water's edge, plunging right in. The Cleffa and its star had fallen in a short distance away, where the waters were about fifteen feet deep. Although it was nighttime, the moon was bright and the waters here were often clear. They soon spotted the yellow glow of the star moving underwater. However, there was no splashing or thrashing in the water to indicate that there was trouble.

At least, not until the boy was pulled down into the water without warning. The girl shouted his name and started to dive down after him. But then the water itself grabbed hold of her and pulled her down too. Something slick and smooth wrapped around her body like a rope, getting a better hold on her. But she couldn't see a thing beyond the moonlit water, even when it brushed across her face and ripped off the snorkel. Afraid of drowning, she wished that she could at least see her sweetheart directly before they died.

But she didn't die. Strangely, the water stopped right at her nose and mouth, as she wasn't having any trouble breathing. Ahead of her, the yellow star weaved around, spreading its light further and further. She could see the Cleffa riding it, unafraid and heading to something important. And she could see her boyfriend too, looking around wide-eyed and confused, as she felt.

"What's going on?" she asked, still not drowning.

"I don't know," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Fine, expect I can't move."

"Me either."

And they kept getting pulled further away from shore, deeper into the water. The star slowed down or they sped up, as they came quite close to the Cleffa. With the strange light around them, they could see now that it was an unusual specimen, with a shimmery pearl pink body and blue-green ears. It looked at them with sparkling black eyes, ones that seemed to hold a piece of the cosmos within them. It smiled at them, singing parts of a strange melody. But something about it, maybe it being in this strange situation, was deeply unsettling to both teenagers.

After some more time of being dragged down, they finally saw what had captured them: a pair of Tentacruels, glistening gelatinous purple masses with harsh eyes and close to a hundred tentacles. There were several more Tentacruels there, pacing about like guards. Their two captors stretched out more of their limbs, to loosen their hold on the captives but still render it impossible for them to escape. The teenagers were set down on next to each other on a stone platform.

The Cleffa glided along on its star, eventually coming to a pillar and stopping. It hopped off to stand there, looking at them. Although they were under the ocean waves, this place seemed to have been constructed for a purpose. There were five monolithic stones at five points of a star-like floor, all of it smooth black stone. The monoliths had strange carvings on them, in a language and alphabet the teens didn't recognize. So did the floor, and the pillar the Cleffa stood on, and the platform they were on. Their platform was like a bench.

"Look at this!" the boy said, pointing at the surface of the bench in horror. There was a carving there of humans sacrificing other humans at this site, offering the victim's heart to something that had been chipped away from the bench. And in another place, another chipped out image showed something spreading pain and fear through the population.

Over on its pillar, the Cleffa laughed cheerily, its eyes hinting at unfathomable thoughts.

In the morning, the two teenagers were found ritualistically killed on the beach. Their bodies were mere husks of skin and bone. Most people couldn't understand why they had died, but the old folks knew that an unspeakable evil had returned.

...

Tentacruel Heart Gold entry: Its 80 tentacles absorb water and stretch almost endlessly to constrict its prey and enemies.

Cleffa Platinum entry: It is often seen when shooting stars fill the night skies. It's said to arrive riding a shooting star.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is weird, a warning coming so soon of the Tynamo entry. But Cleffulu was an irresistible idea (and nightmare) once it came to me.


	260. Pidove, Noctowl

HI. I AM A PIDOVE AND YOU ARE A TYPERITER. I CAN RITE ON YOU.

oops had the caps lock on to long. but it is true. i got you for my birthday and i can now rite and be supah deep like a riter. But i have lots to learn about being a riter, like learning wen to use the caps lock key and making my peck style type supah fast when I get it, then everyone will think that i am really smart. Riting is very complicated, dough. I have to practice lots and get lots smart.

I can be smart and if i learn from NOrton then I can be smart lots more fast. Norton is a noctowl and he is supah smart, more than any other pokemon in the forest. My flock of pidoves always goes to him for advice and we do wat he say to do. I think he is more smart than a human even. He knows stuff like math, riting, history, sciencish, places and lots more. he is a noctowl and he sleep in the day time, but we see him in the sun rise time and the sun set time. And he makes big big plans that we help him wiff... with. It is hard to spel.

One time wen we talk to him, he made a big big plan for Princes Es the staraptor to marry him. He loves her a great much but she dont like him much for some reason. I think Norton is great and she shud be glad he loves her. He keeps showing how much he loves her by making big plans to bring her to his oak tree and have a surprize wedding with her. But there is a dummie staraptor called Hero and he keeps stealing Prencesseses back. It is mean because Norton loves her more.

Norton tells us this one time that he had grand big plan to get the Princesss Es. He say 'I must get her to marry me so that I can rule the hole forest and all the lands around it. And I will because I have the perfect plan this time1 and you, my pidove mininions, will help me achieve this acccommpliplishmen ent..'

and we were all happy and cheering but I am not cheering now. Norton speaks big words that are even more hard to spel. And your manual is confuse like and I cant find how to use the shift key. I read the manual to know to spel that word manual rite. Manual is a nice word. I need to use it lots. But I rite the glorie of Norton, so I will percevier. Norton likes that word and uses it lots.

But at that time, Norton tells us of his plan. 'Princesseses is very strong, but there are a great many of you pidoves. I will tell you how to exacute my perfect plan, but it reqwhyers surbtefuge and you are not very brite. So I will tell you one at a time wat to do. Now, you are Mininion A, you are Minion B, you are minion C.' And he goes on to name all us letters.

Wen he gets to me, I flap up and say, 'I want to be Mininion N1 That sounds fun, '

'Min yon,' he says. 'it is minion. But if you like it so much, you are Minion N.'

And I cheered then because I had the most fun name. The other members of my flock were all jellus for my name. But it is mine and I will not give it up. Then Norton turned his head upside down and looked at all of us. When he does that it means that he is thinking really deep and smart thoughts, more smart than any of us can do. I have tried to turn my head upside down so I can be more smart to, but there must be a trik to it because I could not do that. Maybe when I get more smart then I can do that to.

Norton told me what my part of the plan was. 'Minion N, you are to take hold of the net which is very strong, between Minion G and Minion H. you will fly with the group hidden by the trees to where Princes Es is as determind by the scouts Mininion M and Minion O. when you get there, you will co ordinate with the group to capture Princes Es in the net. Then you and the group are to fly her in the net back to my tree."

it was a lot of orders to keep in order oh I made a funny1 It was a lot of orders to keep in order which was very hard for me to do when I am not more smart yet. I had to find out who everyone was now with letter names and everybody had to figure out how to hold the net evenly. I held it in my beak and started to fly, but not everybody was ready and the net which is very strong is also very heavy. Minion B and Minion C and Minion D all crashed into each other before we even got the net which is very strong full off the ground. It is easy to fly in a flock because there is an order and everyone knows what to do in that order, but to fly with the net which is very strong could not be done in the normal order. We got it off the ground after more time but the leaves and branches kept getting cot and then the most terrible thing happened. Oh I am running out of page to type

* * *

Changing your paper is a hard job to do. I had to use my beak and wings and feet and everything to get it in and now it is crooked. I will have to ask Norton how he changes your paper.

I was telling a story of Norton's greatness. So Norton found us all tangled up in the net which is very strong and a tree and a delibird and it was all of us caught in a big bundle of feathers because we failed to capture Princes Es. We are not as smart and great as he is and he could have made the net plan work. Norton was angry for a time but he got us all out of the net which is very strong and said that he would make an even more perfect plan that could not go wrong so that he could marry Princes Es. And we said we would help him because we loved him as he is more smart than us and he deserves to be happy. I think that made him to happy for words as he shook his feathers and led us back home.

We got home and he asked us wat exactly happened back there. And I told him everything as much as I could remember but it was a lot to remember. And he say, 'is that so? I should have expected such difficultes wen leaving the plan up to you, more than I thought of. You do a good job of saying wat happened, minion.'

I say, 'I am Mininionenenenenenenenen and I love my name1' I told him, because it is such a great name.

Norton looked at me and says, 'i see,' which shows how more smart he is because he can see love and I cannot. 'In that case Minion N, you shall be appointed scribe to keep the records on wat I do.'

And I says, 'I make great records1 Wat is a record?'

he huffed and pointed me to a typeriter which is you and says, 'A scribe rites down great stories so that all pokemon can read about a great person like myself. You may have this typeriter. Think of it as a birthday gift.'

I got lots happy and fluttered much. I say, 'Thank you great Norton1 You are so much more smart that you knew my birthday and I dont even remember wen that was. I will rite great stories so that everybody will know your greatness forever.'

And I started to rite this story. It is over now. But I have much more paper and Norton tells me not to waste paper. I am Minion N and I must rite great things for everyone to know. So I must rite something great. Norton is great. Riting is great. You my typeriter is great. And I think I know wat to rite now so that this first story is the most great story ever riteed until I rite my next great story of Norton.

seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed seed

Now this story has so much good things that Norton will love how great of a riter I am.

…

Noctowl Pearl entry: If it flips its head upside-down, it's a sign that it is engaged in very complex thinking.

Pidove Black entry: Each follows its Trainer's orders as best it can, but they sometimes fail to understand complicated commands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was so much fun, imagining what would happen if you gave a Pidove a typewriter. Unfortunately I couldn't write ideally, since Minion N wouldn't be able to. If you can't figure out something, try saying it aloud and it might make sense.


	261. Marshtomp, Sceptile

The waiting yard was thick with tension. The blaring sun overhead baked the air, causing several of the Pokemon there to sweat profusely. As a challenge was about to start, they were restless, anxious, and rowdy. Flies buzzed around to further annoy everyone, boasts and taunts were being exchanged, and no wind gave relief. At the gates and outside the fence, Pokemon acting as guards were armored, stopping fights but not doing anything to calm those waiting.

Fortunately, there was a muddy spot that had not yet been dried up. A few more days of this kind of weather and there might not be any mud on these grounds. That worried Max because as a Marshtomp, he needed to keep his skin moist. Since he was paying off a sentence, he had to be up here anyhow in case he got a spot in a challenge. He only had a few more points to earn too, another three matches, or less if he was lucky. He could be out in a week. But he had yet to figure out how they decided who would be a challenger, so no way to know for sure when he'd be out.

The Pokemon with him were a mix of prisoners and professional gladiators. Some of the prisoners were like him, those with tax debts or minor crimes. In his case, he wasn't sure if a crime had been committed, as it seemed like the Emperor had just been in a bad mood when Max had encountered him. Other prisoners were thugs and murderers, here to avoid a death sentence. Some of them went on to become the gladiators, and then some gladiators were Pokemon of nobility that wanted to show off their high class training. Although, the noble gladiators did not have to wait in this dusty fenced in pit to get in a challenge.

He rolled around a bit to make sure his back was covered, then checked on those nearest to him. There was a Scyther who was one of the murderers, also one of the the most violent of the prisoners in this place. Thankfully, he seemed more intent of harassing fully evolved Pokemon and picking fights with them. There were also a few of the Scyther's flunkies around, those who kissed up to him and did as he ordered. And their attention seemed to be on a Sceptile who was up on a crate, lounging in the sun. This Sceptile was missing a few of his leaves and had a dark scar on the side of his neck. Most of the time, he didn't say much to the other prisoners. And most prisoners, and even the lower-class gladiators, seemed intimidated by him.

Not the Scyther. "You have to be careful of making me look like a fool in challenges, o prince," he said mockingly. "I should have won last time."

"The pole challenge was like thickly clustered trees," the Sceptile said. "I am a master of the jungle. That was simple."

"Oh yeah? Well how does a 'master' get caught on his home turf, huh?"

From the look on the Sceptile's face and the twitch of his tail, the Scyther probably had the story wrong. But he didn't respond.

The Scyther buzzed his wings. "And I heard about your kind, a bunch of lazy pansies who spend all day sleeping in the sun and all night planting trees and stuff. What kind of bone-headedness is that? The trees will plant themselves, so what you do is utterly worthless."

The Sceptile seemed to think the Scyther was an idiot, if Max was reading his expression right. But he didn't bother responding to that either. Instead, he stretched and shifted how he was laying.

"Don't you ignore me," the Scyther said, shifting his blade arms to a ready position.

A guard kicked the fence next to them. "Hey, no fighting in the waiting area!"

"You try talking like that to me without that protection," the Scyther muttered, then headed off. On his way, he kicked at Max. "Out of my way, mud pig." His lackeys laughed at the joke and kicked mud at him.

While he wasn't bothered by being hit with mud, Max did shift further back into the mud puddle. He didn't want to cause trouble, especially this close to his release. On the other hand, the Scyther's group went looking for someone else to pick on. And then the gates opened, revealing a solid line of armored Pokemon going before an officer of the imperial army.

"Attention!" the officer said, getting the prisoners and gladiators to stop what they were doing. "The next coliseum challenge will take place shortly. Today's competitors include Elrick the Sceptile, Max the Marshtomp," he went on to name a few others, but Max had heard all that he needed. He would be aiming for a high score to get released quickly. At the end of the list, the officer instructed, "All of you, into the wagon. The rest of you, stay back or else." The guards parted enough for one Pokemon at a time to pass through them to the wagon.

The wagon they were taking was being pulled by four Machokes marked as slaves. There were benches on the sides, as well as a tall steel bar cage. To the annoyance of most of the group, the bottom of the wagon was soggy with mud. They got up on the benches, avoiding it as much as they could. Max was quietly pleased and settled himself in the middle of the wagon.

On the way to the coliseum, residents of the capitol city parted to make way for the wagon. Some watched with awe, some with fear. Some cheered for a favorite competitor, while others took advantage of the cage to jeer them. Halfway there, a Mudkip hopped alongside the wagon for a little bit. "Max!" she called out. "Mom's better; she can't want to see you home again!"

Once he heard her voice, Max got up on his hind legs and stepped over to the side of the wagon, to see his sister better. He waved to her. "All right, I hope to be there soon!"

She squealed happily, then slowed down and headed back into the crowd, presumably to go home.

At the coliseum, the greetings were much different. The armored guards still accompanied them, taking them to the rooms where they would wait their turn. There were silent threats of being attacked if any of them stepped out of line. Down here, the cheers and ruckus of the crowds were muted from earth and stone, but were enough to tell them that it was quickly becoming a packed stadium. There were no hints as to what today's challenge would be.

Pairs kept getting called out, so it might be a battle challenge. But not many were returning to the room. When one fellow came back, Max caught sight of some coliseum workers carrying a severely burned Mankey away. He was burned so bad that he'd lost much of the fur on his body. That did not look like regular battle damage, and none of them had been Fire types. The numbers dwindled until only two had not been called into the stadium.

"Elrick and Max, it's time for your challenge," a coliseum worker said.

Him against a Sceptile. That didn't sound like a favorable match for him. Max rubbed his headfin, then walked out of the room on all fours. When he was going for more than a few steps, this was easier than walking on just two legs. Elrick came out with him, quiet and serious as usual.

The armored guards escorted them to one of the higher entrances of the arena. They emerged into a field that was usually a plain dusty floor. Not today. Today, it had been turned into a lake of fire. Red lava moved sluggishly at ground level, moved by unseen mechanisms. Sturdy rock platforms came out of it at various places, all leading up to the largest and tallest formation. Down below, some crumbled pieces of rock indicated that not all of the platforms were stable. Behind them, the iron gate clicked shut, trapping them inside.

"And now, for the final round of today's challenge!" the announcer called out, raising more excitement from the audience. Flame spouts suddenly erupted around the arena, reaching far above many of the platforms. "Again, this is the fire run, where both competitors will race against each other to reach the flag while fire blazes all around them. Anything goes in this heated event. And for our grand finale, we have the jungle prince Elrick," this caused a great many boos and hisses from the crowd, "against a local commoner, the dockworker Max!" He got far more cheers than he usually got, probably more from loyalty to the empire than his own merit.

In a straight battle match-up, this would have gone badly for him. But since it was a 'fire run', Max might have an advantage. Elrick would have to be careful in his run. Although, the heat and dryness of the arena was going to work against him too, drying out his skin and making him feel weaker.

The signal horns blared. Again, the fire spouts burst to life, coming from the lava, from pipes in the platforms, and from pipes in the arena wall. Elrick stalled for a moment, judging the platforms. Ignoring him for the time, Max summoned up a water guard against fire. He could take a few impressive risks to get points and not have to worry about getting burned with the guard up. He then ran and leapt between two active fire spouts to reach another platform. For that, the crowd cheered.

Once he knew the platform was solid, Max glanced over the arena. He had to find a path, and quickly. Seeing a set of platforms that came up to the central one from the other side, he set off making more running leaps from rock to rock. Sometimes they cracked under his landing; one even began to fall apart, but he was able to get to the next one in time. If he saw a moment to do something dramatic, like passing safely over a fire spout right as it was starting to burst, he took it. The flames came unnervingly close to his skin, brushing against it once. While he didn't have to worry as much about them, a serious burn could still occur and cause him pain.

Max focused on his running and didn't check to see how Elrick was doing. He didn't try an attack; the Sceptile wasn't close enough for that anyhow, having taken another route. As he got closer, the platforms became less steady. The central platform was further away from the one he had ended up on than he had thought, but Max ran and jumped with all of his strength.

And made it, first. He slowed as he arrived at the center of the platform, relishing the cheers from the audience. Would that performance allow him to go free today? Just to make sure, he got up on his hind legs and struck a victory pose with his forelegs up high, to appeal to the audience. They seemed to love that.

With that assured, he checked to see how the Sceptile was doing. Elrick was rapidly making his way from platform to platform, but he had to take a more winding path to avoid getting close to the fire. He seemed like a green flash at times as he moved so quickly. As he came to the central platform, he was focused on a particular jutting rock on it.

Max looked at it and noticed that it wasn't fully attached to the platform, but Elrick wouldn't be able to tell. It was one of the unstable ones. When the Sceptile landed on the edge of it, the piece immediately tipped over.

For a second, Max thought he might see someone die here. The fall off this platform into a mobile pool of lava would be lethal to a Grass Pokemon. Thinking nothing more than that, the Marshtomp immediately dropped down and put his forelegs on the rising edge of the platform piece. This gave Elrick the opportunity to securely grab the piece and clamber onto the safe portion of the rock tower.

"Treason!" a voice called out over the stadium, preceding a round of boos. It was the Emperor himself, hiding his true identity in his oversized clothes and jeweled large mask. "Kill them both."

"Treason?" Max said, stunned. How could that be treason? What should he do about this? He just didn't want to see someone die. And now the pillar they were on was beginning to shake.

Keeping a much cooler head, Elrick looked around until he spotted something. "You, come with me," he ordered, then jumped away onto another platform.

Not knowing what else to do, Max followed him. They made their way to the edge of the arena where, using a high platform and the best jumps they could muster, they ended up in the stadium seating. Elrick let loose a flurry of sharp leaves, causing panic among the spectators. With the security guards having to fight against those who were fleeing, the two prisoners bolted into the halls within the coliseum.

Max thought they would leave the arena, but Elrick led him to an out of sight hallway that led into the working areas. The Sceptile slowed there, checking in rooms until they came across a storage space. By pushing some crates forward, they were able to find a space to duck and hide. "Wait until the audience starts to leave, then we get out of here," Elrick said quietly.

The Marshtomp crouched on the ground and lowered his head. "What happened? I was about to go free. What about that was treason?" His heart was pounding, to the point where he feared it might be heard.

Snorting, Elrick nudged the crate a little, trying to get a peeking space. "You saved the heir to a land they're trying to take over. Did you think they were kidding when they called me a prince?" He looked at the space he had and decided against widening it, in case someone noticed. "I didn't want to get someone else in trouble when I made my escape. I apologize. But if you work with me to get back to the jungle, I swear upon my mother's egg that I will make sure that you are protected. And with as ruthless as this Emperor is, I doubt he will pardon you any time soon."

While they were waiting, Max tried to think of another option. He couldn't and so with a heavy heart, he left the city he had been born in. But as terrible as it was, it was the beginning of his road to becoming the conqueror of an empire.

…

Marshtomp Emerald entry: Its toughened hind legs enable it to stand upright. Because it weakens if its skin dries out, it replenishes fluids by playing in mud.

Sceptile Emerald entry: In the jungle, its power is without equal. This Pokemon carefully grows trees and plants. It regulates its body temperature by basking in sunlight.


	262. Whimsicott, Tirtouga

He was known as Breezy Thief, a Pokemon who would slip into town without raising a worry and slip away later with many small valuables. With his small fluffy body, wide brown eyes, and large poofy tail, this Whismicott beguiled many people into thinking that he wasn't a problem. He had a cunning command over the dust devils, the little whirlwinds that were just strong enough to pick him up; he would ride them from town to town before suspicion caught up to him. Even when people were warned, Breezy could get away with his crimes. They would only suspect him when they discovered cream-colored bits of cotton fluff near the missing items. By then, he would be long gone.

Now one day, Breezy was riding a dust devil into a place he'd never been to before. He'd set up a new hideout to store his treasures not that long ago, as his old hideout and storage was getting much to distant from new places to steal from, so he wasn't too familiar with this coastal area. While he was scouting out the area, checking out homes to target, he spotted a notice posted on a telephone pole. It was written in the human language, so of course he couldn't understand it fully. But he could understand the picture there, which was of a Whimsicott smiling and acting cute, but holding a jeweled necklace in one paw and standing in front of a stash of treasures. And the words there were in a serious font, like it was a warning.

Breezy was delighted to see this, and chirped happily. It was a mark of his skill that he was becoming notorious enough that people in a new place were worried about him. But then, it would make his habit harder. People would be on the lookout and wary. He still kept confident; the challenge would be refreshing. Guiding his dust devil around, he kept looking for a place to start.

And then he saw it: a small mansion, but lavishly cared for. There was a neat and orderly flower garden out front, with decorative statues and wind chimes all around. In the large garage, there were a great many tools and boring things, but no cars. In the largest window up front, there was an elegantly and elaborately decorated living room. Lots of small pretty things there. This would be the place.

Breezy dismissed his dust devil, as its wind might stir the chimes and alert guard Pokemon. He then sneaked around the house, searching for a place to enter. However, all the windows were screened in and all the doors were sealed up tight. He did find one promising entrance, a glass sliding door that had a simple key lock on it. He was able to reach in carefully with his cotton fibers and mess with the innards until it unlocked for him. Pushing the door aside only a few inches, he squeezed himself in and looked around.

This had to be a wealthy person's place, because he'd entered an indoor pool. Statues and plants gave the room a distinct character, like a refined jungle. Strangely, the place smelled salty. Breezy went over to the side of the pool and dipped a paw in, to taste test it. Salt water. Odd, but nothing he was concerned about. There wasn't anything in the pool room that caught his eye, so he made for the door to find the living room. But then he saw a dark shape move through the water, emerging at a ramp.

Over his career, Breezy had encountered many house and guard Pokemon, but none quite like this one. It was a turtle-like Pokemon with flippers instead of legs, and a rocky black shell. It looked at him with an unreadable expression, then began crawling over to him.

Breezy laughed. He hopped back, waving his paws and shaking his tail. Even if he wasn't sure what it was, he could tell that he had nothing to fear from this Pokemon. In fact, it should fear him! He could easily knock it out and take some loot before anyone noticed it was unconscious. Leaving a sea Pokemon to guard a house was ridiculous.

But the Pokemon, a Tirtouga, didn't stop. She had been revived from a fossil and so had simple instincts that went back millions of years. The fact that the intruder was in the house didn't bother her; the fact that he was in her territory of the salt water pool and its immediate surroundings did. Without considering how tough it might be, she was going to chase him off.

Keeping a hop ahead of her, Breezy continued to tease and taunt the Tirtouga. But her continued approach was unnerving. He stilled for a moment, muttering. As much fun as this was, he still had to investigate the house and see what he could make off with. So he winked at the strange Pokemon before hurling an Energy Ball attack at her. That ought to do the trick.

The Tirtouga felt intense pain from the attack. But that only affirmed that this intruder had to be taken care of. She braced herself, then made a quick lunge forward and bit the Whimsicott's belly.

Breezy squealed and darted away. This was not good. Usually he could get a person or Pokemon to let down their guard by being cute, or anger them by fighting in a playful manner. None of them stayed this calm. And that attack should have downed the Pokemon in one blow! Just how tough was this 'mon?

Feeling like nothing in this house could be worth this much trouble, Breezy ran back for the screen door and squeezed by it again. He would find new treasures, but not from this house. Back inside, the Tirtouga felt satisfied with a job well done. She moved back into the water to rest and recover; another hit would have defeated her.

…

Whimsicott White entry: Riding whirlwinds, they appear. These Pokemon sneak through gaps into houses and cause all sorts of mischief.

Tirtouga White entry: About 100 million years ago, these Pokemon swam in oceans. It is thought they also went on land to attack prey.


	263. Zweilous, Ferrothorn

Agent 501 was in a very bad mood at that time. It wasn't that he was waiting around just watching. After all, he was a secret agent and sometimes that required lots of waiting and watching. It wasn't that he was pretending to be an inanimate object. No, sometimes that was the best way to stay close to a subject and listen in when they had their guard down. His placement wasn't the greatest, as he was hanging on a ceiling of a buffet restaurant. While the food smelled delicious, he could tough it out (he might even come back later after some alterations so that he didn't look like the same Ferrothorn).

No, the awful thing about this assignment was that he was pretending to be a chandelier. He had to wear a rim that carried candles on it, lit candles that dribbled hot wax. Every couple of hours, one of the workers got a ladder and replaced them, so he had to close his eyes and hold very still. The cook had thought that this was a terrific idea, as being on the ceiling gave him a good view over the dining areas. But why did they have to go with candle flames as lighting over the buffet? He could handle the electric candles everywhere else, but true flames were one of the few fears he still had.

But everyone else said that this was the best time and place. And unlike a cave, a Ferrothorn hanging out on the ceiling of a restaurant was terribly out of place. As a chandelier, he could at least be part of this place's unique décor (there were other Pokemon carved into the serving tables, the chairs, the dining tables, the posts, everything). He had an accessory that prevented burning, but if one of those candles tipped over, it wouldn't protect from that pain.

Arguing came from the line where people paid and got their drinks. "No, we're going to get lemonade."

"I want the beer!" a similar voice said.

"Not after you got us disgustingly drunk last night I don't want you to share your awful headaches with me."

"You're so prissy and uptight. Come on, it's time to relax."

The voices were attached to one creature, a black and blue dragon that had two heads and small wings. Both of her long necks were decorated with lavish collars that held pearls and diamonds. The bottommost collars also had elegant clasps which held onto an expensive silk cape of many colors. On that cape was the crest of the royal house, matching the gold circlets on both of her heads. Only a few Pokemon would dare wear something like that. It was his target. Overhead, the Ferrothorn made note of what other Pokemon were in the restaurant and where the Zweilous princess decided to sit.

She had some royal guards with her, both Porygon-Z. Supposedly only a few Pokemon could tolerate being around the princess for long. Some of the other guests were even leaving, but the Zweilous didn't pay them any attention. Her two heads were still arguing about beer. "Only one glass? How is that supposed to be enough?"

"You're lucky the worker let you take it, because I'm only letting you take one glass," the other head said. "Ugh, can't you at least be lady-like and take wine? Or even champagne?"

"Not good enough," she said, trying to grab the glass for a drink. But the other head moved their body towards the buffet. "Hey!"

"We came to eat, so let's go get some food."

The beer-drinking head nipped at her other head, causing a short tussle between them before the other head won out. Quietly, the Porygon-Z guards came along and grabbed two plates. The Exeggutor chef was there at the time, making stir-fried veggies and rice on the spot. "Ah, good evening Princess Jacquelyn," he said, causing his leaves to sway. "May I...?"

"I'm Princess Ophelia now," the beer-loving head explained, then knocked the other head on the side. "She gets to take the stuffy old name Jacquelyn."

"It is not stuffy!" she said. "It's elegant and classy. You just changed your name to get attention and sympathy for your whining."

"Did not!"

Overhead, Agent 501 was slowly shifting his vines so that he had a better view of the Zweilous' table. The argument the princess was having with herself at least drew everyone's attention, either to watch or to turn away. The Ferrothorn could easily guess what they were thinking. How did someone like her get to be a princess? Weren't they supposed to teach royal children far better manners than normal children? But her father was much worse.

Eventually, the Jacquelyn head began giving the chef orders for what she wanted her fried veggies to be, while the Ophelia head looked over the nearest serving table and told the guard with her what to put on the plate. Then the heads switched. With both plates full and a bowl each for the fried veggies and rice, they returned to the tables. The Porygon-Z guards then took turns getting food for themselves and staying at the princess(es) side. The Ferrothorn continued to wait.

Ophelia chugged down her glass of beer, then looked over at Jacquelyn's plate. "Hey, why did you have to get the baked beans? You know that gives us awful gas later."

"Quit talking about that kind of thing," Jacquelyn hissed. "We're a princess and we're not to talk of such things."

"You'd think that neither of us would eat something that would make us fart, then." She then began chomping down a fish fillet inelegantly.

"Why are you still eating fish? I thought we agreed that fish were friends and not to be eaten as food."

"This fish isn't talking," Ophelia said, once she'd swallowed.

"Hey, I didn't see any of those roasted eggplants," Jacquelyn said, looking at her other head's plate. "Did you take the last ones?"

That head looked smug. "And what if I did?"

Jacquelyn's head went to snatch one of the eggplants, causing Ophelia's head to fight her off. "You know I love those!"

"Can't have 'em." She then grabbed both of her roasted eggplant slices and wolfed them down. She then tried to steal one of Jacquelyn's potstickers, causing another fight.

The dragon princess' meal continued like this, a race to eat what was in front and then an attempt to steal something from the other head's plate, with occasional arguments and biting fights. Other patrons tried to finish their meals quickly so they could excuse themselves and leave. Over by the kitchen, Agent 501 noted that the staff were quietly arguing about who would serve the princess. A Medicham who was in on the plan made himself appear unlucky and got set to be her waiter. He made sure to continue getting Ophelia beer even though Jacquelyn complained whenever she noticed.

When Jacquelyn-Ophelia got up to get dessert (after three full plates each), Agent 501 checked the few remaining patrons, then silently tossed a few barbed thorns on the floor. The two heads of the princess were each looking over the dessert table and scheming how to get what she wanted while making the other head jealous. "My gosh, I feel stuffed," Jacquelyn said. "Maybe we ought to stick to dinner mints so we don't have another stomachache."

"Are you crazy?" Ophelia asked. "You tried to deny me beer, and now you're trying to deny me a proper dessert? I'll kill you if you keep that up."

"You can't kill me without killing yourself."

"Don't try me! I'll find a way." She then stepped right on the thorns, making both heads screech. Agent 501 winced, but stayed still like the chandelier he was supposed to be. Below him, the two heads bickered and bit, enough to draw blood.

This was a good time. Agent 501 blew out the candle nearest to his face. In the kitchen, the Medicham noticed and went to shut off all electricity to the dining areas, causing all the lights but the remaining candles on 501 to go out. He got the rest of the candles out quickly, then dropped off the ceiling and threw Shroomish sleep spores in the faces of the Zweilous princess. With her sleeping, the Medicham hurried over to help him carry her in back.

"Don't worry, everyone," the Exeggcutor chef said loudly, to what few customers were left in the darkened room. "I'm sorry about the trouble; we'll try to get the electricity and lights back on as quickly as we can. Just stay where you are." He flipped the lights out to the kitchen as the two came closer, so that the silhouettes of them carrying the princess were not as obvious. "Oh, now what? Did you read the labels on the breaker box?"

"I thought I did, sir," another member of the staff said.

"Princess?" one of the Porygon-Z guards called out. "Princess, please answer."

Meanwhile, Agent 501 and the Medicham hustled through the kitchen, bringing Jacquelyn-Ophelia into a refrigerated truck in back. "Man, I can't wait to get back to a proper battling assignment," the Ferrothorn said. "Hanging around with the candles and having to observe her for over an hour... that was disgusting."

"If this keeps her from returning to this place, we'll be eternally grateful," the Medicham said. "I don't envy you one bit since you have to tolerate her for much longer."

"If we can keep her from claiming the throne, I think we'll all be grateful," Agent 501 said, locking the dragon into the back. It wasn't set to freezing, but cool enough to keep her feeling sluggish. He then gave the waiter the rest of the agreed payment to use their place, then went to join the truck's driver. That was one more part of this scheme done.

…

Zweilous White entry: Since their two heads do not get along and compete with each other for food, they always eat too much.

Ferrothorn White entry: They attach themselves to cave ceilings, firing steel spikes at targets passing beneath them.


	264. Corsola, Shellder

She had first seen the egg one summer morning as she awoke with the rest of her clan at dawn. There was no sign of the Pokemon that had laid it, and none of the other Corsola were in an egg-laying mood. While she wasn't sure what it was, she knew that some predators like Sharpedo around here would eat an unguarded egg. So she took her most recent discarded shell, a pale pink piece of coral, and placed it near the egg to better hide it.

For the next few days, she asked passing Pokemon if the egg was theirs. None of them claimed it, though, and none in her clan knew whose it was either. It came to her to watch over and care about it. But she didn't mind. While she liked watching over young ones, it would be some time before her time to lay eggs again. This one would be like one of her own.

The days were long and warm on the seabed. Plenty of sunlight reached them in these shallow waters, giving a golden shimmer to the water at certain times. All around the Corsola clan, life went about as busily and beautiful as always. The predators didn't often come after them, as their hard skins made them tough to eat. This encouraged smaller Pokemon and fish to keep near the corals where the Corsola lived, hiding out in the nooks and crannies made by their twisting branches and discarded shells. For generations, this was something their clan was proud of, protecting these creatures. But they didn't move as often as the other Pokemon did, so they could not always protect them.

One day, she noticed the egg shifting. Some of the plant coral had already taken hold of some discarded shells and fixed them permanently into place around the egg, but she was able to break away a few to give the new Pokemon some more space. The egg itself trembled in the water occasionally as the young one tried to break free. After several attempts, the egg's top half burst off with the movement of a dark violet shell. Then a large pink tongue emerged and flung away parts of eggshell to get that away.

It was uncommon to see a Shellder in these waters, the Corsola thought, although one often saw Clamperls. She'd only seen them in one location that her clan had settled, and that wasn't here. But however it had come to be here, it was still the one she'd be taking care of and protecting. Hopping down into the hiding hole, she gave a cheerful greeting to the new Shellder.

With his spiky shell only partly open, the Sheller looked at her warily, his bright eyes lurking in a secretive darkness. Then he shut his shell up tight, leaving his large tongue sticking out. He knew enough that he didn't recognize her kind and was going to be careful about her. That made the Corsola feel sad, but not discouraged. She would show him that she would continue to protect him.

He didn't talk much, mostly concerned with snatching up small fish for food and staying still to avoid predators. He stayed in the hiding hole or close to it; every evening, he dug himself into the sand with his tongue to sleep, emerging in the morning shortly after she woke up. Despite his quietness, she talked to him, telling him about all the Pokemon, little fish, and plant corals that she knew of. She told him of how beautiful the sunlight was in the afternoon and morning when it came into the sea at an angle. She told him about the humans who occasionally swam around here with their Pokemon and about the rare times when one of them recruited a Corsola or other sea Pokemon with their mysterious devices. All the while, he stayed nearby, only occasionally looking up at her.

Summer turned to autumn and the waters showed signs of cooling down. The plant corals would soon go dormant for the winter. When that happened, the Corsola clan had to be away in warmer waters to the south. Cool water would cause them to feel sluggish, or even go dormant too. That would leave them and any they protected vulnerable. It was time to move on.

For the migration, she discarded her shell for a more streamlined form, with less twisting branches and better formed fins. It would make the trip much easier, but took more time to recover from. Once she felt up to it, she spoke to the Shellder again.

"I don't know how you've felt about me," she said. "Your shell hides your emotions as well as it hides your body. I do feel sad to leave you. I've done my duty to make sure that you hatched and stayed safe in your early days. But, you seem able enough to take care of yourself without my help. I hope that you'll be okay and think of me fondly. I did enjoy talking to you."

As usual, he didn't respond. He wasn't even looking to her this time. Some Pokemon were more independent than others.

Sighing, she pushed herself off the old coral bed and tested out her migration fins. The rest of her clan was gathering at the south edge of the area, a mass of sparkling pink that kept them all safe while traveling. The others were talking about which way the currents were flowing and where they should try to find a new coral bed to settle. For once, she didn't feel much like joining the rest of the talk. Maybe they would come back here and she'd find her Shellder child to be much stronger, if still silent. Or maybe they wouldn't and she'd never see him again. That was a risk of looking after unknown eggs like that.

Then a movement of purple caused some agitation in their clan, startled at the unexpectedness of it. But it turned out to be the Shellder, having pushed himself out of the hole over to where they were. He landed on the edge of the coral bed and looked to them, searching. Once his eyes fell on her, he made a twitching motion of his shell and a curl of his tongue.

She left the clan's group briefly to return to him. "Oh, so you did come to say goodbye. Thank you, dear child. I'll miss you."

He gave her a friendly lick. Maybe he really was just not one for words. The Shellder stayed there watching until the Corsola clan left. In that, she knew that he was thanking her in his own way, even wishing her a safe journey on their migration south.

…

Sapphire entry: Clusters of Corsola congregate in warm seas where they serve as ideal hiding places for smaller Pokemon. When the water temperature falls, this Pokemon migrates to the southern seas.

Shellder Emerald entry: At night, it burrows a hole in the seafloor with its broad tongue to make a place to sleep. While asleep, it closes its shell, but leaves the tongue hanging out.


	265. Slowking, Regigigas

The most embarrassing thing that I can imagine is getting caught without your Shellder on your head. The symbiosis between us is such that if I lose him, I lose my brain. And after awakening to my hidden power through the grip of the Shellder's clasp, I do not like to end up in the dithering thoughtless state that I was in as a Slowpoke.

Sometimes, I believe that my human gets caught without his Shellder on his head more days than not. He's pretty decent as a Trainer, having stuck with it long enough to have a fine collection of Gym badges. And I certainly can't complain about mistreatment. He always has one of us walking out with him, whatever he's doing. He takes care of our injuries in a timely manner, has a general strategy that works most of the time, and occasionally treats us with special foods or play days. But then there are times when I wish I knew telepathy so that he knew why I was smacking my forehead in response to his decisions.

Like that day when we went exploring an old temple. They had guards watching the entrance, notices that access was forbidden unless you had seven Gym badges, a sliding metal gate on the door, and a fence topped with barbed wire. Just looking at the place, it should be easy to figure out, 'oh, we might not want to go in there because it's dangerous'. But did he think that? No.

"There has to be some kind of treasure or something amazing in there that they're hiding," he said to me. "They even said that hardly anybody goes inside, so it's probably not fully explored. Come on, let's sneak inside."

I really did smack my forehead then. At the very least, he should have waited until he'd earned the seven badges so that he could get permission to go inside. But no, that would take too long as he only had three and it would take several months, maybe a year, at the rate he was going. I refused to budge for a few minutes, hoping to wear him out so he forgot about the temple in a few hours. That didn't work, though, because he said he'd go in without me. And you know, a good Pokemon is a loyal Pokemon, so I had to go in with him to make sure that he was all right.

Besides, he may be an idiot Trainer, but he's my idiot Trainer. I like him; I don't want bad things to happen to him. I just wish that I could give him advice that he could understand.

The temple itself was actually pretty interesting, once we got in through a back window with no glass or bars. There were murals on the walls with Unown text all around them. Once I had become a Slowking, I had become interested in the Unown text and figuring out what it all meant. It wasn't easy because it's simply a different style to the human language and I had never bothered to learn to read that. In fact, I had only learned a few command words in their spoken language by the time he gave me a King's Rock to attract the right kind of Shellder to me. At that time, I could make out a few words.

The murals were much clearer. They told the tale of an immensely powerful Pokemon that a certain group of humans worshiped. On one wall, it showed the giant Pokemon tying ropes onto cliffs and then using those to drag entire landmasses into place. Farfetched, perhaps, but certainly an impressive and memorable image. On other walls, it showed the giant Pokemon turning a large heap of rocks, magma, and even an entire mountain into other Pokemon that were much like itself. But they weren't like any Pokemon that I had seen before, at that time.

On the wall of a lower level, it showed the story of how a human accidentally enraged the giant Pokemon. It had then gone on to crush and destroy many towns as it had, according to one bit I managed to translate, 'anger as hard to stop as it was to start'. They had built this temple in order to appease and apologize to the giant Pokemon, but then sealed him in the lowest level of the place anyhow. Why they did so, I have no idea.

Because my boy Trainer was already heading down to the next level. "It's just a few small things so far, stuff that was probably dropped by the wild Pokemon in here. But there has to be something good towards the bottom."

Or possibly something very bad, I thought, if this mural story was true and the giant Pokemon was still angry at being sealed up. But panicking solves nothing; intellect does. I kept calm and followed him down, although I did often take his shoulder and tug at him, trying to hint that we should be leaving, not exploring.

"What are you being so naggy for today?" he asked me. "There's only been wild Pokemon in here, no traps or anything. It's actually kind of boring, and all that stuff on the wall reminds me too much of school."

I would have liked to ask him why he was staying if it was boring him. That was safer to leave. But no matter how I tried to pass on that message in my expression, he didn't get it. And so we kept heading down.

We found what seemed to be the last level, as it had no stairs further down. There was evidence that the area had once been sealed, in a rough edge of clay in the staircase. From the looks of it, I think there was once a clay block there in the middle of the stairs, painted and textured to look like stone. But someone else had destroyed it. On seeing that, I hoped that the sealed Pokemon had been dealt with.

But no. Whoever had taken out the door had not taken out the Pokemon. I could sense it when we arrived at that level, taking the form of a stone statue in the middle of the room. It was easily twice my size, probably much heavier from its immense build. Although for one that supposedly dragged continents with ropes, it didn't seem quite big enough.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," my boy said, going over to the 'statue' and touching its hand. "I wonder what it is." If he had paid attention to the murals, he might have had a good idea of the trouble he was about to get in. "Micah, take my camera and get my picture with it, so I can prove that I got down here.":

I shook my head in refusal. There wasn't anything in the room that indicated that there was a way to wake this Pokemon up, so I didn't want to risk anything. But he insisted and I was the first to give in. First I tried to do so without the flash, which he noticed and made me take another with it, due to the poor lighting down here.

And that's what woke it up. Is skin turned from gray-brown stone into a strange white material with yellow and green plates and multicolored lights. Frankly, it looked like something out of those cheap gimmicky Pokewood movies that try to be sci-fi without the budget, only this was supposed to be a Pokemon from ancient times. But I wasn't of a mind to worry about aesthetics right then; I was more worried about my boy being right in front of the Pokemon, still grinning in a show-off pose. I waved for him to look behind him.

The first thing he did when he saw the thing behind him, raising one of its hands up, was to run away. Unfortunately, he had to run away from the stairs. Running away is a smart thing to do at times, but at least run towards an exit to the area. I followed after him, mostly because I wanted to stay between him and the old Pokemon. After that initial fright, he stopped and turned back to look at it, more in awe than in fear. And that worried me.

Then against even my expectations, the ancient Pokemon spoke, in the human tongue. "Unauthorized persons spotted," it said. "You are to be dealt with ruthlessly." Its lights began racing, brighter than before.

"Micah, stop it!" my boy said, some of his fear returning. But he was fiddling with his bag, the pocket that held unused Pokeballs in it. I felt like that wasn't something to consider under the circumstances. It was speaking as if it were a guard to this place. Perhaps I had misinterpreted the story on the walls, I sometimes think. Perhaps it was there to keep anyone from reaching a more dangerous Pokemon still sealed inside the temple.

But I still had to try to fight it. Since it had been a statue, I guessed that it was a Ground or Rock sort (possibly even Steel). With that in mind, I summoned up a wave of Surf to briefly flood the room. It was one of my more powerful attacks at that time (still is, in many cases), but it did not seem to affect the old Pokemon much. Then it swatted me into the wall with its arm.

Yes, that guy was slow but it hit like a train at full speed. I wouldn't have been able to take many hits from it. So I decided I'd better take the smart way out of this and started talking. "Hey old one, I'm real sorry we ended up disturbing your sleep. My boy here was a little over-eager in exploring places and wouldn't heed my warnings. He doesn't mean trouble."

It paused where it was, probably looking at me. The lights on its front slowed. "What?" it finally asked.

I had a momentary flashback to trying to speak to my Slowpoke brethren then. Then it was probably best to speak to it like I did to them, simple and patient. "We came in here to see what was here. No, we don't have permission to be down here, but I will take him out if you let us go peacefully. If you threaten my boy, I will fight back, but I would rather leave. You wouldn't want to hurt someone needlessly, right?"

Much as I had hoped, that question got to the ancient Pokemon. It took a while to consider that, then stepped back to its original position. "You have the chance to leave. If you do not, then I will fight both of you to certain defeat. Do not return to this place."

Maybe it was the implied death threat, but that knocked sense into my boy. He nodded. "Um, yes, we'll be going then. I'm sorry for trespassing." We then hurried up the stairs. Two levels up, he paused a moment and turned to me. "You think it would have really killed us?"

I nodded to that question. It certainly had the power to do so. I'm not sure what its intent would be, but if the thing it guards is important enough, it may feel that is necessary.

"I had no clue something like that would be down here." He bowed his head. "Thanks, Micah. I'm sure you saved us both with whatever you told him."

I patted his shoulder; maybe if he had a Shellder to enhance his brain too, he would be more careful. But then I nudged him on to the next flight of stairs. We still had to get out of here.

We did end up getting caught by the guards, but I think the fine we got for trespassing was light, compared to what that old one would have done to us.

…

Slowking Heart Gold entry: It has incredible intellect and intuition. Whatever the situation, it remains calm and collected.

Regigigas D/P entry: There is an enduring legend that states this Pokemon towed continents with ropes.


	266. Tepig, Unfezant, Vanillish

"Hii-choo!" The Tepig sneeze hard enough that her four legs skidded on the icy cavern floor, but only a tiny flame shot out from her nose. It was surrounded by thick black smoke, which drifted out of her nostrils for a few seconds while she gasped and snuffled.

"Bree, are you okay?" the girl Trainer asked. Linda wore a red-violet jacket and pants set that identified her as belonging to the Pokemon Aces club, which only accepted members who had earned five Gym Badges within one regional league. It was very prestigious, but even so, there were still things about Pokemon that were a mystery to her.

This wasn't one of them, now that she knelt and took a closer look at Bree the Tepig. She was getting back up on her feet, but her nose was dribbling snot and smoke. Her eyes were weary, although they had gone through much longer training days before. While she tried to look as eager as always with perked up ears, it just wasn't convincing. A few sneezes sending out fireballs each and every time was a bit dangerous and irritating, but that might just be dust. But now that it had progressed to this, it was clear that Bree was sick.

Linda rubbed the Pokemon's back; she was warm, but that was normal. Around Bree's neck, there was a collar with an Everstone clasp. She had brought her Pokemon here for some intensive training, but wanted to delay her evolution. It seemed that doing so would allow the Pokemon to learn moves quicker, perhaps even those their evolved forms wouldn't learn naturally. As there was no record of if this was the case with a Tepig, she had wanted to see what would happen.

With her like this, further training was out of the question until she got better. But as Linda looked around, she knew that getting out of this cave quickly was also out of the question. They had traveled for an hour to get down here, and had traveled several more just to reach the cave. Getting up, she opened up her travel bag and pulled out the tablet computer she used to store items on. Anything that might need an immediate use, like Potions and a few Pokeballs, were set in the bag, but most of her equipment was stored digitally in order to save space and weight.

But on scrolling through the field items category, she found a distinct lack of an Escape Rope. She swore under her breath and clenched the tablet. "That would be the one thing I forgot to buy for this trip," she muttered. She skimmed over to the TM and HM tab and noted that she did have a Dig TM. But the only one that might possibly learn it was Bree, so she didn't even bother to activate it. Instead, she put the tablet back and released one of her other Pokemon. "Will, I need you to carry Bree while we get out of this cave."

The Tepig sneezed again, causing herself to slip and fall on her stomach. Nearby, Will the Unfezant shook out his long red plumes. He wouldn't even look towards Bree.

"This isn't the time to let your vanity make the decisions," Linda said firmly. "This whole trip has managed to go almost perfectly wrong. It figures that the day I decide to try those time lock training boosts on the Pokeball would be the day the locked out Pokemon gets sick, and there was that rock and ice fall a few halls back. Be nice to Bree."

After a moment's pause to let her know that he was only doing this because she had asked, Will lowered his head. Linda then picked Bree up off the floor while she was struggling to get upright again. She put the Tepig on the bird's back, but knowing how he was, she kept a hand on Bree to keep her steady. They then headed back towards the ramp that would lead to the upper levels.

The scenery around them made it obvious that this was an Ice Pokemon's abode. Ice glistened on the walls, mixing icicles with stalactites. Sometimes the ice coated the floor, making it flat and slippery. Will was not happy with that, especially since he wasn't allowed to flutter off the slippery parts to avoid sliding, not with Bree on his back. When enough Ice types gathered in one place, their combined energy brought the temperature of their environment down, even down to the freezing point in otherwise warm locations. But sometimes a single powerful Ice Pokemon could do the same, especially in a cave like this. Whichever reason it was, this cave system had been an icy place for over a decade.

Right before they entered the cavern with the ramp, Linda and her Pokemon began to encounter snow. It was odd; it hadn't been doing this previously. They made their way over the pile of rubble from the rock and ice fall and then ran into a bigger problem: their way out was blocked off by snow.

And not a snow drift. No, this was snow that was hanging in the air, so thick and white that visibility was down to a couple feet in front of them. This room definitely hadn't been like this when she and Bree had come in. but she could recall the layout of the room, which had included three patches of slick floor, a number of holes that would lead to even lower levels, and many icy stalagmites. Simple to navigate when the room was clear, but like this...

"Why do things always seem to get complicated when we're in trouble?" Linda wondered aloud.

Bree sneezed in response, gasping for breath afterward. The black smoke coming out of her nostrils mixed with water vapor from the cold. Oddly enough, this made the snow caught in the air turn black or gray for several inches. Linda swept her hand through the air and noted all the ice crystals that got caught on her gloves. This was all ice suspended in the air. Had to be the work of some Pokemon.

"Will, let's be careful," she said to her Unfezant. She tried to recall the way to the ramp and began leading him that way.

There were some jingles in the air, chinks and tinks that sounded much like ice. It came from several sources in the room. And it was a familiar sound: it was the Vanillish, the Pokemon that she had been training Bree with. They had knocked out over a dozen of them before the Tepig started to have trouble.

In her usual experience, wild Pokemon did not hold grudges against Trainers. A lot of them sought out battles on routes and the usual wisdom was that one would have to go off the usual paths to encounter Pokemon that weren't expecting a human-led Pokemon team to pass through. One time in training Bree, they had taken out many Grass and Bug Pokemon, but the ones that came out to challenge them didn't seem to be after revenge. Even in a place like this, she should be safe as she still had other members of her team away in Pokeballs. But this ice filled room with hidden Vanillish made her skin prickle with more than just the cold.

"We don't want to cause trouble," Linda said, keeping one hand on Bree. "Come on, there should be... yeah, an ice patch we have to cross. Careful."

Will cooed, but he was obedient and didn't fuss about having to slide across the ice with her. On his back, Bree breathed noisily and shuddered. She made a pleading whine.

"Chingle," came a Pokemon's call, very close to them. There was a cluster of ice crystals that was hanging in a dense patch nearby. A pair of black eyes appeared in the icy fog, then vanished back into the white with an icy laugh.

Linda very nearly slipped at that, but managed to stay upright and land with Will on a non-icy patch of floor. "Okay, I think there's one more patch of ice we have to cross, and then the ramp should be nearby. But we can't hurry because of the holes."

"Chingle, chingle." The Vanillish kept laughing at them. Patches of the floating ice began to shimmer. For what reason, Linda couldn't figure out. Another one came close enough to be seen, an ice cream cone shape hanging in the misty air, but also darted off with a laugh. It should have been a silly sight to see, but instead it was kind of chilling.

Once they passed the next patch of ice, Linda searched around until they could see the wall, then followed that to where she thought the ramp was. At that time, the air began to stir in the room. The glows in the ice mist became brighter, as if the Vanillish were preparing attacks. "Look, I'm sorry!" she called out to them. "We won't bother you anymore; we just want to get out of here now." By her side, Will cooed in agreement and Bree sneezed. And the former was usually never this cooperative or submissive with anyone that wasn't Linda.

The Vanillish replied with strange threatening sounds. Thankfully, Linda spotted the ramp. She nudged Will into hurrying a little bit in order to get to the next level and out of the ice mist. As they kept climbing up, she hoped that it would clear soon.

But the mist created by the Vanillish remained as dense as before.

They taunted Linda and her two Pokemon as they tried to navigate their way out of the cave. Sometimes they let a hallway go clear, but returned in force for the next large cavern. Sometimes it sounded like they were shifting rocks or breaking icicles, causing strange crashes and thumps. Sometimes one or two would come close, but never close enough to swat away. And they laughed.

Bree didn't seem to be improving at all, continuing to sneeze and gasp hard. She was shaking to, although whether from being ill or from being scared was difficult to tell. In the meantime, Will was strange in this meek and quiet mood, not holding his head high and showing off his long plumes in pride. Perhaps he knew he wasn't in his element in this icy cave, where the native Pokemon had decided to be tormenters instead of tolerant.

Finally, Linda spotted a brighter section of the mist. But it was a particular kind of brightness. "Sunlight, it must be the exit!" she said, glad to see it.

The Vanillish that had followed them chittered angrily; they blasted the three with an icy wind, causing Linda and Will to yelp. It stung terribly, causing ice to cling to Linda's hair. Acting quickly, she scooped up Bree in one arm and took hold of Will's neck with the other. Recognizing part of that motion, the Unfezant let her climb onto his back, then began racing towards the light.

"Fly on out of here," she called as the sharp wind continued to build.

Will spread his wings and lifted a bit off the ground. For a moment, Linda worried that she was mistaken about it being sunlight. But then they burst out of the icy mist and into the clear air outside of the cave. Will beat his wings strongly to climb further into the sky.

"Thank goodness," she said, shifting her posture so that her Pokemon had an easier time flying. "Let's get back to town quickly so we can get Bree to a Pokecenter."

Ace Trainer Central

Member Linda's Blog

Tip of the day: ALWAYS make sure that you have an Escape Rope on you. Always.

…

Tepig White entry: It blows fire through its nose. When it catches a cold, the fire becomes pitch-black smoke instead.

Unfezant White entry: Males have plumage on their heads. They will never let themselves feel close to anyone other than their Trainers.

Vanillish White entry: It conceals itself from enemy eyes by creating many small ice particles and hiding among them.


	267. Frillish, Xatu

They were really quite beautiful, especially if seen in the morning when a number of them were swimming together. The Frillish were like jewels that blended into the sea waters, the blue males that could become nearly invisible in the right conditions and the pink females that vibrantly seemed to dance in the underwater currents. Drifting along with the flow, clusters of them would gather and fill the water with songs that seemed alien to Earth.

They also lost some of their allure when one knew what their songs meant.

"I once successfully hunted a Scolipede," one of the males boasted.

"That's got to be a lie," another male said. "You couldn't get our immobilizing toxin into one of them."

He smirked. "Who says? I found a way to make it work. He was quite a hefty one too, so it took some wrestling to get him into the water. But once I did, I feasted for two weeks on him alone. Quite an unusual taste, but I got tired of it after a while."

"Well I've gotten some of those humans all on my own," the other male said.

"That's not hard," the boastful male said. "I mean, what have they got, hmm? They're not as protected as other Pokemon; I've heard some talk that they aren't even Pokemon, which would explain why their attacks are laughable at best."

He glowered. "But they make things; they give sticks and stones sharp points and edges, turning such lousy things into dangerous objects. And have you seen what they do to other Pokemon? They tame some of the wildest Pokemon out there; I saw one that was giving orders to a dragon, and it obeyed without a fuss!"

"That's just hearsay. Nobody knows where they came from, only that there's no way they can last long as they are. I don't mind easy prey every now and then, but they're just too easy."

The other male got angry and attacked him. But after grappling for a few moments, the boastful one proved that he was stronger, constricting the other's tentacles into a submissive posture before flinging him away. The group of Frillish then split up, as the morning sun was rising higher and it was time to do other things.

A female Frillish approached the victor. "You must be very strong in order to get a Scolipede into the waters all by yourself," she said, bashfully flirting with her eyes.

"Oh, certainly," he said, moving closer to her and brushing against her body. "I'm ready to evolve, I'm sure, but I don't really need that extra strength right now. Although if a cutie like you would ask, it wouldn't be any trouble."

She floated back, not giving in so soon. "It depends. But since you're such a great hunter, I was wondering if you could help me with a certain Pokemon. I spent all of yesterday trying to get it; I was exhausted by the time I went back to the depths. It was still there when I checked earlier this morning."

Eager to impress her by helping, the male Frillish gave a gracious sweep of his tentacles. "I'll take on the challenge. I have plenty to eat myself, so you may have it once we get it in the water."

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Then she jetted herself through the waters. "This way!"

They approached one of the many small islands that was out here. Typically, these places were good hunting grounds for land creatures, although the struggle to get them into the water was much tougher than trying to capture a sea creature. But many of the Frillish liked the taste of the land creatures more, only taking prey from the sea if they had no luck on the shore.

Out on a rock that jutted out of the waters during normal tides, there was the Pokemon she had been trying to catch. It was tall and covered in feathers, mostly green but mostly white on its wings. A bird Pokemon; those were a challenge, as they could fly out of range at the least disturbance. But he smiled confidently at her and began to approach the prey.

As he did, something peculiar struck him. This bird was standing on that rock, incredibly still. It did not blink its eyes, nor move its wings. Even as he approached, it remained motionless. For a moment, he wondered how it could be hard to catch. Maybe it was tired now after having avoided her all of yesterday. The male Frillish gave a small smile of satisfaction and quickly lashed his tentacles out of the water, to paralyze it with poison and bring it below the waves.

And he completely missed. The bird Pokemon had flown off its perch the instant he would have captured it, keeping just out of reach. Once the Frillish pulled back underwater, the bird landed on its rock and continued its vigil.

"That's just exactly what it kept doing yesterday," the female Frillish said.

"It likes to tease us, then," he said. "No matter. I'll get it." He swam around to the other side of the rock, where the bird had its back turned to him. He didn't have a lot of space to work with due to other tidal rocks, but that did give him a better reach out of water.

And the bird evaded his grasp once more.

This continued for the rest of the morning. Eventually, the female had grown tired of watching and went off to hunt for something in the sea. But the male kept at it, trying to bring this elusive prey down to the depths. The bird remained silent, still save for the moments it was escaping him. It always returned to its exact same poise.

After morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon to evening, the male Frillish was starting to get frustrated and weary as well. But his pride was at stake. He said he would capture this prey and so he would keep at it until he did. Taking a chance, he swelled himself with water and drifted up into the air itself to battle the bird. He couldn't maintain this for long, but if it was long enough, that would be worth it.

And then the bird finally spoke. "Today is not my day to die."

"How do you know?" the male Frillish said, readying himself to attack.

The bird tilted its head. "I see when and how I will die. I see when and how I was born. Neither moment is now. Xatu has spoken."

"You can't see that."

"I do," the bird affirmed. "I see that your kind has hunted these waters for centuries, and they will hunt them for centuries more. I see that you have been a bold hunter, succeeding where many have failed. I also see that you will submit to the humans."

Sparked into a rage, the Frillish curled up his tentacles. "Never! I will never submit to anyone!" He lashed out at the bird with all of his might, but once again it flew right out of his attack.

This time, the bird attacked back; not successfully, but the ensuing battle caused the Frillish to miss the approach of one of the humans until it threw a net over him. Being captured like that was something of a shock, causing him to struggle fruitlessly while the human dragged him back to the sandy shore. But he could pass through this material, right? He calmed himself in order to do that, but the human caught him trying and struck him with a strange metal rock that disrupted his attempt to be immaterial. He was take in the net further into the island, where he was released into a pool of salt water. Its outlet into the sea was blocked off with more of that strange metal, so that he could not escape. As he was trying to get his bearings, the human tossed some meat into the pool and began to watch him. The strange bird soon joined him.

They were giving him food? The only reason he could see for giving away food was for attracting a mate, and neither of those creatures qualified for that. Despite that, the human continued to come and give him food every day, trying different things to find out what he would or wouldn't eat. Then it started trying to teach him commands for attacking, defending, and other tasks. The bird, a Xatu, accompanied the human and helped translate the strange language it spoke. One time, the Frillish tried to attack the human with a poison that should have killed it. But it was back the next day, its wound wrapped up in a white material. And once again, it fed and instructed him.

The human was a strange creature, but the Frillish did find himself submitting himself to its will, and prospering for it.

…

Frillish White entry: They paralyze prey with poison, then drag them down to their lairs, five miles below the surface.

Xatu Leaf Green entry: They say that it stays still and quiet because it is seeing the past and future at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is just so much to explore with Pokemon. Like what was the world like before Pokeballs were invented? And why are humans there? It's a much more glaring issue than in real life, since Pokemon are so immensely powerful that even regular ones can revamp the landscape, yet they obey humans. Some might say that Pokemon were genetically engineered, or mutated, from normal animals. But in game canon, there are references to Pokemon being in the world before humans, and they'll be there after humans are gone. So why humans?


	268. Starmie, Archen

The night was clear and dark, watched over by a black sky with millions of silver stars spilling across it. The ocean was eerily still, but the silver stars were joined by many more color specks, lights that twinkles in a slower rhythm. Out here where there weren't many lights of human civilization, it was a mesmerizing sight. This was something that had spawned many mythical guesses and artistic visions, clusters of Starmie that gathered on the ocean surface at night, best seen at a new moon.

On an isolated island, there was some activity, an observer watching the lights of the Starmie. It was a young woman, dressed in a white tank top and yellow shorts; her sandals had been discarded by the tent hours ago. By her side, there was a cluster of computer equipment. The screen had a dimming filter over it, and any other lights had been covered up. But it was all active, picking up radio signals and recording everything it got. It was picking up a lot of activity tonight, as it did every night. But it wasn't human activity. It was the Starmie.

It was a pretty sweet deal, agreeing to watch over this project. She was to monitor the equipment and make sure everything was working, as well as take personal observations of local conditions. For that, she got to stay out here for a month. While there wasn't another human out here, she wasn't lonely. She had taken one of her Pokemon, an Archen, to keep her company.

Where was he anyhow? She glanced around and soon spotted him in a nearby tree, his brilliant plumage standing out in the green leaves. He was another project she was working on, observations on a prehistoric Pokemon before resurrection services were allowed to clone any more from similar fossils. As she'd raised fossil Pokemon before, she knew that it helped to have some time alone working with the Pokemon, to build trust. When the Pokemon trusted their Trainer, it was able to adapt to modern society better. That made this radio recording trip even better, although her friends were mostly jealous of her being on a tropical island for a month.

"Archen," she called out, adding a whistle for his attention.

He cawed and hopped across the branches to get closer to her. At the edge of the tree's reach, he paused, raising his wings for balance; the branch wobbled under his weight. Then he came over to her, using more of a slow descent than a glide. Although she had confirmed that he was a Flying type, he showed little aptitude for actual flying. Maybe that would improve with evolution, if he did so. Archen ran the last few steps to her, looking up with a questioning and eager expression.

"We'll do some more training tomorrow," she said. "Although if we manage to hook a Starmie again, I'm going to try keeping it here for a few nights, as a closer observation."

She got up and turned the computer speakers on, setting it to play an audio version of the radio signals that came off the Starmie. It had been discovered in the early days of radio when ships started putting in such equipment. When sailing through Starmie territory at night, the radios would pick up sequences of strange sounds. Sometimes it was passed off as just noise, but there were patterns in it much like Pokemon calls. As radios improved and Trainers with Starmie listened to radios, the source of the sounds was confirmed. But no one had figured out quite why, since the Starmie had other ways of communicating that had been confirmed years before.

"It's a lot like the radio signals people get off Unown," she said, recalling when she gone down inside the Alph Ruins to listen to them as a child, for a dare. It had been creepy at the time, but that was more the atmosphere and the long rows of strange Pokemon statues, all of which seemed to be watching her as she passed by trying to find the ladder out. Listening to these radio signals sent a chill through her nerves, but more from the mysteriousness of these wonderful creatures that shared the world with humans.

As she listened in, there was an abrupt increase in the radio signals. It was normally a rhythmic lazy chorus, like the heartbeat of someone who was relaxing. But this was a racing heartbeat, in response to something that wasn't expected that might need to be fought off. More curiously, Archen froze at the changed Starmie signals. Although she rarely stayed up all night listening, she knew that this was unusual.

"What's going on?" she asked, speaking aloud more for her own benefit. She began checking out the computer and all of its associated equipment. But all the quick tests came up clear, with no obvious problems. She glanced out at the ocean and noticed that the lights coming off the Starmie cores had also increased in frequency and intensity

Archen squawked and tugged at her shorts. He was tense, posture low and guarded. Did he know what the Starmie were communicating? But he was from a prehistoric age and he seemed to have trouble communicating with most modern Pokemon. Was there a tone of warning in this spike?

She got up and ran back to her tent, Archen running behind her. She grabbed her camera and headed back down the beach, much to the concern of her Pokemon. While he nipped at her ankles trying to warn her away, she took a picture with the camera, then fiddled with the settings until she could capture the increase of the Starmie lights across the dark ocean night in a video.

"They started doing this about five minutes ago," she said for the benefit of those she'd send the video to. "I've got the radio tuned to the Starmie's signals, and listen: they're much faster." She took a few steps towards the computer so that the camera would pick up on the noise.

"Kraaaa," Archen cawed, bumping his head against her leg now.

She turned the camera down as Archen looked out to the ocean, with his primitive feathers starting to make him puff up. It wasn't as much as modern bird Pokemon did when afraid, but it was still noticable. "Archen really doesn't like this," she commented. "It's odd that he reacts to them."

And then a new noise came over the radio, an electronic noise as an unsettling deep growl. She turned the camera back to the ocean as a strange light appeared in the sky. It was a silvery white, but shaped as a ring hanging low in the sky. From the island, it was difficult to see, but something black was blocking out the stars by the ring. A band of racing lights appeared with the ring, seeming to outline an otherworldly flying craft.

"What is that?" she asked, watching the video in progress and her own view of the ocean. Many of the colored lights that marked the Starmie out on the ocean surface had clustered tightly together underneath the craft; a flurry of activity seemed to be happening there, motions of pink, blue, and lavender. "Are they attacking it?"

The racing lights appeared again, moving faster and faster until a burst of bright light appeared underneath the craft, briefly illuminating a dark gray flying saucer. Then there was a loud crash of thunder powerful enough that she could feel it in her bones. By her side, Archen began to spread his wings, bracing himself for battle even though the fight was way out over the ocean. His right wing was extended in front of her legs, a particular pose that she knew meant that he was going to defend her. Modern bird Pokemon would do a similar kind of stance for battles they perceived as challenging.

She took a moment to record Archen's reaction before turning back to continue filming this strange battle between a cluster of Starmie, and possibly other ocean Pokemon, and this flying saucer. The craft did not attack as fast as the Pokemon were, but it appeared overpowering. After it attacked with its lightning bolt again, there was a tremendous crash from the battle ground, but after the attack's thunder. She had heard a noise like that once before, attending a sporting match where large bulky Pokemon squared off against powerful monster trucks. It was like the sound of a Rhyperior charging full force into an armored tank. The ring of light crashed into the ocean in response.

Looking out across the ocean, she tried to figure out what had attacked the saucer like that. But there was no moon, only the tiny amount of starlight and Starmie light to see by. It was another dark shape, but enormous, over twice the size of the flying saucer. Something about it reminded her of the outline of a Dragon Pokemon, but she didn't know of any that large.

At least, not without considering the legendary Dragons.

There were a few tense moments following this. The Starmie sent out rapid signals for a time, uneven and frantic, but the electronic growling was gone. And then there was a trumpeting call that filled the air, calming anyone who heard. A group of stars were blocked out as the dragon flew away. The ring of the flying saucer did not reappear and the signals from the Starmie turned into a harmonious song of gratitude. At her side, Archen relaxed and sent out a call adding his thanks as well.

"You know about this?" she asked, turning the camera back to Archen. "I thought stuff like this was nonsense... how long has this been going on?"

There was no way she could get an answer to that, at least not while she was on this island. Within fifteen minutes, the Starmie had calmed down and returned to their usual slow relaxed rhythm. They could return easily to normal life, but this incident would change hers.

…

Archen Black entry: Said to be an ancestor to bird Pokemon, they were unable to fly and moved about by hopping from one branch to another.

Starmie D/P/Pl/B/W entry: At the center of its body is a red core, which sends mysterious radio signals into the night sky.


	269. Rufflet, Braviary

One of the first Pokemon he encountered down the trail was a Braviary, a fierce-looking bird with bright plumage and dark scars. He'd seen them before, usually from a distance as they circled in the sky searching for prey. As it was down here, perched on a fallen tree, it seemed like a good one to start with. "Hello," he said.

"Whaddya want, weirdo?" the Braviary asked, stretching up with his head held high. The golden sunlight dappled across his red feathers made him seem quite majestic, despite the rough attitude and scars. "Don't meet many of you who just come up and say 'hello'."

"Probably because most of them don't expect to understand the response," he said, bowing his head. "My name is N; would you mind talking with me?"

The Braviary brought up his wings and opened his beak without a sound for a moment. As it was a gesture of intimidation, N stayed still where he was. Predatory Pokemon liked to assert themselves; backing down in submission would cause the Braviary to dismiss him, while other motions could be interpreted as aggression. He hadn't figured out which moves on his part were seen as aggressive, so not moving was a good neutral stand.

Feeling satisfied that he'd made his power known, the Braviary relaxed. "Fine, it's not like I have anything important going on. What is it?"

"I'm planning on a revolution for the world, to protect innocent Pokemon," N said, about to go on when the Braviary interrupted him.

"You mean a war?" the bird said, leaning over towards him. "That's great news! I've been waiting on another one to start my whole life."

Feeling horrified that that was the initial impression, N held his hands up and shook his head. "No, not a war. At least I hope it doesn't devolve into war."

"How're you going to have a revolution without a war? I was under the impression that the two things were always linked."

"There doesn't need to be violence," he said. Violence only ever made problems worse. "I was going to present the truth to everyone, pointing out how their ideals are flawed, and convince them through such reasoning to change."

The Braviary looked at him, then shook himself. "Sounds silly to me. Even Pokemon don't like being told that they're wrong. The other humans will probably get mad at you and start a war anyone. And that would be great because you humans make war a thousand times more intense."

"Surely that's not all you think we're good at," N said. Because if it was that way, things might be a thousand times worse than he had prepared for.

"Well it's the best part to me," the Braviary said. "I remember back when I was a Rufflet chick, my father told me about a war that he had been a part of. And it was such a glorious thing: prevailing over all odds, humiliating your enemies, and defending the honor of your side."

How long did this kind of Pokemon live? N wasn't sure. "There was a war not that long ago? But it must have had a lot of bloodshed and death." So terrible, and such a waste of life.

The Braviary was of a different opinion, holding himself proudly in memory of his father. "Yeah, that's one of the exciting bits: the fact that every time you go out on the battlefield, you have no idea if you're going to leave it. The risk of death makes the challenge of the fight real. Battles in the wild, nobody cares or puts that much effort into it save for hunting situations. And those Trainer battles, pfft, you know that they can just heal you whenever. I guess if I was really bored, I might join one. But I'd rather join a war."

"Why would you want to get hurt?"

"Because that's proof that you're tough. Like all my scars prove how brave and powerful I am. Like this one over my eye, I got it when I was only a Rufflet!"

"I thought such scars could heal up better on evolution," N said, having seen it happen on a few Pokemon that he knew. But most of his friends were reluctant to battle so never got to a position to evolve further.

"Why would I want it to heal fully?" The Braviary edged himself along the log, allowing a second to land. This one looked a lot cleaner than the other, although she was missing a toe on one foot. "It was the mark of an amazing series of battles. There was the dragon that moved into my territory, which I'd recently got old enough to claim. It was a great big armored thing, with sharp tusks, and ten times the size of me as a Rufflet."

"That sounds like it could be a Haxorus, except I don't think they're quite that big," N said.

The scarred Braviary shook himself. "Don't make my stories look weak. It's a great pride to me what happened."

"Oh, sorry." It probably was just a regular Haxorus, although a Rufflet taking on one of them still seemed a major challenge.

The Pokemon continued with his story, acting like he was strutting even though he was perched on one spot. "I had been hearing my father's story about the war, and I wanted to get really powerful really fast so that I could fight in a war too and be a part of the glory. I challenged this dragon thing to a fight and it thought that I was dumb. Can you believe it? I needed to fight powerful enemies to get powerful myself, and he was the biggest baddest Pokemon around. He beat me the first few times around, not taking it too seriously. But I was serious. I kept training and practicing, and working my tail feathers off. And then one day, I was doing really great against the dragon, enough that it stopped being lazy and lashed out to give me this gash across my eye and forehead. The blood in my eye blinded me a bit, but it sent me into a berserk fury that was a gorgeous blood-drenched spectacle, I'm sure. I ended up blacking out, but when I returned, the dragon thing admitted that I had defeated him and that he would move on. That was my first huge victory, so I want to keep this scar nice and visible as my personal trophy."

Hearing it, N wondered if the Haxorus had won and lied about it to keep the violent little Rufflet from continuing to harass him. He'd been taught that Pokemon minds weren't of the same level as humans (which he could see, but felt was exaggerated too much), and that they were innocent creatures. This didn't sound that innocent; maybe the Braviary didn't realize the harm he caused. "I guess so. But shouldn't everyone try not to cause needless harm?"

The scarred Braviary looked at him for a moment. "I don't know what you mean, human. You really are weird." Then he spread his wings and took off for the sky.

N watched him leave, then turned to the second Braviary that had landed there. "He seems too proud of his scars."

"Well why shouldn't he be?" she asked. "He's got so many of them that he's the most amazing warrior around here I'm sure that if you did start a war, he'd be the first one you ought to call on to join your side. I wish I had that many scars, but all I've got is this dinky missing toe. Hardly means anything without other trophies, but I can't seem to get struck hard enough to get properly scarred. I heard one of my neighbors actually bit her own wing to fake a good scar; so pitiful."

"I guess there's too many Pokemon out there for me to know about all of them," N said, mostly to himself. He moved on down the trail, thinking that he wouldn't be recruiting a Braviary for his efforts.

…

Rufflet White entry: They will challenge anything, even strong opponents, without fear. Their frequent fights help them become stronger.

Braviary White entry: The more scars they have, the more respect these brave soldiers of the sky get from their peers.


	270. Purrloin, Liepard

Shadeclaw the Purrloin escaped from his Pokeball and ended up in a dark cramped travel bag. Great, just great. At least the zipper was partly undone. He hooked a claw into the zipper pull and pushed it open. Then he poked his head out of the bag, peering around.

From the close green canvas, he was also in a tent. Nearby, there was a lumpy sleeping bag. On end had a boy's head poking out, his black hair sprawled over the pillow. One strand of it fluttered in response to his breath, but he was still otherwise. Maybe fast asleep, maybe close to waking up. But there was an opportunity to do something. Now it was just a matter of figuring out what.

Before long, he spotted it: a place of rectangular black rimmed glasses folded up and placed on the ground, within arm's reach of the sleeping boy. His Trainer was always wearing those, so Shadeclaw had never gotten a chance to investigate them. But now he had the perfect opportunity to steal them. Pleased with the idea, he hopped out of the bag and crept closer, the falls of his paws silent.

"Mmmphff," the teen mumbled.

Shadeclaw froze, maddeningly close to the glasses. He looked over at his Trainer and saw him starting to move. Without opening his eyes, the teen rubbed his nose then put his hand on the pillow. After a moment, he was relaxed once again, not ready to wake up. Shadeclaw picked up the glasses with his teeth, then bounded out of the tent.

For a moment, he observed his prize with pride, having taken this important thing that his Trainer kept all the time. Shadeclaw sniffed it, smelling the boy's scent on it: usual human male, with hints of shampoo and lens cleaner. That wouldn't do. He rubbed his head against it, putting his scent to mark his human. There. Now what did he do with it?

He tugged at the side pieces by gently hooking them with his claws, briefly cursing his having paws instead of hands to easily work human things. Once he had them open, he spent a couple of minutes trying to get the bendy part behind his own ears. Shadeclaw managed, but then the glasses wanted to sit on his forehead, not his nose. But a gentle shake got them to slide down to the proper place.

Immediately, his eyes complained about the lenses messing with them. Everything was horribly blurred, to the point where he couldn't identify things beyond a mass of color, light, and shade. It even made him feel dizzy. How in the world did his Trainer see anything while wearing these?

The sound of the sleeping bag rustling and a hand patting the ground came from inside the tent. "Huh, where's my glasses?" the boy mumbled, half-asleep still.

Uh-oh. At least he couldn't think of any reason to keep these. Shadeclaw shook the glasses off, much to the relief of his eyes, then picked them up with his teeth again and headed into the tent. He held his tail high and put on an expression of absolute cuteness and innocence. Setting them down just out of the boy's reach, he sat down and mewed. Wasn't he a good Pokemon, bringing back the stolen glasses which he totally didn't steal in the first place? He had even suffered for a little bit to get them back.

The boy sat up and squinted at him, his hair a total mess. He didn't even seem affected by the cute. But he did manage to see his glasses and reach over to get them. "How'd they get over there? And how'd you get out?"

Shadeclaw looked up at him with a cat grin, looking for all the world like he had no clue either.

"Cheren!" a girl's voice called from outside. "Are you getting up?"

"Yeah, give me a few," he said, sliding out of his sleeping bag. Then he added more quietly, "As long as you didn't cause trouble, or stay up all night. We have training to do today."

That was how things went a lot. Cheren wasn't weak to cuteness, although every now and then he fell for one of Shadeclaw's acts. He was a strict Trainer, constantly planning and thinking about how to become more successful. Despite that, he wouldn't let them overwork themselves, and he treated them decently. If dealing with the tough audience meant that he could get stronger sooner, then Shadeclaw was willing to do so.

But then one day, in a Pokecenter, Cheren said something terrible. "You've passed muster so far, but things will only get tougher as we get further," he said to Shadeclaw. "You're quick and your typing is useful, but there are stronger Dark types out there. And you can't take many hits; it's not much good if you can't last long enough to make use of your attacks. I may have to replace you soon."

At first, Shadeclaw was mad to hear that, twisting his ears back and then turning away with an air of snootiness. How dare he say that he wasn't a worthy Pokemon? He'd followed Cheren's orders in battle without hesitation and he had won many of them. Or helped to win them when he got switched out. But he didn't cause trouble (at least no serious trouble or anything he'd admit to). He'd get better in time.

He began to get worried about it when they had gone out to train and Cheren worked with the others more than Shadeclaw. Was he giving up on him? But he'd been on the team since the day Cheren started! He couldn't just ditch a loyal Pokemon like that. Could he? Would he?

Shadeclaw didn't like to appear troubled, so he worked on proving himself over the next week. When he was out but not being battled with, the Purrloin sought out his own fights. Since Cheren wanted him tougher, he forced himself to keep going even when he was hurting. It came to several close calls and he had to steal some Sitrus berries from the bag to avoid fainting. It was a lot of work, leaving him ruffed up and sandy due to where they were training. When Cheren finally called on him, Shadeclaw felt his inner power ignite. He fought and defeated a Sandile, working to do so as quickly as possible to prove his worth.

And for that effort, he was granted the gift of evolution. His legs grew longer, his body grew sleeker, and his natural talents increased greatly. With his fur coat now speckled with yellow spots, Shadeclaw was now a Liepard. Surely Cheren couldn't resist cuteness combined with beauty and power. He curled his long tail and looked up at him with his best 'I really adore you and I'm not possibly trying to charm you out of something (but I am)' look.

"Good, that's more information that Professor Juniper could use," Cheren said, looking over him but not softening his critiquing eye. "Your performance had better improve out of this."

Shadeclaw thought about being mad, but he felt more disappointed and eager to prove that he deserved to stay. Cheren kept walking through Desert Resort, so the Liepard followed, going into every battle with enthusiasm and always waiting for an approving word. This continued until he took one too many hits and fainted.

Later, he woke up in a Pokecenter, but not in the lobby. That was odd. Instead, Shadeclaw found himself in a recovery room, lying in a padded box with a soft blue blanket below him. His body felt achy and he still felt tired, but this wasn't a time to let that get to him. He got up and looked around for his Trainer. Past the curtains, he found other Pokemon resting, including one that had a bandaged up leg. Thank goodness he wasn't that hurt.

He heard footsteps, so Shadeclaw slipped behind the folds of a loose curtain, listening and smelling. It was two humans, an adult woman and... Cheren. "Oh dear, well he was here," the woman, a nurse, said.

He carefully moved along the curtains so as not to move them, coming out behind the two humans. Walking up to Cheren's side, he rubbed his head against his Trainer's leg. "Merrr?"

Kneeling down by him, Cheren put his hand on the Liepard's head. "You shouldn't be wandering around if you've been brought back here."

"He definitely should have some more rest here," the nurse said. "After examining him, it seems that he wouldn't recover from being unconscious because he was exhausted from battling too hard over several days."

"I haven't battled with him that much lately," Cheren said, worried. "I take turns with all my team members so they get regular breaks."

"It's possible he did that on his own. He's not too bad, but I still have to give you a warning to pay better attention to that kind of thing. See if you can convince him to sleep in here for tonight and you can take him back in the morning." The nurse petted Shadeclaw. "He's a beautiful cat, though. A lot of people love them for their coats, so you should be able to find another owner for him if he's not the one for you." She then left the room.

Cheren looked into Shadeclaw's eyes. "How did you go fighting behind my back? And why? You used to be the least serious Pokemon I had."

Shadeclaw bumped his forehead into Cheren's. Sure, this human wasn't perfect (he could at least praise them a little more). But if he had to leave the team, he didn't want to leave behind the impression that he was weak. He wanted his Trainer to be proud of him, as proof that he was a worthy Pokemon.

"I have to work hard to prove myself as a great Trainer. And I should do what I must to build a great team, without sentimentality."

"Mew," Shadeclaw replied, plaintive and cute. He pawed at Cheren's glasses.

After a short smile, Cheren looked torn. "I mean, that's what anyone would do. But did you have to push yourself like that? I don't want to make you upset. Hmm, however much you can understand about this. Probably not, but then..." He sighed, then hugged Shadeclaw. "Stay in the bed for tonight, okay? You had me really worried when she said that you weren't reviving like you should."

Then he did care! Shadeclaw licked his nose. Now he just had to figure out how to fully convince Cheren not to let him go.

…

Purrloin Black entry: They steal from people for fun, but their victims can't help but forgive them. Their deceptively cute act is perfect.

Liepard Black entry: These Pokemon vanish and appear unexpectedly. Many Trainers are drawn to their beautiful form and fur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little side-story to ClicheStorm. And, there are 500 Pokemon covered with this entry!


	271. Gigalith

The sun was high overhead, a blazing yellow spot that spread its bright rays everywhere. The air was dusty and hot, stifling to those not used to it. Ahead and behind them, there was a long gravel-strewn road, winding around this arid rocky landscape going somewhere. The bushes scattered about were thorny; the trees were tough, what few there were. Hills and mountains surrounded them, not the tallest ones they had seen, definitely not. With the drone of cicadas and flies filling the air, it already seemed like a long trip.

Long enough that the human of the pair had started feeling faint from the heat. A while back, they had stopped to let him recover. Gigalith had stayed still so that the boy, Black, could sit in his shadow, drinking water, ignoring the flies, and trying to get his strength back. But he'd insisted that they had to keep going; they had to be at a town somewhere along this road today. Black had said it was some distance to go, although the measurement didn't mean anything to Gigalith. It took him not moving and crouching down to get the message across that he'd carry Black the rest of the way, to make sure he didn't collapse.

That had been, what, an hour ago? Maybe that was right. Gigalith was pacing himself, pausing occasionally in the shadows of trees and boulders, puffing away flies that buzzed around his face. On his back, Black had found a place to settle himself in with an umbrella to keep the sun off him. He had napped for a little bit, but electronic sounds indicated he was trying to work with one of his devices. Gigalith was a dark blue, but he was able to regulate his temperature with the red crystals growing inside and outside him. With this, he tried to pull heat energy away from where Black was, to keep him cool. He had to store it by stuffing the heat into some of his lower crystals. If he got picked for battle later, he'd certainly have enough energy to blow away his opponents.

"Guh, should've flown there," Black muttered. "I wonder where Zekrom has gotten off to." He paused, during which Gigalith glanced up at the skies. The legendary black dragon should be obvious, but he wasn't in view currently. "Eh, I'm sure she'll show up if she gets worried. Still feels weird; I don't really want to command a Pokemon like that. Just doesn't seem right. Oh, you doing okay Gigalith? Hold up a moment and I'll get you some water too."

Gigalith quickened his steps, keeping Black from sliding off until they were in the shade of a lone tree. Even it was looking hot and worn out from the heat wave. Black sat in front of him, holding a water bottle and cupping his hand under it to help Gigalith get a drink; these things weren't designed for a Pokemon like him to drink directly from. Normally, he didn't need a lot of water. But normally, his kind lived in caves, underground. He could withstand this bright heat better than a human, yes, but the water was a welcome refreshment. Black even offered him a couple of Lava Cookies as a treat, or maybe thanks for taking over the walking.

After that, Black stayed there in the shade a bit longer, quiet. His skin was pinker than usual, glossy with sweat. Even though he hadn't been walking, he still looked tired. The flies buzzed around him; a fat black one even landed on the boy's ear, but Black didn't react. Gigalith blew at it, getting it to fly away. Dumb little insects, they shouldn't be making this worse for his boy.

"We better keep going, get this over with," he finally said, getting up to get back on Gigalith's back. The Pokemon waited patiently while he did so. Right in front of him, the large black fly flew around. But it was a little thing, just an annoyance.

When Black patted his back, Gigalith went back out into the sun to start walking along the gravel road again. They hadn't encountered any other humans; they were probably keeping indoors, in the cool. Most of the Pokemon were keeping out of the heat too, although the flies kept buzzing around him. Especially that big fat one. It flew right in front of his eyes at one point. Huffing in annoyance, Gigalith kept moving on.

The computer noises started back up, but it sounded like the Pokedex this time. "I've got to think of something to write about you in the Gigalith entry," Black said. "It hasn't gotten covered yet."

Bzzz bzzz bzzz. The fat fly stayed right near him, buzzing close to his ear holes and momentarily seeming louder than even the cicadas. Puffing it away, Gigalith figured that it was better the fly was bugging him rather than Black.

"Gigalith may seem rough, but it makes for a surprisingly gentle ride over bad terrain," Black thought aloud. "Nah, it might just be you. A different natured Gigalith might not be willing to carry someone."

It flew by his eyes again. What was with these flies? Gigalith didn't have anything interesting to the bugs. And really, they weren't even Bugs like the Whirlipedes and Sewaddles. The flies were insects, below Pokemon. They were prey, that is, if one were a bug-eating Pokemon. Gigalith preferred minerals, maybe even this gravel he was walking over. So he didn't need to bother paying attention to the fly. Gigalith quickened his pace, hoping to outwalk the fly.

Black was still talking to himself. "Their crystal growths become more prominent and... no, that's dull. Man, some of these are easy, and other ones I have no idea what to suggest. And Cheren seems to come up with all the cool ones. Maybe I should ask some others about behaviors or quirks... but I can't recall many trainers with a Gigalith."

At that point, the fat black fly landed on Gigalith, right between his eyes. He could see it there, rubbing its forelegs together and brushing its head like it didn't have a care. He didn't mind carrying Black; he was as powerful as he was thanks to Black, and the boy had always made him feel special. But he wasn't going to carrying some deadbeat annoying fly as well. He wasn't even going to let it bug him anymore. Gigalith puffed at it until it flew off, but he gathered energy inside his most powerful crystal. After all, he had plenty of heat energy to drain from himself and the air around him.

"The crystals seem to be connected to their power source..." Black paused. "Gigalith? What are you doing?"

He slowed, watching the fly and continuing to gather energy, condensing it further into fewer crystals, then transferring that into an attack. Once the fly was in a good spot, Gigalith opened up his mouth and fired a concentrated beam at it. The attack flew on, straight into the earth of a mountain a hundred yards away (if his guess at human measurements was right). With all the heat energy that he'd stored up trying to keep Black cool, there was soon a massive hole straight through the face of the mountain.

For a moment, everything was still. Then the cracking began, enormous fractures of earth and rock made by the sudden lack of support through the center. The mountain then collapsed, sending up a huge cloud of dust that rolled over them like a wave. The noise from it was tremendous, the loudest rock slide Gigalith had ever witnessed. When the air cleared, the small mountain had become a large hill of rubble.

There were also the non-existent remains of one very dead fly.

…

Gigalith Black entry: Compressing the energy from its internal core lets it fire off an attack capable of blowing away a mountain.

(Not that I know this from personal experience.)

(*sweatdrop*)

(Sorry, Professor.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take that, fly!
> 
> Really, a lot of the Pokedex entries make one wonder just how exactly the researcher and/or writer for the Pokedex project in universe came up with all the entries. It's part of the fun of this project.


	272. Omanyte, Kabuto

The Sinnoh Underground was a maze of tunnels, well lit and well traveled. At first, it was simply a connection of distant caves, naturally occurring at many points. Then people began to mine in those caves, following veins of precious materials until they connected to other caves. After a few centuries, it had turned into a subterranean passageway network, allowing some people with good digging Pokemon to move from town to town without touching the surface. Much of the official mining went on in areas cut off from the public, but there were still things to be found within the rock walls, or so people claimed.

"We want the fossils," a boy named Evan said. He and his friend, both about ten and a half years old, were walking in the Underground. He had his blue cap on backwards and the laces on his blue and white sneakers coming undone. In one hand, he pulled along a wagon to carry whatever they found. "That's what that professor likes, fossils."

"And we'll ask to get the Pokemon revived from the fossils?" the other boy asked. Ryan had borrowed a yellow hard hat for this adventure, but it had been made for an adult and was loosely sitting in place. He patted one of the many pockets on his cargo pants, searching for reassurance from the small flashlight, in case the tunnel lights failed.

"No, we'll trade the fossils for Pokemon."

He frowned. "What if he doesn't have Pokemon to give away? He could need them for his studies."

"Ah, come on, haven't you heard?" Evan said, shaking his head. "Some of the best Trainers in the world have gotten their first Pokemon from a professor. So, if we want the best chance to become top-notch, we need to work with him."

"I still think it'd be better to ask for the fossils to be revived."

They squabbled for a bit about it, but whichever way it worked out, they still needed to find some fossils. Figuring that anything good near the entrance had already been found, they went down several passages until they came to a area that went away from the main path and looped back. There, they took the kits they had gotten from the Underground Explorers Club and started looking for places to dig.

At first, there was no sign of fossils. They found other things that might be useful for when they had Pokemon: certain rocks and items could boost a Pokemon's abilities, while shards and crystals were often searched for by people who could teach Pokemon useful things. But when they didn't have Pokemon, these things weren't any good. Stores might buy them, but only a few items would have a worthwhile price.

Evan was soon complaining about how long it was taking, using more time to shuffle through the little items they were getting rather than digging for more. Ryan kept looking for spots to dig. Whenever he came to dig, it was hard to pull away. He always felt like he might find a great item in just a few more minutes. When he didn't find anything, he kept thinking that it might be the next spot and kept digging until his mother called to say that he had to come home for dinner. So he didn't mind. He had skipped out on fossils before, losing them to shifting rocks in order to get other items. This time when he went looking for the fossils, he wasn't seeing anything like bone.

"Wish we had a bone radar," Evan said. "Wouldn't that be cool? Then we'd know right where the fossils are."

"It wouldn't be useful after we found them," Ryan said, then paused. He saw a curve in the rocks, with a different texture from what surrounded it. A fossil... he nearly said so aloud, but then thought better of it. Last time he had called Evan about something he'd found in the Underground, his friend had hit the rocks too hard and caused a large shift. It had taken a week for the wall to be safely dug at again, but selling that Max Revive allowed him to buy his mother a nice birthday present. This time, he stayed quiet and carefully picked around the fossil.

Before long, it was apparent that there was something odd about this fossil. It was rather large. He'd found fossils parts of a Pokemon before; those were all small. As the curve revealed itself to be a complete spiral, Ryan felt his heart race. Was it really a whole fossilized Pokemon? He chipped away another loose part of the rubble, causing the surrounding edges to quiver.

His heart stopped for a moment as he feared that the fossil would get buried. But the quiver stopped, allowing him to judge the size of the fossil better. It was about one and a half feet wide, not quite as tall. How far back did it go into the rock wall? He searched the rock, then hit his pick a couple inches above it. This caused a crack to appear. With the chisel, he worked on expanding the crack without getting it into the fossil.

"Maybe we ought to head back, try another spot tomorrow," Evan said, his enthusiasm for this idea of his dwindling.

It was Evan's wagon, and Ryan didn't want to have to carry this all the way out himself. "I think I've got one. But it's something I got to be careful with."

"Oh, you do?" He came over and watched from close behind. "All right, now that's what I wanted to see!"

Ryan felt a bit tense with his friend watching. What if he made a wrong move and made the wall collapse? Evan would get mad at him, plus the fossil might break. He kept at his work slowly. Behind him, Evan started to tap his foot. Then it shifted. "Here, get your fingers in there. We should be able to pull this out carefully now."

Evan was usually the definition of not careful, but he followed Ryan's directions and pulled on the fossil with him. After a few seconds, the fossil popped out of the wall and the rubble shifted immediately, rendering that spot unstable for more mining. They nearly dropped it as it turned out even larger than they had thought. Once it was in the wagon, they looked at it closer.

"Wow, is there a whole Pokemon in there?" Evan asked. "That's awesome! We didn't even break it!"

"It looks weird," Ryan said. "See here, there's a spiral on this side, and it looks like a different kind of shell with odd marks on the other side."

Evan grinned. "Maybe we have a mutant fossil? Because that would be so cool! And the professor would have to give us something awesome in exchange."

"It could just be two fossils in one rock," Ryan said. "Which is good cause there's two of us. Let's get it out of here."

Taking turns with the wagon, the two boys pulled it out of the Underground and back to their hometown. Evan ran up to the professor's workshop when they got close and knocked on the door. It was answered by a young man wearing goggles on the top of his head and a face mask around his neck. "What is it?" he asked. "I'm in the middle of some work."

"We found an awesome fossil in the Underground," Evan said, grinning in pride. "And we wanted to show it to you; it's right here."

The professor looked skeptical at first, but on seeing the size of the rock in the wagon, he became interested. He knelt down for a closer look at it, brushing away some loose material and examining all the lines. Nearby, Ryan had to send a quick sign to Evan to be quiet and try to be still. Sometimes he had a hard time believing they were nearly the same age, as Evan was so childish.

"Well, this is amazing," the professor finally said, with his eyes still on the rock. "You boys have some skill as excavators. It's rare enough to pull a full Pokemon fossil out of the Underground, and here you have two of them. They look to be complete, so it's wonderful proof of what Pokemon lived in similar time periods, and how they might have interacted."

"Can we get the Pokemon revived from this?" Ryan asked. "You can have the fossils, but we were hoping to get the Pokemon."

The professor bit his lip. "Hmm... fossil Pokemon take a lot more care than regular ones. We don't know as much about them. But, with these two, I think you can find some data on them around. I need to find out if I can get DNA extracted without extensively damaging them. With the quality of these two, I'm sure I can manage that." He smiled and pulled a pen and pad of paper out of his pocket. "Tell you what," he said as he scribbled a note, "this could take some time because I want this form preserved. I'll do my best to get the Pokemon cloned from this, and I'll have you take care of them. I'll even give you some money to start with, since this fossil is worth a lot academically. But you two boys have to promise me that you'll take extra care and caution in raising them." He then looked at them expectantly.

"Sure thing, I promise!" Evan said, probably more excited than realizing what he was agreeing to.

Ryan felt a bit nervous. But if it was going to be his first Pokemon, then he would want to take special care of it anyhow. He nodded. "Right, I promise to treat it well."

"Good." He tore off the two notes he had written and passed them over. "Return with these in three days and I'll tell you what I can do for certain." He then had them help bring the fossil into his workshop and sent them home after.

"I thought we'd get Pokemon today, but this is good, I think," Evan said, stuffing the note in the pocket of his jeans.

Ryan folded his note up and tucked it into one of his pockets. "He's a professor of geology and fossils, I told you. He probably doesn't have extra Pokemon to just give away since he studies rocks and bones."

Three days later, Ryan had to help Evan find his note to retrieve the Pokemon (thankfully they found the pants he'd been wearing before his mother put them through the laundry). Then they went back to the professor's workshop. It took a few rounds of knocking, but the professor came to greet them, brushing dust off his jacket and apologizing for the mess.

He gave them both face masks and brought them into another room where he had been working on the fossil. Some of the rock had been further chipped away, revealing more of the two forms inside. "From the look of things, it would seem to me that these two Pokemon got into a fight over something," the professor said, touching the smoother shell of the pair. "This one attacked the other fatally, but it didn't kill right off. Instead, the other one latched onto it and would not let go even after it died. The first one was probably badly hurt as well, so it couldn't escape. That's why you found them like this."

"Wow, that's awful," Ryan said. "I didn't think fights between Pokemon could kill both sides, or even just one."

"The world was a lot rougher in ancient days," the professor said. Then he pulled out two brown and orange Pokeballs from his coat pocket. "Well, you boys are in luck. I managed to get nicely intact DNA off both of them, and what fragments there were could be found in other specimens. Which one do each of you want?"

"I want that one of the pair," Evan said, pointing to the smooth shelled one. "That okay with you?"

Ryan nodded. "That's good."

Smiling, the professor handed the two over. "Great. Then you Evan get the Kabuto, and you Ryan get the Omanyte. Don't call them out in here, though. There's a lot of fine dust in the air from my work, which is why we have to wear masks in this room."

Evan looked over the Kabuto's ball and grinned. "Wow, so we get Pokemon that hardly anyone one else has. We're going to have to be really watchful and see what they do."

"Actually, there have been living Kabuto specimens found recently," the professor said. "In one project I did in grad school, we compared a modern Kabuto with one revived from a fossil, and there was hardly any difference between the two."

"Really?" He was disappointed, hearing that his wasn't quite as special as he'd imagined.

"Well they are very rare these days, limited to a few locations," he said. "As for the Omanyte, we know they all died out well before humans appeared on this world. I did find some records of revived specimens in the Kanto database, so you should be able to get some help figuring out how to take care of it."

Then he had the even less common one? Ryan looked at the fossil there, particularly the spiral shell that his new Pokemon had come from. "Um, professor, is it going to be okay if we have our Pokemon together? Since they killed each other there."

"They won't remember it because they're clones of these two, not the Pokemon themselves," he said reassuringly. "But you may wish to be careful having them interact, since this indicates the species may have been enemies of some level. You should definitely check out one of the websites I frequent... here, I can give you the address in a moment. They have good information on how to help fossil Pokemon adapt in the modern world."

Later that day, Ryan was wondering if this was a good idea after all, having fossil Pokemon for their starters. According to the website, a Trainer had to be able to recognize old instinct patterns and find ways to alter their behavior. This was best done with a tolerant or caring modern Pokemon which could provide a good example. He should find such a role model soon, since he already had the Omanyte.

But watching his new Pokemon observing his room, he felt proud to have her. After all, it had been a tough fossil to get out of the mine. People wouldn't know what to expect from her either, so Ryan could have an advantage in building a battle team. She did seem a little nervous, ducking back into her shell at sudden noises or unexpected movements. But that could also be because she was young.

"Ryan, Evan's here," his mother called from downstairs, shortly before he heard his friend's footsteps hurrying up the stairs.

"Okay!" he called back down, then turned as Evan entered the room. A small reddish-brown Pokemon, almost like a bug, scuttled in after him. Ryan's Omanyte saw the Kabuto and slipped a little further into her shell. "You already got it to climb the stairs?"

"Nah, I let her out in the hallway," Evan said. "I was looking up stuff about her, and saw that she'll evolve into an awesome Pokemon that has blades for hands! But yours is going to stay dopey looking like that."

"I don't mind what they look like," Ryan said. "I was more worried about getting her used to the present. I'm going to go out tomorrow to try and catch another Pokemon so that she has help."

His friend grinned. "I want to do that too, but I'm going to catch Pokemon to prepare for summer when I'm going to challenge the Gyms. It'll be awesome; betcha I'll be the Champion before school starts up again."

He laughed. "Yeah, that's likely to happen. You'd be better off not going so fast."

"You're just worried that you won't be able to keep up with my greatness," Evan boasted, but then laughed too.

"It might help if your Kabuto didn't eat your shoes first," Ryan pointed out, as the Pokemon was tugging at the end of a lace and nibbling at it to find if it was edible.

Evan groaned and picked up the Kabuto. "Not again. I don't think there were shoes to eat in prehistoric times, silly goose."

Ryan laughed again. In the meantime, his Omanyte kept her head out of her shell, watching the scene warily. It would be some time before they were all used to this arrangement.

…

Omanyte Emerald entry: One of the ancient and long-since-extinct Pokemon that have been regenerated from fossils by humans. If attacked, it withdraws into its hard shell.

Kabuto Emerald entry: It is a Pokemon that has been regenerated from a fossil. However, in rare cases, living examples have been discovered. Kabuto has not changed for 300 million years.


	273. Emolga

Bright bulbs cast a harsh glow around her, intensified by the large mirror on the vanity. Sara the Emolga had the left side of her wing membrane over her face while she curled up away from the mirror, but the light managed to pierce through. Around her were the sounds humans walking around briskly, a hair dryer running, busy bits of speech, Pokemon fussing over preparations, and a large fan blowing at high speed trying to keep things cool. She could smell fur shampoo, make-up, talcum powder, the light bulbs, and several types of perfume. It was strange, to be living out her dream but dreaming of being back home.

It seemed so long ago, although it must have barely been a moon phase since it happened. She had once lived in a forest, sleeping in the tops of trees, soaring high over the ground, and playing with her friends. Out there, the natural light of the sun and moon was the main illumination, and the smells were mostly that of leaves, with hints of fruits, flowers, earth, nuts, and humans. Sometimes she flew into the city where humans lived; it was on one of those trips that she discovered the theater. It seemed so glamorous from outside, with happy Pokemon coming out with their Trainers praising them, wearing various accessories that made them much more than ordinary Pokemon. And some of the Pokemon would become so beloved that they had many fans, surrounding them to get a picture, pet them, or say how wonderful they looked. Sara wanted to be a star like that.

And then she got a chance, with hardly any warning. She had been on the ground, seeking out some nuts that had fallen there, when a well dressed man came up and signaled her for a battle. She went with it and faced off against a Cinncino that wore a green silk scarf and a green head bow. Hoping that it was one of the theater regulars, Sara let herself get caught. She knew she would miss her friends in the forest, but the theater was her dream.

The man turned out to be the owner of the theater, and he wasn't capturing her for himself. No, he had gone out seeking Pokemon for a special promotion, from out in the wild like her, and from breeders and adoption agencies. He was offering them up for adoption to Trainers who wanted to participate in the musicals and similar competitions but didn't have the means or the right Pokemon to go out into the wild to search for them. At first, it seemed perfect for her. She'd get to show off her potential as a star and she could get a Trainer who would be interested in continuing to let her act. What could go wrong with that?

An awful lot could, she had discovered. At her first performance, someone thought she would look cute with a big glittering gold cape. And it was cute, until Sara discovered that she couldn't take off from the weight of it. It also dragged behind her, causing a problem when a Golett stepped on it. At the next performance, she'd been given a cowboy hat that was too big for her head and caused her to stumble into other Pokemon when it fell over her eyes. But that clumsiness paled in comparison to the time she had been given an umbrella. Everyone had laughed at her when she had fallen into it and broke it, even though it hurt.

And that wasn't considering the times her fellow Pokemon actors tried to make her look bad in order to better their chances of winning or being adopted. After getting out of that umbrella, she had slipped on a puddle intentionally left by a Jellicent. They had had to take her to the Pokecenter afterward to make sure she was okay.

And whenever anyone came up to the owner and asked to have one of the promotion Pokemon, it was never her being asked for. This was the last performance too, the last night she had a chance to be adopted. If no one wanted her, then she'd be released back into the forest. It would be nice to be back home after this terrible week, but then she probably never get a chance like this again to be a Pokemon star.

"Oh Sara, pretty girl," one of the humans said. The woman sat in a stool by the vanity. "What's the matter? Come on, cheer up. Or at least put on a happy face for the last performance."

She uncovered her face and got onto her feet, but didn't feel much like cheering up. She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep this up, as acting was much harder than she thought it would be. But if she went back to the forest, she'd probably be an ordinary Pokemon for the rest of her life. While she wondered, the woman crushed over her short fur with a small brush.

"Good thing we got you cleaned up earlier," the woman said. "Now let's make you nice and pretty. I think a neck bow would be nice. Let's see." She picked up a strip of yellow cloth and gently tied it around Sara's neck into a bow behind her head.

"Olem," Sara said quietly, clutching the woman's fingers at one point. She was trying her best, wasn't she? She wasn't a klutz in the trees, so it was mostly getting used to the items. Could she have smaller accessories tonight? So she could put her best efforts into it.

The woman smiled, stroking the Emolga's yellow cheeks. It caused a little spark, but not enough to deter her. "Nervous tonight? Don't worry; we've got one of the best actors around leading tonight, so he can handle anything that comes up. And you know what would look darling on you? I've found a little tiara, but the other Pokemon I've been dressing up tonight won't look as sweet on it as you would. Here." She pulled a little gold tiara; sparkling red jewels were set into the front of it. It clipped onto her fur in a hidden way, so hopefully it wouldn't slip off. "That's almost... I know, let's try on some slippers."

that took some time, as the theater had quite a collection of little slippers for use by Pokemon actors. The woman dressing her wanted some red ones, but they had to try several pairs before they settled on a pair light enough that Sara felt comfortable with and the right color that the woman felt satisfied. Then the theater owner called a warning that the show was starting in a few minutes and everyone had to be ready.

As always, that caused the hustle of backstage to increase greatly. Sara tried to keep out of the way while making her way to the waiting area. While she could glide around, the ceiling wasn't that high and some of the taller humans and Pokemon didn't like her flying near their heads. And there were an awful lot of Pokemon actors for this particular performance. There were the Pokemon being given away in the promotion as well as some of the theater regulars. The former were all nerves, tense and apt to start squabbles if pressured, while the latter were smug and confident, teasing the newcomers. By staying on a shelf, Sara managed to keep out of most of it.

Then came the applause of the audience as the theater owner came out onto the stage. "Welcome everyone, to the grand finale of our Search for Friendship Week! We have a magnificent show for you tonight, an impromptu piece starring our wonderful new friends of the stage, as well as our special guest lead, the wonderfully talented and magnificent Theodore Orwell!"

Theodore was an impressive human, with corn blond hair that hung loose down to the middle of his back and very fancy clothes of dark blue and shimmering silver. He walked onto the stage from the other side, taking the microphone from the owner as they passed, nodding to each other. With a wave of his hand, he instructed the musicians to stay playing as he sung the first couple of lines of a song. Then he waved for the Pokemon to join him on stage.

For the first number, the movement on stage was somewhat chaotic. There had been no practice for the Pokemon, never was. Added on top of that, there were over a dozen Pokemon on stage as well. Normally, there were just four or five. Sara spent much of her time using her static to keep herself aloft, above the action. When the spotlight came on her, she would shake some sparks from her cheek pouches and do some simple gliding tricks. Theodore managed the stage action with remarkable grace, keeping up his singing while using hand signals to deflect some overeager Pokemon from wasting their energy on the first song, or to direct uncertain ones into trying to interact with others. Once, he smiled and waved up at her to come down lower, but that attention didn't last long as he had to direct the bubbly warble of an Elgyem trying to sing along.

When the song ended, Theodore then began talking to the Pokemon on stage. "I am a bard, you know, one who travels the land to spread music and joy in the name of the muse Meloetta," he said. "Let me hear how you sing."

Sing? She hadn't sung before, didn't think she had the voice for singing. Sara hardly ever spoke up during the musicals, as the music and calls of the other Pokemon would drown her out. From overhead, she watched as Theodore got several of the Pokemon to sing. Some were great, making melodies as nice as the orchestra instruments; some were awful, being screechy and with no tune. The human seemed to be looking for something, maybe something to help figure out this improv show.

Then the Elgyem, which had been called to sing first but not for long as it liked, got bored and noticed Sara keeping out of reach. It raised a hand and sent a small subtle attack close by her. As the air trembled around her, the Emolga had to struggle to stay in the air. One of her slippers fell off her foot and dropped onto the stage. She squeaked, although not enough to be heard by any but the Elgyem. this couldn't be good; a Trainer who liked the theater wouldn't like a Pokemon that lost her accessories! And it seemed like a sign that this show would be bad like the others.

"Now what do we have here?" Theodore asked, noticing her slipper. He picked it up, making her feel even more embarrassed. Sara thought about going far above the stage where the others couldn't see her. Between the currents and her static, she should be able to manage it. But then the human actor said, "It's a pretty and elegant little shoe, something like a princess would wear. Is there a princess around here?"

for a moment, she still felt afraid and wanted to get out of this. What if she messed up and got laughed at again? But this could be her chance to be a star, if only this once. Sara decided to drift downward, closer to the others.

"Ah, there you are," Theodore said, holding out his free hand. She landed on there; it was tough to grip even though the slipper was flexible, but she managed to find a secure spot. "Let's get this back on then, unless one of you others think you can wear the Cinderella shoe." There were some laughs, but she held up her foot so he could put the red slipper back on. "There you go, pretty as ever. But you seem so sad. Poor little princess. I wonder who you are and what happened to you."

Did she look sad? Her ears were held low and she was more focused on trying to stay on his arm than looking any particular fashion. Out in the audience, a few kids called out her name.

"Sara, is it?"

She nodded, then rubbed at an itch on her nose.

"Let's see if we can't cheer you up then. We're all friends here and we can do that, right?" He glanced around at the other Pokemon on stage.

Whether acting along or authentically feeling kind, the others agreed. The show turned out fairly nice after that. Theodore eventually moved her to his shoulder most of the time, half-directing the other Pokemon and half going along with whatever they were doing. At one point, he tried to get her to sing a song about why she might be sad. She didn't like how that came out, even when the microphone could pick up her small voice. But the audience seemed forgiving, taking it as a part of her 'character act'. When the show came to a close, she made sure to seem happy (because she was happier) and discharge lots of little sparks from her cheeks.

At the end of the show, the Pokemon that were a part of the promotion were kept on stage, while the few others got called back. The theater owner came on stage to pass out the Pokemon that had already been requested, letting their new owners come up to claim the Pokeball and Pokemon. In the middle of this, Theodore interrupted to ask, "Has any one made a claim for Sara here?"

"No, not yet," the owner said. She flicked an ear at this. Maybe someone in the audience would be interested in her now.

Or someone closer. "If that's so, then I'd like to adopt her," Theodore said. "My daughter would love her."

"Of course, that'd be wonderful," the owner said.

Sara chirped an agreement.

Theodore smiled, but then stepped back and lifted her closer. "And I know of a movie that could have a part for you. But it's not supposed to be in public knowledge yet. We'll see."

A movie? She wasn't sure what he meant, but hoped it was something like the theater. Then she could still be a Pokemon star.

…

Emolga White entry: They live on treetops and glide using the inside of a cape-like membrane while discharging electricity.


	274. Slowpoke, Clefable

Fresh fish was the best. Poe the Slowpoke munched through the bass he had caught, bones, scales, meat, and all. The eyes were particularly nice. Once he had finished it off, he considered what to do now. His stomach grumbled, not quite full yet. So he dipped his tail back into the water and waited for another fish to bite, lured by the sweet dew his tail made.

This was a nice place. Trees were all around him; golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, leaving a mosaic of light and dark across the green and brown forest floor. The stream came from a nearby pond, both filled with good clean water that held many fish. If he turned around ninety degrees, he could fish in the pond instead. But he felt that his spot near both would attract fish from the pond and stream.

Warm air flowed over his body like the cooler waters of the stream ran by his tail. The ground below him was a pleasant squishy mud. With a roll in that, he could keep most bugs away. He wondered if there could be anything more pleasant or fulfilling than laying here on a nice day, fishing for good nourishing fish. Maybe the fish in another place would be better. But he wouldn't know until he got there. How would he get there?

With thoughts such as these, Poe's mind wandered in its slow amiable fashion. Really, it was unlikely that he would move very far from this stream and pond. He had moved quite a distance, for him, when he'd come up the stream two hundred yards over three weeks, in order to finally reach this pond. But it was always nice to daydream and plan how he might get to another body of water to fish. While he thought, he hardly noticed the times that fish nibbled at his tail tip, to see if it was something good to eat.

Just like every other day of his life.

* * *

In the evening, another Pokemon came to the pond. She was Clara, a Clefable. She had slept through the day because the woods were so terribly noisy to her. The rustle of leaves in the wind was an almost continual backdrop on which she heard Pokemon and birds calling out, footsteps walking or crashing through the undergrowth, battles breaking out for miles around her, the stream and pond continually gurgling over their rock beds. She could hear tiny noises like a berry being plucked from a mile away, and know what kind of berry it was. Ever since she had evolved, every day was tremendous cacophony. She could only sleep by mixing mud and grass and putting that over her ears, to block out most of the sounds.

In the evening and night, the noises lessened. There were still Pokemon and animals that were active during the night, but not as many as during the day. And they didn't seem as eager to battle at night either. Sometimes, she thought of trying to move away to an even quieter location. But she didn't know where to begin looking for one. So she ended up staying in the forest.

At the pond, she found a nut tree with ripened pecans, so she began picking those to eat. Later on, she could gather many of them to store for winter; that was still months away, but the nuts would keep and better to start too early then too late. She heard the slow steady breathing of another Pokemon at the pond, but that was all the noise he made. While she recognized him as a Slowpoke that had been moving his way up the stream, she didn't really know who he was. But what mattered was that he was relatively quiet, even when he caught his fish and ate them.

Once she had eaten her fill of nuts, she walked onto the pond and began to dance. It wasn't a full moon tonight, but she liked to keep in practice for the nights when she would dance in order to praise the moon. There was a goddess Pokemon that had blessed the Clefairy kind in ancient times, and they continued their dance of worship ever since. On the surface of the pond, Clara hopped and skipped to an unsung melody, fluttering the wings on her back. When she did this, she could imagine flying and dancing in the sky. She'd never managed to actually fly, but it was a pleasant daydream to keep and she could lose her mind deep within it.

All the while, the Slowpoke never moved from his spot. She wondered if he was watching her, so danced closer to the start of the stream. But when she paused, she saw that he was simply staring vacantly off into the trees, as if lost in thought. She had heard that the Slowpokes weren't very smart. But if he was thinking so much, maybe he was just lost in thought too? Like she did with her daydreams of flying.

Since he was quiet, she felt like she could try to make friends with him. Clara hopped off the pond and went over to the Slowpoke. "Hi, how's your fishing going?" She paused, waiting on an answer.

He kept looking upwards, a smile on his face. But he didn't show any recognition of her. Maybe he was amused, or thought she was rude but found it slightly funny?

"Oh, my name's Clara. I like this lake; it's one of the quieter places in the forest at night. What's your name?"

This time, his eyes shifted to her, perhaps because a shadow caused by moonlight fell across his face. While he must have noticed her by now, he wasn't speaking. Most other Pokemon would have said something by now.

Maybe they really were dumb. "Um, but if I'm bothering you, I can just go back to my practice."

His lips moved a little bit before he spoke up, thankfully not in a loud voice. "Hi. I'm Poe. Who are you, again?"

"I'm Clara," she said again. Maybe he hadn't been listening. "I said that earlier."

"Sorry, I was thinking," he said, but kept smiling. "Speaking takes a while."

This puzzled her again. So if he was thinking and not noticing, was he so smart in that he was wrapped up in his internal thoughts, or was he so dumb that he had to think through everything more than anyone else? "Why would talking take a while? You just say what's on your mind, at least I do. Sure, you need to think things through, but it doesn't take that long." Then she paused, thinking that she might want to be quiet for a bit if she wanted to hold this conversation.

It took a couple of minutes, during which he sometimes moved his lips in thought. Then he said, "It takes much time… first you must listen to the other closely, noting what words they pick, what tone they use, what their expressions may mean, what they might mean with their words and what they may not. It takes much review. Then you must formulate your response, attempting to pick words for precision and clarity, making sure as not to offend the other and answer any questions they may have. Then you must think on how to form the words; speaking is really a complex exercise of the tongue, mouth, and body. Minute differences can alter the meaning of what you say. And I usually don't choose to speak so much, but I felt you would appreciate the consideration." He spoke in a slow deliberate tone, not loud either. It made Clara grateful as listening to him didn't hurt her ears.

"I see, I think," she said. "I don't think about those things as much as you do." His lips were moving again, so she stopped.

"I consider all things, so I do things very slowly," he said.

Then he must be smart if he thought so much. Making her wings flutter, she smiled. "That's good. I might try to think on little things like you do; it could be interesting. Oh, and since you think a lot and you must listen a lot, do you know of any places that are quieter than this? I can't take noise and even here is a bit too much, especially during the day."

"I thought you might not like noise, because you make so little yourself," Poe said. Then he paused, thinking. It took even longer this time, making Clara wonder if he'd gotten off track. But then he said, "I would not be one to ask about other places. I can imagine them, but not travel quick enough to see them. If you can stand it for a little while, I would ask one of the flying Pokemon. Perhaps a Hoothoot. They must travel far on their wings, and so they would know many places."

That made sense, although she didn't like the idea of talking to a flying Pokemon. Most of them were so noisy, calling out challenges, threats, and greetings almost all the time. A night bird like a Hoothoot would be easiest, as she would have to deal with less competing noise. She regretted not having found a quieter place back when she was a Clefairy, or even a Cleffa. "Okay, I'll try that. But I may stay here too; it's nice to know I have a quiet friend around. Maybe we can talk later. Bye!" Then she skipped back out onto the lake, making a plan for confronting a Hoothoot. Or maybe a Noctowl, that could be better. She'd have to find one that was alone…

* * *

Poe noticed Clara skipping off. "Bye," he said, although she was halfway across the lake. But with her hearing, she'd hear it anyhow.

A friend, huh? He'd had a friend back at his old spot, another Slowpoke that fished at the stream there. He always wondered if she would follow him up here. Sometimes, he hoped it would happen so that they could be more than friends. But moving up here had taken a lot of effort, and he didn't feel like moving all the way back just yet. Maybe if he let those feelings simmer for a while, he would want to go.

Now, what had he been doing before Clara had started talking to him? He'd been thinking about the way moonlight changed the color of the grass to be more blue, like how the sun made their colors brighter and the shade made them darker. But what had he been doing here before that?

He couldn't remember. But, his stomach didn't feel full. Poe dipped his tail in the water and began waiting on a fish to bite its sweet tip. In the meantime, he considered friendship and how one was different from the other.

…

Clefable Soul Silver entry: Its very sensitive ears let it distinguish distant sounds. As a result, it prefers quiet places.

Slowpoke Emerald entry: It catches prey by dipping its tail in water at the side of the river. But it often forgets what it is doing and spends entire days just loafing at the water's edge.


	275. Jumpluff, Klingklang, Glupin

It was still following her.

Cursing the lack of wind, she pumped her arms much like a human swimmer did, trying to move as fast as she could with the most efficient movement. But if the wind didn't start up, she couldn't go fast enough to keep away from it. It had her scent. It was chasing after her intent on eating her. Although she hadn't seen it for long, she knew that was why it was after her. She could tell by the way it drooled and pursued her relentlessly.

She was tiring, though. She'd already spent a long day in floating towards her next destination. While she wasn't sure where that was, she would know when she saw it. That's how it always was. Her travels often led to encounters with danger, but usually the air was moving enough to help her along. Not today.

If only she could find a body of water, or a tall obstacle. That would give her an advantage over this land-crawling foe. However, the land was flat with no surface water, and the only tall obstacles were some human buildings that were still some ways off. She was heading for those; if she got to the roof, she'd be safe.

It was still following her.

* * *

A large colony of gear Pokemon lived around the factory complex. They were a close-knit community. Since their kind didn't have a long history, some other Pokemon snubbed them as still being newcomers to the scene even if they had been around the factory at least a hundred years (as far as they knew). They stuck together as an extended family then, supporting and defending each other.

And when one that had left the community came back, it was an occasion worth celebrating. It had been three years ago since he had left the factory, as a Klink captured by a human. Now he was a Klinklang with a definite self-perception as a male. "My Trainer kept treating me that way, so it just became natural. He even named me Steve, which is supposed to be a definite man's name."

"If it is who you see yourself as, then that is who you are," another Klinklang said. For many years, she had been the only one around the factory, an old one who said that she was one of the second generation of Klinks, very long ago (in their minds). "Although it is a pity that you feel male because another continually said you were, instead of choosing for yourself after much deliberation. How was it, being out with a human-led team?"

"It was different," he said, shifting how his gears were aligned. Some of the younger Klinks had come up close to him, marveling at the lower and back gears on him now. They were a lot cleaner than the elder's, with barely any scratches. "I was to act with a group that was made up of many different Pokemon. There were always six of us at a time, but which six it was changed continually. Sometimes I was given a break at a place called a Daycare, to meet many Pokemon from many lands. And when I was with my Trainer, he had us battling other teams of Pokemon or doing various things, like moving weights and racing. Sometimes he did things that I couldn't understand, but it was all for science, that's what he said."

Quite a lot of them were impressed by that. "Science is good," the elder said. "Science runs the factory and may be what brought us into being."

"Did you learn to fight really well?" one of the younger Klinks asked.

"Yes, I did learn that," Steve said. "He even taught me some moves that I think the elder doesn't know."

"Are you sure about that?" the elder said, momentarily spinning faster in an amused manner. "I have had many more years to learn."

"Yes. I could show you..." he glanced around and noticed another Pokemon flying overhead. She had a small blue body, but proportionally huge cream-colored cotton puffs on her arms and above her head. That would work. "I can show you right now."

Steve reset his gears quickly, then spun them in such a way that his innermost gear, the one attached to a bright red orb, rotated at its highest speed. The younger Klinks backed away, sensing the great energy charge building up in and around his body. After a couple seconds of charge time, he modified the electromagnetic charge into a gravitational charge and spread that around him. The pull of the earth became immensely powerful, making it a struggle for even him to keep levitating. The younger Klinks and the Jumpluff overhead all dropped down to the ground from the Gravity attack.

"It doesn't do any harm," he admitted. "But it keeps anything from flying or levitating for a little while."

"That is impressive," the elder said. "Something of significant tactical importance."

But while she was talking, the Jumpluff burst into tears. "Ho quasi sfuggito! Ora sta andando a mangiare me!"

"What's the stinky Pokemon saying?" a Klink asked. "Why's it talking weird?"

"It's probably from a distant land." Steve said.

"Si sta arrivando," the Jumpluff said, trying to hop along the ground. But the Gravity effect, or just being on the ground, made that difficult for her.

"And it's not stinky," another Klink said. "But something sure reeks, blech."

At this point, Steve noticed a single yellow leaf moving through the tall grass. It emerged, revealing a smooth green pokemon. It didn't even have legs, just little nubs for arms. Despite this, it moved at a steady pace towards the downed Jumpluff. It was also the source of the stench. "I'm not sure what that Pokemon is," he said.

"It's so weird and stinky," a Klink said, sitting near the odd green Pokemon.

"Get away!" the elder said. "That one, the Gulpin, is dangerous."

"How?" the Klink said.

The Gulpin paused, as the Klink was in the way of its path to the Jumpluff. Before any of them could react, it opened its large lips wide... and wider, far more than it was tall, and swallowed the Klink whole. The other Klinks squealed and rolled away, while the Gulpin only paused a moment before continuing on after the Jumpluff. The cotton Pokemon started wailing in fear.

Sending off a spark of rage, the elder Klinklang came in front of the Jumpluff. "Foolish though the child may have been, you will suffer for eating one of our own, Gulpin."

Although he'd been away for so long, Steve went up with her to defending their community. It was partly his fault for using Gravity; the Gulpin might have continued on past them if he hadn't. "You will not get away with that." he and the elder then fired powerful electric moves at the Gulpin. It stood not chance and immediately fainted. And, that was all? "It seems weak for a menace," he said.

"It will get bigger, enough to eat us," the elder said. "And it will get more powerful too. It has been a long time since I've seen one of them, so we can't let it settle nearby. Steve, would you take it far away, before it awakens?"

It reeked, like old garbage left out on a hot day. But Steve was back with his kind now, and he was powerful enough to take on responsibility for the safety of them all. Which meant that he had to get that Gulpin away before it decided that this would be a good place to hunt. "Yes, I'll do that."

He went over to the unconscious Gulpin and, carefully using his electromagnetic pulses, picked it up and headed away from the factory. Once he got away from the Gravity field, he could pick up the pace. But just how far away should he take it?

* * *

Later in the day, a breeze started up and the Jumpluff was able to catch it to get back into the air on the move. Those strange metal Pokemon, they were powerful. If she could make friends with them, she and any spore children she had would be safe, protected by their neighbors. But, she knew that it had to be one of them that put that great invisible weight on her, pulling her down to the ground. It was probably one of those giant ones. She didn't want to hang around and have them think that it a was an amusing prank to pull.

Back in the safety of the sky, she continued her travels, searching for a new place to settle.

…

Jumpluff Heart Gold entry: Once it catches the wind, it deftly controls its cotton-puff spores – it can even float around the world.

Klinklang White entry: The gear with the red core is rotated at high speed for a rapid energy charge.

Gulpin LG/FR entry: There is nothing its stomach can't digest. While it is digesting, vile, overpowering gases are expelled.


	276. Pignite, Prinplup, Seel, Spheal

"What do you want?" the Prinplup at the door asked. She looked at him suspiciously. "We deal harshly with traveling salesmons, you know."

The Pignite nodded. "I know, but I'm not here selling things. I'm an explorer and I'm looking for the leader of this village to answer some questions."

Pulling a fin up and raising her head, she said, "Well there's no need for you to go looking for the so-called leader. I'm the one you'd want to talk to; the rest are all worthless. What is it?"

He gave her a skeptical look, but didn't say anything this time. "I'm looking for the entrance to the Arctic Palace for an important mission. Do you know where it is?"

The Prinplup sniffed. "Why would you care about that place? It's an old empty shell only inhabited by crazy Pokemon. You can't even recruit them to get them properly civilized, I hear. But I do know some great dungeons to explore, if you'll willing to follow me into them."

"Nah, I'm only interested in the Arctic Palace," he said, shaking his head. "Thanks anyhow, m'am."

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door on her igloo.

This time, the dead end didn't bother him much. It'd been happening all too much in the past couple of days. The first few times, he'd taken up the Prinplups' offers of going into other dungeons in hopes they would spill the info he actually wanted. But they were all proud creatures and were easily provoked into being hostile. Was it a cultural thing? Somebody needed to get the Piplups into a warmer community to break that cycle.

The Pignite explorer shrugged and walked off to the next igloo, getting an apple to snack on. Although this was a village, all of the snow-built homes were quite far apart. But given the attitude that many of them were sporting, it made sense. If any of these Prinplups met, he'd bet that they'd be fighting within minutes.

At the next igloo, he got pretty much the same deal. The Prinplup there thought that he had been sent by one of his neighbors as an enemy, then said that he was the most important one in the village but not the leader. He offered to take the Pginite to a secret dungeon that was not the Arctic Palace (but one that he had been in just yesterday evening), and told him to get lost when the offer was declined. At this point, the explorer was thinking that he and his partner would be best off just scouting the area around the palace dungeon to find the way inside. Maybe even making a new entrance; his inner fires were burning strong thanks to his ample supplies, but they might need the firepower inside more.

He heard some upbeat music, which was odd considering the chilly atmosphere of this place. Following it, he came upon a snow structure that was much like a storefront booth, with the shopkeeper's home and storage behind it in the main structure. On one of the snow counters, there was a strange gray and black device from which the music came from. The two shopkeepers weren't Prinplups, thankfully. They were a Seel and a Spheal, passing time by dancing to the music.

The Seel noticed him first and lifted up a white flipper to wave. "Ah, good afternoon, dear traveler! Welcome to our Kecleon Shop!"

Stopping his spinning in place, the speckled Spheal noticing him and smiled. "Welcome!"

The Pignite couldn't keep from smiling. "Good afternoon. I notice that your Kecleon Shop is strangely short on lizards."

"Lizard!" the Spheal said.

Laughing, the Seel said, "We're a franchise, see. It took some convincing, but we got the connection. I'm Macy and this would be Will. May we help you with anything on this wonderful day?"

"Help?" Will echoed.

They were already more helpful than the Prinplups. He tapped his head as a sign of respect. "It is nicer than other days, but it's still really cold."

"But that's what makes it so wonderful," Macy said cheerily, dancing a bit more to the music.

"Wonderful!" Will said, clapping his fins together with a big grin.

"I suppose I should have expected so much," he said with a chuckle. "If you could help, that'd be great, but I'd take some extra goods if not. I'm Blaine, an explorer from the south. I'm doing some important research for my guild, and if that radio is any indication," he pointed to the music device, "then you may know something of use to me. First, I'd like to know if you know the leader of the village."

"Don't see the leader," Will said, surprisingly not echoing this time.

Macy nodded. "Right, that won't do you any more good than seeing the villagers. He's an Empoleon and he's very stubborn. Mad most of the time too because the Prinplups don't give him the respect he believes that he is due."

"No respect."

Blaine glanced around, thinking. "Is that so? Why are they all here? They don't seem to get along."

The Seel slid closer and put her flippers up on the counter. "They're supposed to be protecting something around here, but I think that they've forgotten what over the generations. They've created this legacy of pride and suspicion that makes them not even trust each other. Really, the only reason we're going great business here is that they would rather buy from those outside their clan than to support a rival among their own."

"I think the village will break up soon," Will said. "Then we'll invite other Pokemon to move in and make this a great town."

Macy nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan."

Feeling impressed at these two, he bowed his head. "Well best of luck in that venture. This area could use a reliable town and this would be the best spot to have it."

"Oh yes it's great! We have the icy ocean to swim in and hunt for fish, and we have four major roads that all pass through here, and the glaciers keep away the worst gales and storms. I go swimming every morning and evening... oh, sorry, I don't mean to prattle," Macy laughed at herself, in a great mood.

"No problem," Blaine said. "The friendly chatter is better than what I'm getting elsewhere. And since I can't trust these Prinplups for information, do you know the way into the Arctic Palace? It's supposedly a human ruins, and you have a human device here."

"Oh yeah, but we got the radio from some traders," Macy said, looking at it. "Along with the music discs; sorry. But you know what? I think that the entrance to the Arctic Palace is elsewhere, in another dungeon."

"Elsewhere," Will echoed.

Blaine rubbed his chin. "That would make sense. Any ideas on where?"

"Will?" Macy asked, then glanced up at Blaine. "Don't worry; he's actually really smart, the one who came up with our plan. He just likes to be playful."

The Spheal rolled around, going under the counter and emerging out in front of the stall. "I hear some things from local explorers," he said. "None of them are that great, but some speak of the dungeon known as Glacier Gate. It is a puzzle dungeon, and several teams have solved the puzzle hoping for treasure. Instead, they found an extensive tunnel that heads to the north, then enters a massive dungeon that is thought to be the most difficult one in the area. Glacier Gate is directly south of the Arctic Palace, and the tunnel is straight."

"Glacier Gate, huh? It sounds like a strong possibility. Could you show me where it is?"

"Get map!" Will said, rolling to Blaine's other side.

"We do have maps of the area on sale," Macy said. "Cheap too, at ten Poke."

"That would be helpful," he said. And rather like shopkeepers, giving him a lead but then asking him to buy the item needed to follow up on it. However, it wasn't that bad. "While I'm buying stuff, can you get me a dozen apples and two dozen berries? I don't mind most berries, so it can be a mix of what you have in stock."

"Wow, you feed an army?" Will asked jokingly.

"Just myself," Blaine said. He slapped his stomach. "In a cold place like this, I need to keep my inner fires going strong."

"Of course," Macy said. "Well thanks to the franchise, we have a great inventory. Let me go in back and get our berries."

After getting the goods, including a map, he was able to get Will to point out the locations of Arctic Palace and Glacier Gate. It was much as he said: the Gate was directly south of the Palace and while the tunnel had to be long, it was a dungeon arrangement that he saw occasionally. The Spheal then offered to show him the house of the Empoleon leader anyhow on his way out of the village. Since it might be helpful later on, Blaine agreed and said goodbye to Macy the Seel, then followed the rolling Spheal to the east.

The igloo that the leader lived in was built on top of a large mound of snow. While it wasn't any bigger than the others, it was certainly higher. Will explained that each generation of leaders tried to make the mound higher, but few thought to make it bigger so the houses had gotten smaller. A village law prevented others from making their house higher than the leader's.

While they were there talking, a Prinplup came up to them. "Hey, what are you doing talking to that idiot?" she asked. "You're not going to learn anything useful from him."

"Hey!" Will said, smiling.

"Well he's been kind," Blaine said. "But if you do know anything useful about the Arctic Palace dungeon, I'd love to hear about it."

"Hear, hear!"

"Forget about Arctic Palace," the Prinplup said, shaking her head. "It's much too much work for too little rewards."

"Work?" Will looked between them.

Blaine nodded. "Ah, then it must be something for better teams than those I've seen around here. Me and my partner should do just fine."

"Just fine," Will said in agreement.

That made her furious. "What, are you calling me weak? I am the most vital member of this community and saying something like that is nothing less than a challenge. You will battle, now!"

He put his ebony hoofed paw to his chin as Will rolled out of the way. "You think that I didn't come up to the arctic prepared for such a possibility?" He accepted her challenge to battle and quickly had her defeated. When she fell unconscious and he was certain she wasn't faking, Blaine turned to the Spheal shopkeeper. "I suppose it might be good to stay away. A real shame, as the supplies would be good."

However, Will laughed and clapped his fins. "No worries! The others will hear that she got defeated by a Fire Pokemon and be more disgusted at her than you. You may get another challenge if you do come, but that is no issue, I see. You and your team would be most welcome to our shop anytime! Good luck in your travels."

Smiling, he bowed his head. "Thank you. I'm going to meet up with my partner to review what we've both found, but we will probably be back to stock up before the dungeon runs. Enjoy your cold weather."

"Most certainly." Will then rolled back to his shop while Blaine left town to find his exploring partner. Glacier Gate was certainly the most promising lead on Arctic Palace he'd found yet.

…

Pignite B2/W2 entry: The more it eats, the more fuel it has to make the fire in its stomach stronger. This fills it with even more power.

Prinplup Diamond entry: It lives alone, away from others. Apparently, every one of them believes it is the most important.

Seel B2/W2 entry: The colder it gets, the better it feels. It joyfully swims around oceans so cold that they are filled with floating ice.

Spheal B2/W2 entry: They can't swim well yet, and they move much faster by rolling. When they're happy, they clap fins.


	277. Reuniclus, Slowbro

'Trading Pokemon'... 'Feeding Pokemon'... 'General Care of Pokemon'... 'Troubleshooting a Pokeball'... nothing, there was nothing in the Official Pokemon Trainer's Handbook about this. Not that I was expecting there to be anything, but there had been hope for some advice. Even just a recommendation of another book or resource. Of course, if someone had told me this had happened to someone else, I wouldn't have believed them. It had all been an accident, but it just seemed too stupid to happen. But in the middle of it, the idiocy or not of it was the least of my concerns.

Next to me on the generic blue couch of the Pokecenter, Alora was sitting as a pile of blue goo, her face against the cushion. She wasn't even trying to look like the doll she often seemed to be, or floating in the air. It was a little surprising to me that she had the awareness to be upset about this. But maybe it shouldn't be. Evolving into a Reuniclus had made her behave in a more intelligent manner. She was a Pokemon, though, and it always seemed like they were lesser than human. Anyone who claimed otherwise was a bleeding heart romantic. But seeing her like this, I was starting to wonder.

Pokemon work for humans. You just see it everywhere that you don't think it's maybe they work with us. They work on constructing buildings, they move things for us, they fight for us, they act silly for our amusement... and they don't demand much in return. Food, shelter, water, and love. Such a vague word, love. They say that the best Trainers are the ones who show the most love for their Pokemon, but then they never say what a loving Trainer does. For much of my life, I thought it was just words, and that there was some secret method that the best Trainers kept to themselves. But maybe those who truly love their Pokemon notice sooner who their Pokemon are, what kind of individuals they are.

Time seems to drag on, but the nurse on duty at the front desk eventually called my name. "You can go back to meet with your Slowbro and the doctor, in room 225, up the elevator."

"Okay, thanks," I called back. Then I looked down and saw the goo pile quiver. "Come on, Alora."

"Mmmmmm,"she replies, muffled by the couch. Not wanting leave her by herself, I picked her up as best I could. Holding a Reuniclus is a bit like holding thick gelatin, as their true body is covered in a deep layer of a translucent blue substance. And since she was too upset to use telekinesis, her whole body was limp. Fortunately she stayed in one piece, so I was able to balance her on my hip while I opened doors and worked the elevator panel.

In room 225, I found Harold sprawled out on a raised bed. The strange gray Shellder that was clamped onto his tail had its eyes closed, resting on its own pillow. The Slowbro himself raised his head on seeing me enter, even though the majority of it was wrapped up in a cast. Waving a paw at me, more languid than usual, he called out, "Yaaaaaaaaaa."

The doctor put a hand on Harold's shoulder to restrain him from getting up. "He's going to recover, but I'm afraid there might be brain damage we haven't been able to detect yet. He could have problems late on, so I have to put a flag on his registry that he's not allowed to participate in Pokemon battles for a year. He should be reviewed after that, but that flag may become permanent."

I nodded. "Okay." What should I do about that, I wondered I never thought I'd be taking care of a Pokemon that was incapable of battling.

"I have to put a similar flag on your Reuniclus for causing this," the doctor added, causing Alora to shudder. "But that one will have to be contested in court if it is to be removed after a year. Sorry, but a Pokemon who causes this kind of damage to another is legally a problem."

"I'm sure it wasn't intentional," I said, thinking about how she'd been ever since I had to make the emergency call for Harold. "She has this habit of telekinetically pinching the ear of a person she wants attention from." And she could pinch harder if ignored further. That's how I think it escalated to crushing his skull. She really couldn't have meant to do that and just misjudged her strength.

"Due to the influence of the Shellder, a Slowbro is incapable of feeling pain," the doctor said. "And they seem to have a drastically reduced sense of touch as well. We have to inject paralyzers into him to keep him in place to heal, and even then I've seen one wander off when badly injured. Even so, we can't have her in battle again."

I was at a loss then. Winning the Pokemon League challenge had been a dream of mine for years. For a while, it was tempting for me to try giving Alora and Harold away so that I could continue. There were wild Pokemon all over the place. I even knew where to hunt down a Solosis and Slowpoke to replace them with; training new ones up would be faster than waiting on a year for these two.

But, these were my Pokemon. Harold watched me, his yellow eyes peering through the cast asking me why he was being made to stay inside instead of going out to play or sleep. And Alora had her face buried in my side, quivering and not wanting to face what she had done on accident. That day, they no longer seemed like any other Slowbro and Reuniclus out in the world. They were Harold and Alora... Pokemon that depended on me. They loved me, and sought out my love in return.

That evening, I went to the front desk and asked the nurse to take my name off the Pokemon League registry. Harold needed watching after in case something had gotten messed up in his brain. Alora needed comfort and reassuring that she was still a good Pokemon. And I needed to focus on meeting both of their needs.

…

Reuniclus B2/W2 entry: They use psychic power to control their arms, which are made of a special liquid. They can crush boulders psychically.

Slowbro Soul Silver entry: Naturally dull to begin with, it lost its ability to feel pain due to Shellder's seeping poison.


	278. Nosepass, Pinsir

Bess like to contemplate things. There was a lot to think about: the universe, the nature of the gods, the weather, the plants, the rocks, the seas, the Pokemon, and more. When she worked on one philosophical problem, it often lead to dozens of others, a whole web of knowledge and wisdom to consider. She listened to the masters, experts, and scholars, absorbing what they knew and thought. She had read many books and scrolls, often thinking and learning through the night and day. One day, maybe they'd call her a sage.

For now, though, she was being hurled through the air. She knocked into a wild Lopunny. As a Nosspass, it didn't hurt her much, but it knocked out the other Pokemon. Bess tumbled back onto the ground, whirling about until she was back on her feet with her long nose pointed north. After having been thrown like this hundreds of times, she could do this unerringly, without wasting energy in moving too much. She took a momentary break from her thoughts and looked over the wild Pokemon there. Still alert were a Spearow and a Roselia. She lifted a red arm and summoned a mass of rocky spikes to burst from the ground, knocking out the former. For the latter, she just waited.

Moments later, a Pinsir burst into the forest opening. "Back off, petalhead!" she shouted, twisting her body so that one of her pincers caught hold of the Roselia's leafy hand. Then she clamped down and ripped out a large portion of the petals. Shrieking, the wild Roselia bolted from the field to hide in the trees. The Pinsir laughed heartily. "Ha ha, and a coward too? Not that I'd blame you. All of you should be afraid of Tess the mighty!" Then she took a few steps to face Bess. "You doing all right? It's been quite a dungeon."

Bess saluted with her right arm. She was fine. Besides, as usual Tess had done much of the fighting.

"Good, then let's keep at it. We'll get to the depths of this place by nightfall, I feel it!" Then she picked up the Nosepass in her pincers and began carrying her over her head. Bess wasn't afraid or bothered by this. This was how they always explored dungeons.

As they went on, Bess thought about the dungeon, only taking a break when Tess had thrown her into battle and her skills were needed to take out threats to her partner. But here in Mystery Jungle, there were far more threats to her with all the Grass Pokemon around. Tess was having a field day. Yes, she took to every exploration with enthusiasm, but forests were her favorite. And a special forest dungeon like this, where the entrance was hidden with a password spoken to a particular tree, the Pinsir was bound to be louder and more boastful than normal as she was so happy.

Mystery Jungle... this was said to be the home of Mew, a legendary Pokemon that may have had a hand in creating all normal Pokemon like themselves. The password to this place hadn't been that hard for them to uncover. In fact, it had come from a traveler who stopped in the local cafe; he said that it was passed from person to person with surprising frequency. Finding the particular tree had taken some hunting and observation, but wasn't too hard. However, it was said that very few actually met with Mew here. Maybe this wasn't the legend's home. Or maybe the legend was better at hiding.

And things might be better off if such legends continued to be elusive and hide. These Pokemon were so powerful that they could make miracles happen. When they did something, everyone around them was affected; sometimes even Pokemon far away were affected. If they demanded tributes and absolute obedience, most normal Pokemon would not be able to fight for their freedom to choose. Their immediate presence would also lower the efforts and will of normal Pokemon. After all, if there was a problem, all they would have to do is go to the legendary Pokemon and ask for a miracle to solve it. Without that easy way out, Pokemon could develop the will, persistence, and talents to solve their own issues. Even if the issue at hand was meeting with a legendary Pokemon just for the novelty of it.

Bess found herself being hurled at another wild Pokemon, this time a Sceptile which was promptly knocked out. When she looked at the Pokemon there, she noticed there was already a battle going on. Some were wearing bags attached to belts, sashes, and headbands, all signs of civilized Pokemon. There was quite a group of them, but they looked much worse off than herself and Tess. It must have been a hard dungeon for them.

Tess rushed into the room and knocked out a second Sceptile, breaking up the pressure on the other group. Once they had taken out their last foe, the first team looked over the Pinsir cautiously. "Thanks, but who are you?" a Medicham asked. From the medal around his neck, he was the leader of the five of them.

Pounding on her chest with two arms, she said, "I'm Tess, and this is my bess friend Bess, and we're the amazing Team Huntress! Glad to help; who are you bunch?"

"We're part of the Golden Guild, which doesn't split up into smaller teams," the Medicham said. "As long as you're not a band of thieves."

"Of course not," Tess said cheerily. "Need any help with anything else? We got time and energy to spare."

He shook his head. "No, we're out of time ourselves, just waiting on a clear room to get out of here. We've been on this level for nearly a full day, trying to find the gateway to the next area. But there's nothing but strange stone tablets around. It's very frustrating, so you might as well leave too."

She laughed at that suggestion. "Nah, we're good. I'm the brawn and she's the brain, so we'll figure something out."

"If you think, but you'll probably be leaving in the same way yourselves," the Medicham said. He waved to his allies, then used an Escape Orb to teleport with all of them out of the jungle.

Tess picked up Bess again. "You know, I always thought that if they'd allow partners like us to stick together, I wouldn't mind being in the Golden Guild. A lot of their explorers become fabulously wealthy thanks to secrets they're said to keep."

"They allow their members no freedom in what jobs they take," Bess said, recalling what many travelers and ex-members of the Golden Guild had said. "They would not allow a pair to go on the same mission together twice. And the Guildmaster and his associates control everything about the lives of regular members."

"I guess that would stink," Tess said. "I like my freedom! Now, let's go find that hidden gateway!"

After several more battles, they came across an opening with two stone slabs that were taller than Tess. They matched similar slabs that had been scattered across this level, made of a bluish-gray stone and carved into a pentagon that had been stretched tall. There were no wild Pokemon in the meadow yet. "The two stones are twins, only one room has two stones, the twins hold the key," Bess recited from several similar slabs they had come across. "This is where we need to be."

"All right, here you go." she dropped Bess in front of the southern face of the slab, which thankfully was the one with writing on it. "I'll keep any troublemakers from bugging ya." She clicked her pincers, amused at her own joke.

The Nosepass looked up at the slab. The riddle it was inscribed with was odd. 'This is or is not Mystery Jungle. The next level is or is not the last level of the dungeon. There is or is not many wild Pokemon on the next level. There is or is not a market on the next level. The way is or is not found in the following method: place the blue or red stone in this or that slab, and place the blue or red stone in this or that slab. The gateway will or will not appear between the two slabs. You will or will not face a challenge from Mew if you arrive at the next level.'

At the foot of the slab, there was a round blue stone. Up on the peak of the slab, there was a circular insert where the stone could be placed. But, it would help to read the other slab in order to solve the riddle correctly, intentionally rather than accidentally. Bess could not turn easily, as her nose, and therefore her face, always had to face north due to magnetism. But she could turn her waist about, then take tiny slow steps with her small stubby feet.

She hadn't even moved two inches when Tess picked her up. "Come on, you should know to ask me. In front of the other one?"

"Sorry. Yes." Sometimes she was so intent on solving a riddle that she forgot how slow her pace was and how quick Tess could become impatient.

Once she was in front of the other, she noticed that all of the lines of this slab were questions. Most of them would require a simple answer of yes or no. And if these two stones were twins, then the answers to this one had to point out the correct statements on the other.

"Would you stand in front of the other and help me solve this?" Bess asked. "It has many options, but I will tell you which is the correct one."

"Gotcha," Tess said. She darted over, glanced around for wild Pokemon, then looked over the words. "Man this is weird."

The first question was, 'Is this place dark?' The aura of this dungeon and the thick canopy of leaves kept light from being strong here. "The first one is the positive choice."

"Okay, then... 'This is the Mystery Jungle.' Well duh, everyone knows that."

"That tells us we understand this key correctly," Bess said, looking over the next question. It was, 'Do Roselia live here?' They had run into many, so, "The second one is positive."

"'The next level is the last level of this dungeon.' Ha ha, those Golden Guild losers gave up right at the finish line!"

"The last may be toughest," she reminded her partner. Reading on, the next question was, 'Does this dungeon have less than ten levels?' They had already passed through nearly thirty, so, "The third one is negative."

"'There is not many wild Pokemon on the next level.' Well that's a bummer, cause there will be less fights! That sounds boringly easy." Tess shook her pincers, then glanced aside at a wild Pokemon coming into the room. It didn't seem interested in them yet, wasn't even close enough to see what it was.

Continuing on, the slab asked fairly simple questions. Paying attention to the form of the dungeon and what went on inside it gave the answers to all of them. This led the other slab to telling them that there wasn't a market on the next level and the slabs would lead the way to the next level. The next questions she could solve on her own. 'What color is the sky?' and 'Which stone asks questions?' meant that the blue stone went in this slab, while 'What color is a campfire?' and 'Which stone states things?' meant that the red stone went in the other slab.

The last two questions startled Bess: 'Are you one who always faces north?' and 'Is your friend one of large pincers?'. It seemed to pick out the two of them precisely. But, these words were carved in stone. This had to be the place of a legendary Pokemon, to make such accurate questions. "The last two are both positive," Bess said in a hesitant voice.

"Then the gateway will appear between these slabs, and we'll face Mew in battle. Awesome! I can't wait! Let me get these thingys in the right spots." She carefully plucked the blue stone up with her pincers and came over to put it in the slot of the stone Bess was in front of, then did the same for the red stone in the other.

"Mew must know so much," Bess said to herself. Maybe they could stay to talk with Mew for a little while. Tess might get antsy, but she would love being able to hear the knowledge and wisdom of such an ancient Pokemon.

Once the stones were in place, a beam of energy passed between the two stones. There was a blinding flash, and then a golden gateway appeared in front of them. Such gateways were rare, and they dissolved once used until their key was used or solved again. Tess picked Bess up and walked them both through the gateway, magically transferring them to the next level of Mystery Jungle.

Tess at least had the courtesy to put Bess down when they came across Mew, waiting in a large meadow for them. It was a smaller Pokemon than either of them, a pink feline with a long thin tail, floating in the air. "You found your way to me," Mew said in a delighted voice. "I hope that you'll play with me a little while."

"We sure will!" Tess said, clicking her pincers together.

"You chose for us to find you, rather than the other group of explorers," Bess said. "Why did you do that?"

"Huh, you did?" the Pinsir asked, puzzled.

Mew twisted its tail about so that it was holding it in one paw. "I did. You two have a strong bond of friendship, one that deserves to be honored. They have a weak bond and will easily break in the face of adversity." Then Mew flipped around in midair, speaking once it was facing them again. "And if you can defeat me in a play battle, then I may have a mission for you. But you must prove yourselves."

Was this dungeon, including the stone slabs, a test for a special mission? Bess felt that it may be so, and with some thought she might be able to say if it was or not. But then Tess picked her back up. "We'll show the strength of our bond to anybody who dares test it!" the Pinsir shouted before hurling the Nosepass at Mew.

Another battle had begun.

…

Nosepass Sapphire entry: Nosepass has been said to be completely unmoving, with its magnetic nose pointed due north. However, close observation has revealed that the Pokemon actually moves by a little over 3/8ths of an inch each year.

Pinsir Leaf Green entry: If it fails to crush the foe in its pincers, it will swing around and toss the opponent.


	279. Staravia, Dodrio

The sky was red before that dawn, leaving an ominous warning to those Pokemon who woke up to it. The air was still, as if nature itself anticipated what was to come. Ever since last night, the field had been empty; the residents had slept elsewhere in fear of what was going to happen. At the edges of the field, there amassed an enormous number of Pokemon, quiet save for the occasional flutter of wings in eager anticipation. They were split up into two sides. On both sides, they were all Staravias. Their gray and black feathers were streaked with yellow and red or green and white today. These markings made by smearing berries or dust on their bodies were the signs of war. The younger Starlies and the older Staraptors had all stayed out of this, either unable to participate or not interested in doing so.

There was one lone Pokemon there that was not a Staravia. She was a Dodrio, and she stood at the entrance of the field on a path that led back to town. In respect to the rules, she had not stepped into the boundaries of the field yet. She wore no signs of war and did not appear nervous at all. Indeed, one of her three heads was still napping while the other two gazed calmly around the area. Often, their looks fell on the center of the field.

In the center of the field, there was a mound of earth that wasn't very large. But it was tall enough to stand over the rest, to make whatever or whoever was there noticeable. At the moment, there was an energy shield sitting on the mound. Its glow flickered occasionally as its time came to an end. Underneath it, barely viewable from where all the Pokemon waited, there was a small instrument. A bamboo flute of two bodies, with a long leather cord attached to it. It was small, but was the reason for all this tension.

This had all started a week ago...

…

"Please, let the Priestess talk!" a Fearow called out into the meeting hall, trying to quell the squabbling between various representatives of the Flying Pokemon in the area. It was a trouble at every such meeting, but one would expect a time of such importance to be respected.

"Thank you," the Altaria said quietly. All of the flocks were allowed to keep their own laws and customs, but the High Priestess to the Sky Dragon was the closest thing the Flying Pokemon had to a person who ruled over all of them. Technically, any of the legendary Pokemon that could fly had to be obeyed. As the spokesbird for one of them, the Priestess could overrule any of the others.

But she was advanced in years and many birds in their prime no longer respected her. "But our issue is more important!" a Staravia called back. He got agreement from his kin, both other Staravias and the Staraptors.

"I doubt it," the Fearow said.

There was a tremendous clatter as a rock struck the metal beams of the open-air meeting hall. "Shut up and let's get this dealt with so we can move this meeting on!" an Aerodactyl shouted.

"We'll get to every issue if there is order," the Priestess Altaria said. "Now, I have come here to announce that I am retiring from my position. It is getting harder for me to fly to the place where I need to perform my duties and keep up with all of you. So I will be passing on the Wind Flute shortly."

"About time!" a Pidgeotto said, getting laughs from those around him.

She lowered her head. "If all of you keep up this attitude, the only thing that will come of it is strife and division. The Wind Flute will be given to the one who can claim it, as it has always been in our tradition. Tonight, I will place it in the Wind Meadow and a protective shield will come around it. The shield will be impenetrable. A week from today, when the sun rises, the shield will weaken, allowing a suitable candidate to pick up the Flute within it. When the candidate takes it to the top of Sky Tower and plays a note on it, that Pokemon will become the next High Priestess to the Sky Dragon. If a Pokemon who is not suitable to the job tries to take the Flute from the shield, they will be repelled. If the Flute is not taken to the Tower within a day, then it will return to its shield. I hope that it does not take long for the next Priestess to appear. I have..."

Before she could continue, one of the Staravias spoke up. "Well you can be assured that the perfect Pokemon for the job will replace you, because it's going to be me!"

"No way!" another Staravia said. She belonged to a different flock; although they were of the same kind, the two flocks rarely got along. "Our Lady will, because she's the wisest and smartest Pokemon ever!"

"She is not better than me in any way," the first Staravia argued. "She doesn't deserve the honor."

"You just want to make your flock the most powerful around, and we're not going to stand for that!"

That triggered a loud argument between the Staravia and the Staraptor representatives. The other Pokemon tried to get them to quit. While none of the others wanted a Staravia Priestess, few of them would dare say it. The Star-birds kept huge flocks including all three levels of their line. Going against one of them could trigger the whole flock to attack or shun the one who offended them. They were already too powerful, for sheer numbers and being one of the stronger birds around.

However, one Pokemon did dare speak up against them. One member of the Dodrio representatives, usually a quiet faction, stepped into an open area and spoke above the clamor. "Neither your nor this Lady are suitable for the role of Priestess!" she said, making her voice rise above the crowd by speaking with all three of her heads. Once the noise lowered, she continued with only two. "I will attempt to claim the Wind Flute, for the honor of Rayquaza."

After a moment of silence, the Staravia and the Staraptor representatives burst into laughter, from both flocks. "You? I hardly see your kind fly! You don't have a chance of getting to the top of Sky Tower. How are you supposed to be worthy of becoming the High Priestess?"

One of the Dodrio's heads observed the crowd of bird Pokemon there, partly looking for trouble. But her other two heads became busy with thoughts of how the High Priestess was chosen. She hadn't come here intent on making herself seen. She knew it was hard to make any one voice heard here. But, she knew that if one of the Star-bird flocks gained a Priestess, then they would become absolutely intolerable. She doubted any of them could touch the Wind Flute when it had its shield around it. But she might want to be prepared.

Unfortunately, she became so wrapped up in thought, even with two minds busily working out what could be said, recalling what had been written about the position, figuring out if she really wanted to disrupt her life by taking the position, and many more things, that she couldn't respond to the Staravia's question for a good fifteen minutes. She hardly moved, saved for eye movements and occasional slight head turns from her alert head. The Staravias laughed at her again, taunting and teasing her. In the meantime, the others tried to get the meeting back on track and quiet the Staravias from their insults and later more arguing.

After the fifteen minutes, one of her peers finally acted on his thoughts to pull her back to their area. It took another ten minutes for him to get her attention enough to advise her to slip out the side before the meeting ended and the Staravias came after her. But instead of leaving as he wanted, she put herself in the back area where the organizers of the meeting gathered.

She waited until the elderly Altaria came back there in order to leave before everyone else, to avoid squabbles and hassles. "Excuse me," the Dodrio said in one voice, "but may I ask you a few questions? I may have spoken up too soon, but since I did, I wish to know more before I attempt this."

The old Priestess cooed, pleased at that. "Of course. Let's head out to somewhere quieter, though. I'm sure your fellows will inform you of what else was discussed."

…

Now, the day had come. Many eyes were on the eastern horizon, while other eyes were on the shield on the mound. The two Star-bird flocks had bickered about this all week, even come to blows already. But they were saving their biggest efforts for this morning. All of their Staravias were in the trees, waiting for the sign from the sun to begin. They were thinking of power and glory.

But that was not what would win the Wind Flute.

Then, a brilliant line of golden-red light appeared on the horizon. The sun was rising, and for the moment its power wasn't enough to blind one looking at it. The shield on the mound began to flicker with more intensity until, once the first ray of the sun fell upon it, its visual appearance faded to a mere distortion of air.

And the trees erupted as the Staravias took to the air and flew right for their opponents. They screamed threats at each other and collided into battles of beaks and feathers. Before long, it was hard to tell any one of them from another. They fought in the air and on the ground. Even the two females picked as the flock's preferred candidate for High Priestess were fighting, ignoring the Wind Flute in favor of defeating their enemies.

The Dodrio walked calmly along the path through the field. As she wasn't a Staravia, the Pokemon around ignored her as she was not a rival. Her two outer heads kept eyes on the battle around her, watching for signs of danger or of being noticed. Her central head looked straight ahead at the mound, watching the shield and seeing if one of the others dared come down to get it. None did.

At the mound, she observed the shield a moment. While she had learned much from the former Priestess, she wanted to be sure. Her three minds soon agreed that it was fine. Her central head then dropped down past the shield and picked up the flute's cord in her beak. After flipping it to rest on her central neck, she turned around and walked back out of the battlefield. Once she was past it, she broke into a run heading directly for Sky Tower. She could fly, but was much faster and more graceful when on her two feet.

By the twilight of that day, she was blessed by Rayquaza as the new High Priestess and the Staravias finally realized that the object they had been fighting over was long gone.

…

Dodrio Heart Gold entry: It collects data and plans three times as wisely, but it may think too much and fall into a state of immobility.

Staravia HG/SS entry: They maintain huge flocks, although fierce scuffles break out between various flocks.


	280. Wooper, Zekrom

Seeing movement above the water's surface, the Wooper swam up and peered into the air. The icy courtyard was busy with humans and Pokemon as usual, although they were scurrying out of the way. This was because of the movement she had first seen, a black figure flying overhead. Descending, the massive Pokemon turned around to get enough time to land safely in the courtyard. With an aura as powerful as the sun and a body that suggested fast and strong attacks, it was still terrifying. The Wooper dropped back into the water with a plunk, thinking that she would just hide at the bottom of the palace waterworks until someone came by with food. She had yet to get near that Pokemon. But, then she recalled some others saying that her friend, the master of this place, was the one who commanded the large black dragon. Curious, she came back up more cautiously and went to the edge of the pool to see.

And it seemed to be true. He was standing next to the dragon now, talking with someone while his hand was on the dragon. His short black hair was ruffed up from the wind and his brown cloak and boots were scuffed up from travel. Of course, most familiar was his scent, even though it was now mingled with dragon and static. She had known that scent since she was very young. But, it seemed so long since she had been near him. Ever since that dragon came, he hadn't come near to her pool often.

Well it was cool enough in the air that she didn't mind coming out, even sneaking to the kitchen entrance to see if there were any treats. But today, her mind was on seeing her human friend again. The Wooper hopped out of the pond and began waddling over.

The dragon flew off without him, which was good. But then he headed out of the courtyard, going towards a tower entrance. "Waa," she cried, then hurried to catch up. If he got into the tower much before her, then she was going to lose him! But she wasn't fast at crossing the ground either, even on this smooth dirt area. There wasn't as much to push against, as the air was so much thinner than water.

She got into the tower after him, but he had already started up the stairs. As she didn't seem that far behind, she hustled over to the stairs too, grabbing the first one with her flipper arms and pulling herself up it. She looked up and saw how easily he was getting up the stairs with his long legs, even though he seemed to be slow, with his head down thinking. "Waa!" she called out again.

In the enclosed space, her cry echoed around, filling the air more than outside. This made him paused to look down at her. "Anise? Don't hurt yourself trying to get up this tower." He came back down as she was pulling herself up the second step. Once she got up it, he picked her up to carry her while he continued on his way. "I know I haven't been around lately. But there's been so much going on, and I," he sighed.

She hummed and snuggled against his shoulder. It was nice to be carried by him again, even though climbing stairs made her wary, even like this. There was a bigger fall with every step he took. However, she trusted him; he wouldn't drop her.

"It is a little strange," he said in a gentle voice. "When I was younger, I went everywhere with your parents. They helped me so much in establishing myself, and defending me against our enemies. When I needed to impress my superiors in order to get alliances or education, their support helped to clear any doubts in me. But now that I'm the one in charge, the one every sees as their superior, they're gone. And I'm a little too busy for you. I'm sorry. But I should have some time in the coming months. We'll see about getting you trained so you can be just as strong as them."

Training? Anise didn't much mind that she wasn't strong. The other Pokemon living in the castle waters recognized that she was favored by the Black King, and so they didn't bother her with battles. But if it made him happy, she wouldn't mind doing it. Because then, she'd get to be around him more. Without her parents being around, he was the only family she had. But what about that dragon he was with so often?

He rubbed her wide ears. "I didn't want to use you in battle. I wanted to raise a Pokemon like you in a world without battles or war. I can't stand the violence. Most people would agree, but those few that don't ruin the world for everyone. I tried to arrange for peace between the peoples of our land, showing them how their disputes were petty and easily solved. I tried to point out that no one wants to lose their loved ones to war, that it only ends up hurting everyone, even those far from the battlefield. But they won't listen. They've tried to kill me over a dozen times now. They killed your parents, trying to stop me. I want to make things right; I just don't see how they don't see the wrongness of their actions."

She understood a few pieces of what he was saying, but the Wooper was most concerned that he seemed so troubled. Her life was pretty simple: swimming in the cool waters, finding muddy spots to roll in, acting cute so that the humans would feed and pet her. His life seemed so complicated that she got confused even just thinking about it. Sometimes she wanted to show him how to live simply too, by not caring about all that stuff. Although, that was a nice thing about him, that he cared so much for many things.

At the top of the stairs, they walked out onto the roof of the tower. And there, perched on the platform made for messengers on flying Pokemon, was the large black dragon. It was much larger than the human, able to put its forepaw on his head while barely lifting its arm. Anise looked up at its eyes; they were a perfect mirror of the blue sky above, even with strands of white clouds. They didn't look like the eyes of any normal creature. Spooked, she put herself as close as she could against her friend.

"This is Zekrom," he said, not scared at all. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you while it's under my command. Zekrom, this is Anise, a Pokemon that I've known since she hatched. She innocent, like so many children of the world." He then walked out onto the platform to look over the countryside beyond the castle.

"Krrraaa," Zekrom said, observing her.

But it didn't say anything she could understand. Anise wasn't sure why; she could understand the sounds and gestures of any other Pokemon, even if she'd never seen one like it before. But here, this dragon gave no hints. It wasn't reassuring, or threatening, or anything that she could understand.

"I've been trying to show the world a better way to live, nicely," he said, taking one hand off the Wooper briefly to adjust is cloak. The wind up here was toying with it. "I've been doing so for a long time. But, it's not working. Even with you Zekrom, people don't want to listen when I ask politely." He stroked Anise's head, getting her to look at his face. This issue was causing him grief, but most of the time he didn't show it. She could see a crack of it now. "They respect me, or so they say. But if they will not listen to respect, then I'll have to make them listen through fear, as much as I didn't want to go this far. Zekrom, I want you to go back to that city we were just at... and show them the kind of power we have. Wipe it off the map."

This didn't sound good. Anise protested this, first looking at her friend, then up at the large dragon. Good Pokemon weren't supposed to do something like that. Surely, the dragon would agree with her.

Zekrom screeched, but in an aggressive way. And then its meaning came loud and clear to Anise, rather like one of the castle bells ringing right above her head. _I was born from the minds of humankind, from ideas of what the world should be. I am the ideal. To the ones who truly value the ideal, their will is mine. I will do whatever is asked of me to turn ideal into reality._ Then Zekrom took off into the air, sending a gust of air at them. Its power was enough that Anise could feel the static all over her skin.

"This moment of violence will be justified when the world is at peace," the Black King said. "If they still do not listen, then we can cause a storm to purify this whole world. I hope it doesn't come to that."

Shivering, Anise hid her face against his chest. She still felt safe with him. But in that moment, she witnessed when he started to become a tyrant that would be feared for the rest of his reign.

…

Wooper Heart Gold entry: This Pokemon lives in cold water. It will leave the water to search for food when it gets cold outside.

Zekrom W2/B2 entry: This legendary Pokemon can scorch the world with lightning. It assists those who want to build an ideal world.


	281. Gothorita, Escavalier, Duosion

She appeared without warning in the middle of the night, a dark figure holding aside the flap of the tent. Illuminated by the moon, the white bows that adorned her body shimmered like silk. Otherwise, her dark body and hair blended into the night. The Gothorita crept in to look at the children, unaware that one was not entirely asleep.

After a moment, she seemed satisfied and waved her arms around, humming strangely. Sparkles appeared to fall over the three boys, causing them to come out of their sleeping bags and crawl out of the tent after the little Pokemon. "There's too many people out here, so let's take a walk," she said. "We'll dance in a pretty place and it will be such fun. Come along, darlings."

She led them away from the campsite and to an open field. It still had ropes and flags set up from the day's sport activities, but she ignored them and instructed the three children to dance in a round with her. As they were asleep (or mostly so), they were unable to resist.

In the middle of their dance, another Pokemon came flying onto the field, like a meteorite across the sky. One of his long lances nearly tore one of the boy's pajamas in half when the tip snagged the fabric. "Hoo, stop there evil-doer!" the Escavalier shouted. "I am about to punish you most severely for kidnapping these children!"

She put a hand to her chest, acting shocked. "Kidnapping? I'd never do such a thing. I'm out here playing with my friends."

"But human children aren't supposed to be out so late at night," the Escavalier. "That proves that you kidnapped them."

She shook her head, then wiped away a few false tears. "No, they're considerate of me and don't make me come out in the horrid daylight. They're very dear to me; please don't take them from me. See, this is Kid, and this is Star, and this is Calamity. And don't tease Kid of his name; he gets so mad when people do that."

Shifting his eyes, the Escavalier considered it. "They look like some of the kids in this camp session, like Bill, George, and Miguel."

"Well they're obviously not those kids." She clasped her hands to her chest. "Pleeeeeassse don't separate us! I have such a hard time making friends."

"Well..." he shifted his red-crested helmet.

"WAAAIIIITTT!" A green bubble-like Pokemon came hurrying through the air, from the same direction the Escavalier had come from. His body had very few features aside from a large head in its green gel bubble, just a nub of a torso and tiny hands. Panting, the Duosion came up to them. "Have you found the kidnapped children, Sir Qix?"

"I am not a kidnapper!" the Gothorita blubbered through her tears. "They're my friends; don't be mean to them."

"She says she's not, and none of the boys are complaining, so I guess she's not," Qix the Escavalier said. "But you should really hurry up when we go out on the hunt."

"I try," the Duosion said, sinking in the air. "But she has some of the kids out of their tents. But I guess you would be right. Or it should be obvious that she's lying..."

"Can't you make up your minds?" Qix said, shaking one of his striped lances. "You've been like that ever since you evolved."

"Well I do have two now. Harder to think straight than with one."

"So will you leave us be to dance?" the Gothorita said, bringing out a handkerchief to wipe off her face.

"No!" Qix shouted. "We've got more important things to do, and the more bodies we have out searching, the better! I'm the most important Pokemon of the campgrounds, Sir Qix the Magnificent! And this is my squire, Sam. We're on a hunt for a kidnapper."

Sam waved his arms, causing the matching gel nubs to wave too. "It might just be kids sneaking out of their tents and cabins at night. But it might also be a kidnapper. We're up to make sure the kids are all in bed. Which means that we probably should ask you to return your friends to their cabins. But it would also be good to have more people looking. But then they couldn't understand us because they're humans."

"Oh, don't worry about that," the Gothorita said, holding her handkerchief over her face. "When my friends are with me at night, they can understand any of us. Thank you so much for understanding. I'm Lady Raven Desmonda Darkheart. I surely hope that there's not a kidnapper around, because then my dear friends would be in danger. But then I had heard that it was a horrible monster somewhere in the woods that was trying to eat the children."

"I heard that too," Sam said, his gel quivering. "It was scary. But it was also too silly to be real. It'd be awful if it was real, though. I wouldn't want to... but if you want..." His body suddenly stretched as one of his minds tried to run away while the other stayed, then snapped back into place with violent jiggling. "Oooo, I hate it when I do that..."

Qix slammed his lances together, making a tremendous clatter that somehow didn't wake up the children. "We can't let a child eater be roaming our campgrounds! We must seek out this monster and defeat it in noble combat! Come, let's be off!"

"But I can't leave my friends behind," Raven said, looking at the three boys. "Calamity would be so disappointed if he missed out on fighting a monster, even a child-eating one. That'd be even more exciting, wouldn't it?"

One of the three boys nodded in response.

"I think there's something like that in the lake," Raven said. "We ought to check that area out first."

"Yes, let's go! There's nothing to fear when Qix the Magnificent is at your side!" Qix then rushed off, forcing the rest to run (or float in Sam's case) as fast as they could to catch up to him. And when they got to the muddy banks of the campground lake, they saw something huge slithering just below the dark silvery surface.

* * *

"Hold it!" The camp counselor put his hand on the shoulder of the boy telling the story. "That's utterly ridiculous; there is no monster in the lake."

"Well yes, because we defeated it last night. That's why we were late to the morning meeting and why our pajamas were all muddy." The boy smiled proudly.

"That's kitchen and bathroom clean-up for all three of you, to the end of next week. Now get to work."

"But..." the boy whined.

"No buts. Get."

"Yes sir."

On their way to the cabin where cleaning supplies were kept, one of the other boys said, "I told you you should have just stuck to the Gothorita part. He would have believed that."

"But that's so lame."

The third boy narrowed his eyes. "Lame? As if this is any better? No thanks, dummy."

…

Gothorita B2/W2 entry: According to many old tales, it creates friends for itself by controlling sleeping children on starry nights.

Escavalier Black entry: They fly around at high speed, striking with their pointed spears. Even when in trouble, they face opponents bravely.

Duosion Black entry: Since they have two divided brains, at times they suddenly try to take two different actions at once.


	282. Ninjask, Accelgor, Magcargo

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!

She winced. Normally, she could keep still for long periods of time. But that harsh buzzing would not stop and the Pokemon that was causing it kept approaching. It was enough to test the patience of a saint. Fortunately, the fog and rain here was thick enough that she didn't have to worry about being seen yet.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!

"For crying out loud, get that thing to shut up!" a girl's voice rang through the area. "It's giving me a headache."

"You said we should have our Pokemon out with us," a boy replied, his words blurred by the incessant buzzing. "I can't get this Ninjask to keep quiet. I hardly even see it most of the time, especially in weather like this."

"It's a lousy Pokemon for a ninja, so you should get rid of it," another boy said.

"It's not that bad! And the other two members of its line are so awesome and sneaky. I don't know why it's so loud."

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!

Although she was listening as best she could, only the voices told her there was three kids walking close to her location. The unruly Ninjask masked the usual clues. There were probably another pair of Pokemon out with them, at least. Sometimes, the noise could be used. But silence was needed now.

A whirl of the water vapors brought her attention to a faint brown and yellow figure near her. Figuring that the kids were far enough that it was safe, she waved a finger in the air, reminding her Ninjask that he was to remain quiet even though there was this noisy one around. And he did. He knew better than to disobey her word.

As the kids continued walking on, she checked on her other Pokemon. As long as that other Ninjask stayed out, it made a good cover to mask any noise she had to make. On the ground, her Magcargo was munching on the melting dirt around it. There was a slight hiss around his molten body as the raindrops fell around him and vaporized into this steam. He was leaving behind evidence, but the grass and ground always recovered quick. Besides, torn and burnt up areas of ground were seen as normal due to the hazards of Pokemon battles going on everywhere.

At a movement of her hand, her Ninjask and Accelgor flew within her sight. The latter had agreed to use gray and white bindings around her red body. In these conditions, it was better cover than her preferred black and violet. As a Shelmet, she had been difficult to work with, being slow and noisy. As an Accelgor, she was as quiet and quick as a dream. They were also patiently enduring the noisy Ninjask, waiting until it was time to strike.

This was to her satisfaction, so she gave a hand signal to the Ninjask to use Baton Pass on the Magcargo. Once that was done, the magma snail would be fast enough to keep up with her. Not the other two, but that wasn't necessary. He was needed to keep up the fog cover.

"Does the fog seem worse around here?" the girl asked, her voice getting further away. "We should have taken that Defog HM."

"I am not putting worthless battle moves on one of my team," one of the boys said.

Which was good for her, because Defog would make the Magcargo's presence more obvious. With him sped up, she make a dash through the area of tall grass nearby. Her three Pokemon moved along with her, the Accelgor and Ninjask weaving at her sides and in front of her to quickly knock aside any wild Pokemon that got in their way. With the threat of random travelers interfering lowered but a change in work schedules coming up, this was the moment to move in.

They came to a log cabin, which served as an office for the local Pokemon Rangers. They had another in the city to handle citizen requests, but this was where a lot of their background work was actually done. At the entrance, one of the Rangers stood as a guard; a Growlithe sat beside him, sitting up watchful even though it would be relying on scent in this weather.

She waved at the two Bug Pokemon, sending them ahead. The Accelgor rushed ahead, using its mouth to take the pin out of a stench grenade as trained, then hurl it at the feet of the Growlithe. A second later, the Ninjask followed up with an attack on the Growlithe as the grenade released its overpowering and mixed scents into the air. That would prevent the Growlithe, or any other tracking Pokemon, from finding their scent in the sensory chaos.

The Growlithe yelped and the Ranger came to attention. "Who's out there?!" he shouted into the fog.

Wanting the Ranger to witness as little as possible, she threw a dart at his neck; its tip was coated in a sleep-inducing poison, enough to knock him out for several hours but not enough to kill him. Pokemon were reluctant to attack humans and while they could be trained to do so, she preferred not to do that to her team. They needed to see her as their superior and leader, with no potential to attack her in rebellion. Thus, she had to handle any human opponents.

He pulled the dart out, then released a Spearow. "Get those two..." he struggled to hold out, but stumbled back.

Trained to attack any unknown Flying types on sight on a mission, the Magcargo immediately hurled a rocky glob of earth at the Spearow. It was still dim red from his internal heat. The Ninjask slashed at it with his bladed claws, then the Accelgor attacked the Growlithe once more. Both of the Ranger's Pokemon went down before they could get ready for the battle, and he was now asleep. As it should be.

Nodding in approval, she entered the cabin office. No one would be working now, but in an hour, several high ranked Rangers would come here to take care of business. Still, she made a quick scan of the place in case of trouble. It was a typical office, with mobile room dividers, several desks and computers, file cabinets, and a water cooler. On one wall, there was a large cork-board with a map of the region covered in pins, plus many smaller notes in reference to the pins or other items. One of the notes said, 'upper Blue River Plains, #12, file RO-95713'.

This job was pretty simple: to keep the Pokemon Rangers from investigating that area and coming across what her clan protected. Initially, they made it too dangerous by laying traps and attacking them indirectly. It worked for several decades, but the recent head of the Rangers was rock-headed stubborn about getting all locations of this sprawling region mapped out and explored. At this point, she had to get them to delay starting their investigations and take what she needed to fake a Ranger report.

While she worked, her Pokemon kept alert to how things were going. The Magcargo crawled onto the rubber welcome mat; it started to stink, adding onto the stench bomb's mask. The Ninjask and Accelgor patrolled around outside, keeping their senses peeled for people coming up to the cabin; both were small and quick enough to avoid being noticed by whoever they spotted. Occasionally they got into fights with wild Pokemon. They all knew how to conduct themselves: end the battle quickly, get out if that wasn't possible. Or in the Magcargo's case, send up flares to get assistance from his teammates. Good Pokemon were a big help, but many things could only get done by a human.

When her task was complete, she then worked on covering her tracks. The Rangers should not suspect that it was her doing this, or anyone connected to her clan. So she took out a small can of blue spray paint and covered the door and one wall with particular tags; she had practiced this so it would be mistaken for a local criminal group. They usually didn't practice, but she had to get the style right. Then she had the Magcargo send up a fire flare to get the attention of the other two. Once they were inside the cabin, she gave hand signals for them to help her mess up the interior. It should look like a much sloppier job than it really was.

Paper ended up flying everywhere. She gave special attention to making a botched attempt to open the office safe. While she could successfully open it, that would betray the skill level of the intrusion. With the office in sufficient disorder, she kicked a chair out of the way and grabbed one of the papers that was settling down. She knelt down by her Magcargo and held it to his face. He nipped it as a taste test; a drip of his magma caused the paper to catch on fire. Shooing the Ninjask and Accelgor out, she used the paper to set the curtains on fire. Then she left the cabin, carrying several investigation forms, a collections of stamps with an ink book to mark false approvals, a book detailing proper formatting, and insurance and billing forms. This should allow them to control what went into the Rangers' files about their lands.

With that done, she found another observation point and waited, the fog filling out around them once again. The cabin fire was quickly noticed and attended to. People in the area remembered the boy's disobedient Ninjask, which would match the damage done by her's. When remains of the paint tags were found, the damage was attributed to the criminal group. A number of their members would be rash enough to set fire to a place if they failed their intended theft. She and her Pokemon waited for things to calm down, then headed off into the city

This deed had been successful, but it was only the first steps.

…

Sapphire entry: Magcargo's body temperature is approximately 18,000 degrees F. Water is vaporized on contact. If this Pokemon is caught in the rain, the raindrops instantly turn into steam, cloaking the area in a thick fog.

Sapphire entry: If Ninjask is not trained properly, it will refuse to obey the Trainer and cry loudly continuously. Because of this quality, this Pokemon is said to be one that puts the Trainer's abilities to the test.

Accelgor White entry: Having removed its heavy shell, it becomes very light and can fight with ninja-like movements.


	283. Bronzong, Exploud

The Bronzong was singing an ancient song. It was tradition, passed down through many generations. Levitating over the rice field, she danced to a specific pattern: move north the same as twice her body width, turn around thrice to the right until facing west, move west for thrice her body width, ring self five times with left arm… there was much more to it, but she never had trouble calculating the numbers and motions. There were different formulas to different fields, different plants, and local landscape variations. As it was her life's duty, she could adapt to any farm after a couple hours of observation.

Why was she doing this? It was to help the plants the humans watched over grow. As long as she or another Bronzong continued this work, the humans would hold her and her Bronzor kin in respect. And it was good to keep the favor of the humans. They could be a source of great blessings, or a monstrous curse, depending on how the Pokemon respected them.

As she continued her ritual song, she began to feel vibrations from elsewhere. She was never quite sure where this elsewhere was; it was like another world, in the few glimpses she had seen of it. More importantly, it never ceased raining there. She could hear the wishes of the rice plants for more water, as she had not been successful in previous dances at making contact with elsewhere. Feeling grateful that this song was successful, she shifted her song and sent pleas for rain from it.

The vibrations became stronger as the light began to dim. Overhead, the clouds became fuller, swelling until they released a gentle rain over the countryside. The elsewhere rain took in the light of her world and scattered it wide. It always felt a little different from normal rain, mysterious and even a little dark. Despite the mystical quality, it was just as nourishing as normal rain to plants in need of water.

She finished up her ritual, giving thanks to the mysterious elsewhere that let her borrow its rain. Then she left the field for the place she lived. As she drifted along, she saw that the rain was spreading to many other fields. That was good; all of them could use it today. Then, somewhere in the patter of the rain, she heard a loud multi-tone sound, like a small group of trumpets playing at once. What was that? She'd been hearing it for a few weeks now, but still didn't know. The sound came from different places on different days, so she had yet to go find the source.

But as the sound went on, she began to hear another sound underneath it: the trembling of the earth below its surface. This was not good. She clanged her arms against her sides, making four loud notes that she used when she needed to warn the humans of danger. Not long after, a tremor shook the ground. As she was a good levitator, it didn't affect her. But she knew a lot of the Bronzor would be badly shaken by this, so she hurried on her way.

Close to the edge of a rocky area, there was a human-made structure that was painted bright blue and gold, with open sides and a roof for cover. It was a place that the humans had made for her kind. The Bronzong and Bronzor were willing to live here, in a place that wasn't good for farming but had areas to hide and good minerals to eat. Past the shelter, she found that some other levitators had begun to move the grounded ones to one area, to better attend to them. They were all Bronzor, though; hardly any of their kin bothered to grow into a Bronzong unless they were ritual dancers like her.

"How are they?" she asked in concern.

"Not well," a Bronzor said. From the tone of his voice, he leaned towards male-ness. It was a personal choice for all of them when they were considered mature. "It must have been harder, because more of them have fallen."

"And that's the third one this week too," a female said. "Is it building to something much bigger?"

"I don't know," the Bronzong admitted. "I hope not. It would hurt many more besides these ones. Is someone gathering berries?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Good, then let's wait for them to wake up." She looked over those that had been brought to this place, trying to identify any grounded ones that were not brought here yet.

Sometime later, a trio of young humans came into the shelter, tracking muddy footprints and dripping with rainwater. "Bringer of the rains, caretaker of the fields, we wish to speak with you," one of them called out into the gray air. "We have something we wish to ask of you."

The Bronzong looked down at the shelter. "I should see what they want," she said. "Keep caring for the grounded ones, and be sure they have some healing berries when they wake up."

With the other levitators there agreeing to that, she went to the shelter, not bothering to shake the water off her. One of the males stepped closer to her and bowed. "Thank you for watching over our fields, to ensure a good harvest. But we have something else to ask of you. There has been another Pokemon in the fields, one few of us have seen. It's been ruining fields by stomping over the plants with its large feet. And, we think its calls are causing the ground to shake. Would you help us find it so we can drive it away?"

"We have heard it close by, so we think we can catch up to it quickly now," the female with them added.

"Yes, please help us, caretaker," the male said, offering the bowl he had to her. It was filled with shards of pottery, including some finely made fragments.

This surprised her. It was a delicious offering of tasty treats, but one that she usually didn't see until around harvest time. But then, if it was a strange Pokemon that was causing the tremors and ruining the fields, then it was important to them to stop it. And important for her because she watched over the fields too. If the harvest was poor because of this stranger, than it would partly be her fault as well.

With this in mind, she took the bowl and set it aside under a bench of the shelter. The Bronzor usually knew not to mess with anything there, as it was hers. "Yes, let's look for this stranger," she said, then left the shelter for the road, looking back to the young humans for guidance.

The odd trumpet sound continued, allowing the four of them to follow the roads west until the sound was coming from nearby fields. However, it was further away then they had thought, louder as well. It was nearly deafening, enough that the Bronzong could hardly hear herself ring. The humans were having a hard time dealing with it, but one of the males came with her into the field that the din was coming from. Many of the bean plants had recently been trodden on, with large feet as the humans had said. The Pokemon itself was large and squat, with many large tubes like trumpets over its body. In the lore that she had been taught as a ritual singer, she knew what Pokemon this was even if she'd never seen one before: an Exploud, a destructive and chaotic Pokemon to have so close to the farms.

Hovering in front of him to get attention, she spoke as soon as the tones from his horns lowered. "Please, stop," she ordered. "You are not welcome here if you mean to cause harm to the fields."

"Why should I listen to you?" he asked, but with his eyes on the other. "You are an ally to the humans, so I hate you."

"It is my duty to serve the humans," she said. "They can be of great benefit if you work for them. Why would you think so ill of them?"

Then the Exploud looked at her. "Benefit? They're awful. Keep driving me away from any place I would try to settle. They won't even let me come to places like this to get food without harassing me."

Noticing that the male human wanted to sneak up behind the Exploud for some reason, the Bronzong continued to speak with him with the intent of distracting him. "You are dreadfully loud; two of them could hardly come up here close to you. Not only that, but you're trampling over the food that everyone around here shares. If you would be so thoughtless, then others would share with you."

"Thoughtless?!" he growled, narrowing his eyes at her.

"You could have simply eaten some from the edges of the field, not walked all the way in here," she pointed out. The Exploud did have very large feet, as well as a hefty tail which was tearing vines out of the ground as he moved it.

"I do that because they're so mean to me," he said, clenching his fists. A sharp rush of air sounded as his horns began to swell.

"That only makes them turn on you quicker," the Bronzong said.

Then the Exploud trumpeted again, but this time far louder with all of his trumpet horns directed at her. It made her metallic body quiver and squeezed at her mind. Behind the Exploud, she saw the male human cringe at the sound. He darted forward and grabbed hold of some hairs on the Exploud's body, tearing them out. Then he hurried out of the field as the Pokemon yelped, adding another harsh tone to his sound attack.

Now that the human was out of the way, the Bronzong picked up the Exploud with levitation and hurled him clear out of the bean field. Although her body still hurt, she pursued him. The earth was groaning again, but the shock of landing had stopped the Exploud's trumpet calls. "I'm sorry for your troubles, but I will protect the fields I watch over," she called to him. "You are not only ruining the fields, but you are also causing the earth pain enough to tremble. If you continue to be like this, then you are definitely not welcome here either."

He barraged her with sound again, causing a second earthquake to strike. While the quake still did not affect her, she felt a crack tearing into her side. Her tone was going to be off until that got fixed up. For the moment, she fled the battle, going back to where the young humans were.

The one male was on his knees now, trembling in pain as well. "Here, I got some hairs off it," he said, shakily giving his hand to the other male. "Take that to Gran and see if she can't do something about it."

"You should also give one to the caretaker, so she can track the monster's presence easier," the female said, then noticed her. "Oh my, you got hurt badly too."

"You take the hairs," the other male said. "I'm going to run to the nearest house and see if there's a way to transport the two of them to the healer's place."

"I feel that it may be troubling us for some time," the Bronzong said, although they would not understand. Gran might; that old human female was quite adept in figuring out what she meant.

And she was right about that; once the crack in her body was healed up, she spent the next moon cycle keeping track of the Exploud with one of his hairs. She led both humans and other Pokemon in efforts to drive him away from their fields. While much damage was done, they managed to drive the Exploud away with a brilliant plan. But that is another story.

…

Bronzong Platinum entry: It brought rains by opening portals to another world. It was revered as a bringer of plentiful harvests.

Ruby entry: Exploud triggers earthquakes with the tremors it creates by bellowing. If this Pokemon violently inhales from the ports on its body, it's a sign that it's preparing to let loose a huge bellow.


	284. Whirlipede, Watchog, Eelektrik

When it came to fanfiction, he rather liked stories in which someone from the normal world got sucked into a fictional world. It didn't matter which world, really; could be from a movie, a TV series, a book, or a video game. It was just interesting to see what a normal person would do in these weird worlds. But if it was going to happen to him, he wanted it to be something cool where he could be someone powerful, like Halo or God of War. Not his kid sister's dumb Pokemon game.

But that's exactly where he had ended up.

"Joe, you need to do some Pokemon observations in the wild," a man in a lab coat and glasses told him. "If you want to get your Trainer's license, there's a certain amount of observation hours you need to do." He handed over a clipboard with a few sheets of lined paper and a pen attached with a chain.

"At night?" he asked. Not that he was tired, but it was strange that with as cautious as they were, this guy was telling him to go out in the dark.

"Just keep a flashlight and one of the night-vision goggles, and don't go into the tall grass," the scientist stereotype guy said.

"Fine," he said, taking it. At first, the people here had thought he was crazy in claiming that this was a fictional world, not where he was from. And he had thought he was crazy too. But after a few weeks of 'therapy', Joe decided that he needed to go along with the 'hit my head' explanation and they decided that he needed to do some work to get better. Because of this, he was assigned to be a lab assistant until he qualified to be a Trainer and could... well, go do something else. What that was he didn't know.

He thought it was all silly. Why did he need qualifications? All his sister had to do was turn on the game. And it wasn't like this was a dangerous place. As far as he'd seen, Pokemon were cute happy creatures who liked to beat each other up for fun and wouldn't turn on people. Also, it made for a dumb anime. And the time he'd been forced to spend here hadn't changed his mind.

At least if he was allowed to leave this weirdly small 'city', then he could find a way to get back home. Nothing here gave him any hints and the place he had appeared was out in the wild. And they wouldn't let him go out in the grass without his own Pokemon. Ridiculous.

Joe walked out of town, to the route that led to the next town over. Due to ledges and tall grass, he couldn't get to that other town yet, at least when he kept with their rules. But he should be able to make his observations here. He found a spot just outside of one of the grassy plots where there was a spiky purple-ish rock. That would be good; he sat there.

And then the center of the rock opened up, revealed a single black eye. It looked over at him, then narrowed. A rattling hiss came from it.

Snorting, he sat down. "What's it to you, rock? It's a free country and I can sit where I want." He remembered there being rock-like Pokemon, so this was probably one of them. Geodud, or something like that.

The spiky rock looked at him for a while longer, still hissing. Then it rolled off to sit at the edge of the grass. Turning around so that its other side was to him, it continued to watch him.

"I bet you have a cute face behind that spiky exterior," Joe said. No Pokemon could be threatening, not with what he'd seen his sister use. Whenever he got around to getting his own and traveling, he'd probably go with a dog-like Pokemon. He could deal with cute if it was a dog.

Looking around, he saw a yellow and red glow in the grass. Fire? Unfortunately not. While it did shift occasionally, it didn't behave like fire in any other way. He put on the night-vision goggles and looked over at the glow. It was, as suspected, another Pokemon. This one was tall and furry, with a fluffy tail end, small legs, and freaky large eyes. Both its eyes and its belly showed that bright glow while it stood there, watching the area around it.

"Stupid idea if you ask me," he muttered. Having glowing fur at night time? Only in a world like this where nothing could really hurt anything else. If that thing was in the real world, it would be eaten in minutes by wolves and coyotes.

The tall furry Pokemon stayed where it was, turning its head and occasionally twitching its tail without bending or curling it. The round spiky Pokemon sat at the edge of the grass, watching him. And he sat watching these two while wearing night-vision goggles. That was all that happened for the next hour.

"This is stupid." He made his notes as detailed as possible, repeating enough to show how bored he was doing this dumb observation. But they'd probably praise him for doing a thorough job like the cheerful optimists they all were.

As he paused thinking about what insignificant detail to go into next, he noticed that the tall furry one began to flash its lights faster. It was watching a part of the grass intently. Joe watched (for lack of anything better to do) and saw when a giant snake reared up and lunged for the furry prairie dog thing. No, that wasn't a snake. That was some sort of land eel, with yellow circles flashing on its murky skin. Then it fired a large spark at the glowing prairie dog.

It jumped out of the way, biting the eel's fin and ripping a chunk of it out. Joe wasn't sure he was seeing things right. Had it really done that? But as the land eel, turned around and growled, it seemed to be real. There was a portion of its back fin gone now, bleeding even. The land eel bared its teeth, then fired a spark at the prairie dog again. As the smell of burnt fur hit Joe's nose, he saw the eel bite off the fluffy end of the prairie dog's tail.

Wait... this was how Pokemon actually behaved?

Then there was a brilliant flash from the prairie dog, briefly blinding Joe and the land eel. With a pattering of paws, the prairie dog ran away from the scene. The land eel made a grumbling sound when it realized this. After sniffing the air, it headed towards the round spiky Pokemon. The rock-thing decided that Joe was less of a threat now and turned its attention to the land eel. It fired one of its spikes at the eel.

* * *

"It was horrible," Joe told the scientist guy. "That rock thing gored the eel right through, but it kept trying to eat it."

"A Whirlipede," he said. "And it's not a Rock type; it's Bug and Poison. Odd that you should have seen an Eelektrik around here. There aren't many reports of them being here, although Pokemon do tend to migrate. The, um, what you call 'prairie dog' is a Watchog, very common in these lands. Make sure to get their proper names in."

"But they were trying to kill each other," Joe said. He could handle violent and gory games; they weren't real and the blood spatter made it thrilling. But to see animals rip into each other like that, it made him feel sick. Maybe it was better that he hadn't fallen into one of his more violent games... or maybe this one was more violent than he realized.

"That was just normal predatory behaviors," the scientist guy said. "Wild Pokemon will do that, but tame Pokemon get these instincts inhibited so that they're less destructive. The observation report looks good so far, but you may wish to cut out the repetition before turning it in the finals." with that, he handed the clipboard with its written records back.

"I have got to find a way back home soon," Joe muttered to himself. He'd take an ordinary Earth day over this any time.

…

Watchog White entry: They make the patterns on their bodies shine in order to threaten predators. Keen eyesight lets them see in the dark.

Whirlipede B2/W2 entry: Storing energy for evolution, it sits. But, when predators approach, it moves to stab them with poison spikes.

Eelektrik White entry: These Pokemon have a big appetite. When they spot their prey, they attack it and paralyze it with electricity.


	285. Chingling, Beldum

The Golden Desert was warm, filled with yellow sand and glittering rocks. Tough plants like cacti and scrub brush were keeping themselves defensive until the next rainfall. Out here, there were said to be hidden treasures, but even more dangers: the heat could be relentless, the plants were all covered in spikes, the little insects were venomous and armed with natural weaponry, the paths were difficult to follow. Not only that, but the native Pokemon here were as tough as steel, even when they weren't Steel types. Many were troublesome ones as well, laying many traps to catch unwary outsiders. Still, the lure of rare stones and treasures were tempting to many explorers. Most turned back within a few hours.

She wasn't going to be like that, she kept telling herself. That pulled her through an entire day here. Still, her goal was nowhere to be seen. She had her Explorer Badge, so she could get help if there was trouble. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to use it.

The Chingling had taken a long time to prepare for this place, even getting a larger Pokemon's white head scarf to wrap on top of herself like a turban, in order to keep the sun deflected. Today wasn't too bad, although she still flapped her tail ribbons whenever she hopped. The motion would keep her aloft briefly, off the sun-baked ground. But even her Wonder Map couldn't pinpoint the location of the rarely visited dungeon she was looking for.

How long would it take? She didn't let herself wonder that too long, as then she'd get worried. For now, she focused on navigating the desert, watching for traps and aggressive wild Pokemon, and monitoring her supplies. As she looked around, she looked for signs of the place. Nothing so far.

Then, with no warning, the Chingling felt a severe sense of being alone and lost. It was almost enough to make her cry. But, why? She hadn't been thinking of that and she didn't mind working alone. Sure, it was more fun to work with other explorers. But this was... it was like when she had only been a hatchling and had been upset because her parents had left her alone for an hour. Only, not that immature.

She soon realized that it was a form of telepathy; some Pokemon was sending out its emotions strongly. The Chingling landed, then jumped as high as she could while fluttering her tail ribbons, so that she could look around from above. What kind of Pokemon was it? If it was orange, yellow, or brown, it might blend into the landscape.

Thankfully, it wasn't. She spotted a dark blue that at first looked like a rock, but the form of an eye hinted that it might be a Pokemon. She shifted her striped ribbons to land next to it. While it wasn't familiar, seeing it reminded her of an illustration in a book: a Beldum.

As it didn't seem to notice her at first, she jangled her bell orb to ring for attention. "Hello," she said. "Do you need some assistance? I'm Chi, an explorer."

The Beldum lifted off the ground. It was a strangely shaped Pokemon, like a large red eye in the grasp of a dark blue hand, which had hooks at the end instead of being connected to a body. Then again, she was probably strange-looking herself to those not used to Chinglings. Instead of speaking, it released a series of thoughts, muddled by feelings of sadness: ominous signs in the shifting of the sands, attack by some dark force under a starry sky, getting separated from others by the force of a powerful blast, being unable to reconnect to the group.

"Oh dear, um, could you please speak up?" Chi asked, putting her small limbs near her ear holes. "I don't speak often with telepathy."

"Sorry," the Beldum said, sort of. It was still using telepathy, as nothing of its body moved save for a shifting of its eye. But instead of broad thoughts, it was aiming at the parts of her mind that interpreted speech. "We can't speak otherwise and we mostly speak like that."

She bowed to that (since with her body, she couldn't nod). "I see. What happened to you?"

"Our swarm got attacked last night, by a force that we don't understand," it said. "We had warnings, but were unsure of how to interpret the omens. Bad times are ahead. But for now, we," its telepathy seemed to stammer for a moment, then the Beldum drooped downward. "Sorry, I am unable to find my swarm. I am not used to being alone, or even thinking alone. I do not know what to do."

Chi gave a sad ring in sympathy. "That sounds bad. I have not seen any other Beldums today. But, I am searching the Golden Desert anyhow, so why don't you come with me? If they have not come across you yet, you may as well start looking too. Would they leave the desert?"

"Not at this time." It flexed one of its fingers, but only a feeling of gratitude told Chi what that motion meant. "Thank you for letting me follow. It is better to be with an outsider than to be fully alone. What are you searching for?"

"A mystery dungeon, in particular the Tower of Saith," she explained, hopping back up to keep traveling. The Beldum floated after her. "I'm looking for a treasure that's supposed to be there. I believe it will help me with my bigger quest."

"The Tower of Saith has many treasures, but one may only take one of them out, ever," the Beldum said. "If you choose to go looking for it, you must be certain that the one you take is the one you would want to keep. There are also accursed false treasures within the tower; if you try to take one of them, you will be turned into a jewel to be trapped there until a certain time of the year."

"I've done my research, and I'm certain." She looked over at it. "Do you know where the dungeon is? That is the only thing I could not find out in the books I read."

It made a slow blink. "That is knowledge which I was entrusted to keep within my swarm. As you are certain of yourself and aware of the danger, we are allowed to tell you. I will show you; it will be this way." The Beldum floated ahead and turned left.

Chi changed directions and followed it, smiling. "Thank you! It seems it was lucky for both of us that I found you. Let's keep an eye out for your swarm."

"I will find their thoughts and know when we are close, but yes," the Beldum said.

Although the trek to the Tower of Saith took a couple more hours, they neither saw nor felt anything of the Beldum swarm. The lone Beldum was stoic about it now. Apparently any company was enough to calm it down. In time, they came to a formation of eight stone monoliths, spread in a wide circle around an open area. Nothing was growing in that patch of yellow sand. The Beldum led Chi to the eastmost monolith, then attached its hooks to an indent near the top.

The sand in the middle of the formation shook, then parted as a stone building rose out from underground. It matched the monoliths, all made of stones from the Golden Desert, polished to smooth brilliance. Large arched openings were on all four levels; some mechanism was forcing sand to spill out of the building, making it pile up against the tower further. Then the sand got flung aside to reveal the largest opening, the entrance to the tower. There were some stone stairs coming down from it, but much of them were buried in the sand piles.

Chi looked up at it. "It's... not as big as I thought it would be. Only four levels?"

"That is correct," the Beldum said, detaching itself from the monolith. "If we pass the first level, we are deemed worthy to pick one treasure each. Come." It floated into the Tower, so Chi followed.

The first level was one open room, filling the whole space of the tower save for one wall that held two staircases, one up and one down. Despite being drained, there was still a coating of sand on the floor. Once they were both in, the entrance and the stairwells were gated off with steel bars. A shadowy form appeared in the center of the room, its outline like a mishmash of Pokemon: Chi thought she saw a Meganium's head-leaf, a Sandshrew's body, a Fearow's wings, a Raticate's feet, a Furret's tail... if that was even right. The two of them fought and defeated the strange creature.

Once it was gone, a second appeared to fight them, a different mishmash Pokemon. Then two more. "This doesn't seem too bad," Chi said. "But it must get harder, or else more would be able to get the treasures here."

"It does escalate," the Beldum said as three more forms appeared.

The next round was five, making it hard for the two of them to fight through. Then eight, and then thirteen! With so many foes against the two of them, it was a real struggle to take them down. Especially for the Beldum, as it seemed to have quite reckless moves. The Chingling had to give it some of her berries so that it did not faint and make them fail the challenge. "So the next is, twenty-one?" Chi asked, gasping a little. She had cleared monster houses before, but nothing like this.

After a minute of quiet, the steel gates parted. "Thank the spirits it does not go further for two visitors," the Beldum said. "There should be no more battles from this point on, unless some other natives have snuck in. But I doubt that." They headed up the stairs.

"What's in the basement?" Chi asked, glancing down those stairs. But it was dark.

"It should be nothing but the mechanism for raising and lowering the tower," the Beldum said. "But then, none of us have been down there personally. We just know what we have been told: it is unnecessary to go down there unless there is a problem with hiding or revealing the tower."

"Unnecessary, maybe, but it might be interesting to see such a device."

The second level held many many jewels. Were they Pokemon that had taken the wrong treasures? They weren't shaped like Pokemon, but still, there were so many of them. Even if they were actual jewels, Chi didn't trust them. They were probably part of the cursed items. She told the Beldum so and they went to the third level.

Here, there were more jewels, but also a number of accessories and other things. Some of them were oddly normal, what one would find in other dungeons. Others were more exotic, like no other she had seen. But none were what Chi was looking for, so she moved to the next floor.

"You are greatly focused," the Beldum said.

"I know that I have to be in a place like this," she said. "It tries to trick us in any way it can. That's how it is, right?"

It did a slow blink again. "Correct. It will even present a normal item to make you think it was a safe choice, but it is not. Many jewels that are here are nothing but common rocks. Only the treasures it alone can produce are safe to take from the Tower of Saith."

"Why is it that way?"

"We think it is because Saith liked to play dangerous games with other Pokemon when it was alive. Thus anything of Saith's legacy will do the same."

On the fourth level, there were thirteen pedestals surrounded by piles of unusual items, gold coins, and precious jewels. On each of the pedestals, there was a colored orb. The trick she had learned from the books was to look for with a small crystal orb matching the larger orb on the pedestal nearest to it. There were some other items that were safe to take, presumably on lower levels, but the most powerful artifacts were the ones connected to this orb riddle. Knowing what she wanted, Chi went straight for a white orb and searched the area around its pedestal.

"Here it is," she said, lifting up an item marked by a small white orb on its handle. The silver-white handle was shaped like down feathers, delicate and fluffy around a thin crosspiece. There was a red silk cloth around the other end, formed to fit the thin shaft of the weapon precisely. When she gingerly slid the cloth casing back, a small white blade was revealed. It was the perfect size and weight for her; but then, it was an enchanted sword that always was the size it needed to be.

"That is what you want?" the Beldum asked.

"Yes," she said, sliding the cloth case back over the blade. "This sword can cut through anything, except for silk cloth and its partner shield. Silk thread, yes, as well as most cloths, but not silk cloth. And if it crosses with the shield, the bearer who has the strongest heart will win out."

The Beldum twisted its eye about. "It is also a dangerous thing, even to its user."

She bowed. "I know. But, there is another Chingling who has gotten the enchanted shield Saith made. He is using it to cause trouble and keep anyone from stopping him. He's giving a bad name to us Chinglings, as well as hurting many Pokemon. And, he knows the weaknesses of the shield. It will take someone wielding this sword to stop him for good. After that, I may never need to use this sword again. But I may; we will see what the future brings." She attached the sword to her treasure bag, then turned to the Beldum. "Should we go find your swarm? Or did you want a treasure for yourself?"

"I have no need for what is here," it replied. "But I have proven my worth. If it comes to be that one of these things can defeat the dark force that attacked us, then we will come to claim it as my right."

"Yes, that would be smart. I wonder what did attack you. Mind if I ask the others of your swarm some questions?"

"We should be willing if you return me."

Since she had seen no Beldums on her way in, they went further into the Golden Desert after hiding the Tower of Saith once again. They traveled until evening with no luck, but then the Beldum sensed them. As they approached, Chi began to feel their telepathy as well, as random quiet feelings and thoughts that passed through her mind. It was much bigger than a single Beldum, an oppressive feeling of Psychic power even though she was Psychic herself. But right as she started to feel like it might give her a headache, the telepathy backed off. Presumably, the one she knew had asked the others to be mindful of her.

Then they appeared. It was an amazing sight; there had to be over a hundred Beldums in the swarm. However, they all moved in unison, each turning and shifting precisely like the rest. They didn't even feel like a hundred minds gathered together and sharing thoughts. They felt like one giant mind, working as a whole.

"That is the correct assessment of us," the Beldum swarm said. "We are ever together as one. We came back together as one. However, you are no longer a part of the one."

"I am not?" the Beldum she knew said. Chi couldn't tell it apart from the rest, save for the fact that it was not moving as the rest were. "But I am meant to be part of us. Being alone was terrifying."

"We know," the swarm replied. "But you started to think of yourself as singular. You traveled with one not of the swarm and became disassociated. You would not be able to rejoin the swarm."

"We didn't travel together for long, only a few hours of today," Chi said. "Why would you hurt one of your own like this?"

The swarm disagreed. "It cannot be helped. You both spent long enough together for it to disassociate. While it will be sad for all, it will be counterproductive to attempt reintegration. Child of the swarm, we wish you the best in your search for your single identity."

"I do not know how to live alone," the Beldum said.

Was it her fault that this Beldum could no longer be a part of its swarm? Chi felt bad about doing that. But then, the answer presented itself quickly. "I can help you," she said. "You became disassociated by traveling with me, so it is only right that I stick with you while you try to find yourself."

"You're a noble Pokemon, Chi," it said. "Thank you. I will do my best, trying to be myself."

"But first, we need you to give us the knowledge entrusted to you," the Beldum swarm said. "In return, we will give you what knowledge we have in living alone. There is some kept with us. And do not be sad. It is said that when one leaves the swarm to be an individual, one learns the secrets to our true potential."

"Certainly." the Beldum floated into the presence of its former swarm, silently exchanging the knowledge.

Thinking of something, Chi rang her bell orb. "Before we go, if you do not mind... this one told me that you had seen a strange omen, and then were attacked by a dark force. Would you tell us what you know of it? When the two of us get back into town, we can see if anyone there knows about it."

"That would be of great service to us," the swarm said. "We will let you know what we know."

* * *

Later that night, it was just Chi and the lone Beldum. They made a camp near the shelter of a boulder and shared some dinner. "You know, you're going to need your own name by the time we get back to town," she said.

The Beldum twisted its eye. "I will?"

She bowed. "Yes. After all, I need to introduce you to my other friends and allies." Chi smiled at her new partner.

"My own name." It floated around. "That is truly the mark of my being independent. The swarm had no name."

"What would you want to be called?"

The Beldum paced around mid-air, considering it. "I think... I should be called Saith."

"Are you sure?" Chi asked. "After all, you said that the old Saith was trouble."

"True. But, the Tower of Saith is how I met you."

And so it was that Chi and Saith became partners.

...

Chingling Diamond entry: It emits cries by agitating an orb at the back of its throat. It moves with flouncing hops.

Emerald entry: When Beldum gather in a swarm, they move in perfect unison as if they were but one Pokemon. They communicate with each other using brain waves.


	286. Swadloon, Swoobat

It was a fine autumn evening when the forest was just beginning to show signs of shifting to its more colorful form. Some overeager trees were already bright yellow or orange, while others were barely starting to turn. As the sun rays still pierced through the lush canopy, there was still a large amount of activity from the local Pokemon. It was the time to prepare nests and food stores for winter.

And leaf piles if one was a Swadloon. One such Pokemon was in a maple tree, nipping off one small branch. Then he grabbed it and pulled it close to examine the eight leaves it held. They were all still green. Feeling his stomach murmur, he wondered if he should eat them or preserve them for later use. The various leaf stashes he had around these trees were getting stuffed with leaves that he had put a coating on, so that they stayed green and pliable through the winter. As the leaves were turning, it was almost time to stop gathering; other-colored leaves wouldn't keep as well as green. He had to have loads of leaves to get through winter, though.

As the breeze kicked up, the Swadloon shivered. It was going to be a cold night. In that case, it was better to add these leaves to his current cloak. Maybe eating one. As he ate the first one, he started spinning up some silk to sew with. Then he carefully pulled the other seven leaves off the branch and began stitching them in place.

A group of Pokemon flew by. He thought at first that it was a bunch of Woobats, which was odd enough. But as he looked up on hearing music, he noticed that there were a few Swoobats as well. Sometimes the Woobats would appear during the night, flying out from their cave homes to hunt insects, and even Bug Pokemon like himself. They were something to be cautious of, although a show of strength was often enough to drive them to hunt something weaker. However, he recalled some Pokemon saying that it was a troubling omen to see Swoobats flying around singing.

He didn't remember why that was so. Because of that, he figured it had to be some silly rumor. The Swadloon relaxed and went back to his sewing. He even whistled a little as he thought on how snug he'd be with this cloak of leaves around him.

Once he got done with that, he walked along the branch to find some leaves to preserve and take back to one of his stashes. One leaf pile wasn't as stuffed as the others, so he could take a branch there to work. Before he could find a set of leaves he liked, two of the Swoobats flew into his tree, chasing one another. "Oh hey, this is good," one said, causing them both to start hovering in the maple tree's branches. "Good evening, snack!"

The Swadloon huffed and shook his leaf cloak. "I'm not going to be your snack."

"That's fine, because I don't like snacks with attitude," the other Swoobat said. "Can't take the heat." Then she laughed.

"Now there's no need to be sassy," the first Swoobat, apparently a male, said. He swung his tail and made a bouncy mid-air dance. "I was just playing around with this lovely lady and I said that all Pokemon had to agree that she was beautiful. She says I'm just toying with her, but I'm right, right? You think she's beautiful too. Say it!"

The Swadloon looked at the female Swoobat and thought about it. Her dark blue fur was in remarkably nice shape despite being naturally fluffy. Instead of going at all angles like the male's fur, hers flowed in neat lines and was free of knots and mats. And she looked healthy, as far as the Swadloon could tell. But it didn't feel natural saying that something that might hunt him for food was beautiful.

However, he didn't feel too concerned about being eaten. "It's not really my place to say, but if I may, you are like a lovely angel of the dark," the Swadloon sang. Sang? His eyes widened as he continued, "Though I would really like to ask, why must I sing for this task?"

The male Swoobat laughed and flew closer to him. "Don't question the music! Come on and move it! Everyone come in on my mark and we'll sing to my angel of the dark."

At that call, a bunch of Pokemon popped into the maple tree and joined in on the spontaneous musical number. There were other Swadloons who had dried seed pods to shake or curled leaves to use as woodwinds. A Simisage had some rocks to bang to keep the beat while a grouping of Pidoves became a chorus. For a moment, the Swadloon wondered if everyone had gone nutty. But as the male Swoobat began crooning, it was hard to resist joining in the song with a smile.

"It's been a wonder that you've joined us," the Swadloon sang, just singing whatever came into his head. "And it would be a blessing if you didn't eat us. But you are quite the sight to see, with fur the color of the midnight sea. I really don't know how to sing, but your looks make we want to take wing. O lovely angel of the night, I shall ever more remember this sight."

And then the dancing began. Neither the first Swadloon nor the other participants knew what to do, but they found themselves hopping from branch to branch, kicking legs, turning around, and swaying in well-timed precision. But the most active dancer had to be the male Swoobat, careening around and doing tricks despite the limited space he had to work with between the branches. He flew around the female Swoobat, eventually getting her to giggle and dance around in the air with him. Their happiness was infectious, leaving the other Pokemon to not care anymore and just keep dancing or playing their instruments.

"You silly and sneaky smarmy bat," the female cooed in teasing tones. "You make a good show of that. But I must know: how long would you stay by my side? Or would you go fly off after one of the others after this night?"

"Lovely angel, I will stay as long as you like," the male said, letting go of the song. The other Pokemon looked around puzzled, then headed off to what they had been doing before. "Now what of the snack? You may take him."

The Swadloon, looked around, still in a happy daze. Why had the music gone away? That had been kind of fun. Perhaps he needed to sing and dance more often.

The female Swoobat looked at the Swadloon, then flew out of the tree. "Let him be; he gave us an entertaining distraction. You may have proven your power, but you still need to prove your worth."

"But I will stay with you!" the male Swoobat said, taking off after her.

A couple minutes later, the Swadloon was able to clear his head from the weird musical feeling. It was getting dark and the temperature was falling. "So that's why they say to avoid the singing Swoobats, because you might end up having to sing along to save your life." He shivered at recalling how he had been, too happy to avoid being eaten. But with that danger past, he had to focus on the coming danger of cold and the winter. The Swadloon kept checking over the tree for leaves to add to his cloak or stashes.

But now any time he heard a song coming close, he went to hide.

…

Swadloon White entry: It protects itself from the cold by wrapping up in leaves. It stays on the move, eating leaves in forests.

Swoobat White entry: Anyone who comes into contact with the ultrasonic waves emitted by a courting male experiences a positive mood shift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got to be careful around those predators that can call on random musical numbers to confuse you.


	287. Palpitoad, Simisear

It all started with a simple little accident. A little boy riding on a flying Skarmory dropped an unopened lollipop over a marshy woods. While he was upset over losing his treat, his father was able to distract him from it a short time later. They didn't see where the lollipop fell, although the father only had the Skarmory fly around a brief time trying to spot it.

Not long after that, the brightly colored candy caught the eye of a Palpitoad. He still saw it dangling from a nearby tree, a swirl of a rainbow on a stick with a curling red ribbon tied around the candy's base. He didn't know what it was, but was intrigued by it. Coming close to the edge of the marshy area, he waited a moment to see if it would do anything. He would have preferred to see rain falling, as the muddy patch he called home was more like sludgy dirt than proper mud. But it was still enough for him to hide in.

Before long, he felt small vibrations from the ground; a Pokemon was walking nearby. The Palpitoad looked away from the candy for a moment and saw a Simisear going by. She had thick red fur that was clean and soft looking, the top of it styled a little more than usual. As she was looking around on her walk, she soon spotted the lollipop as well. "Ooooo," she said, her eyes widening in delight. She got up on the tips of her toes and reached her long arms up towards the candy. But, it turned out to be just out of her reach. That only deterred her a second, as she jumped onto the tree and got hold of the branch the candy was on.

He had seen that first. The Palpitoad crept slowly out of the marsh, letting the mud and grasses disguise his presence. As the Simisear hopped along the branch, it shook just enough to jostle the lollipop loose. There was his chance. Right before it hit the ground, he jumped forward and snapped out his tongue, grabbing the lollipop out of the air. It had a fruity sweet smell to it, more sweet than fruit (and he couldn't recognize the fruit itself). More importantly, it was his.

Screeching in indignation, the Simisear disagreed. She leaped out of the tree towards him, trying to grab the lollipop from him. But from the stickiness of his tongue, he was able to keep a hold of it. He kicked some mud at her when she tried to tackle him. After hopping further away, he gave a throaty chuckle at how the mud had clung to her red fur, something she obviously took great pride in. the Simisear tried to flick the sticky mud off, but only ended up spreading it further. She threw a fireball at him in retaliation. However, it felt more like a tickle to the Palpitoad. He took the lollipop off his tongue and waved it in glee, then jumped back into the mud.

He had thought that she wouldn't dare come after him. After all, he had lost many a pursuer, human and Pokemon, by coming into his 'mucky' muddy water. But it seemed that the treat was more valuable than he realized, as the Simisear came right after him, getting herself covered in mud in order to grab hold of his and hurl him out of the mud. He struck the tree and was dazed for a moment.

Only a moment, which the Simisear spent slipping up trying to get out of the sticky mud. By the time she managed to get out, she was mostly dark brown with mud, with her fur clumped up into misshapen blobs. She still tried to dash over to him and grab the lollipop away while it was in his hand. Grunting, the Palpitoad lashed out his tongue again, wrapping it tight around her arms and torso. Narrowing his eyes, he began to constrict her. He couldn't choke her, not the way his tongue was holding on, but he could teach her not to mess with him.

The Simisear panicked, squirming and twisting in hopes of getting free. But even with the mud on her, he didn't lose his grip. She started spitting fireballs at him, not noticing that they had had little effect before. In her panic, several of the fireballs were thrown wild, striking the bushes and trees nearby. As the rains had not fallen in a while, several bushes and the tree soon caught on fire.

This would not do. The Palpitoad tossed her aside, then hopped away from the burning tree. While her fireballs might not do much, the trees burning could affect even him. He needed to get to a place with more water. However, he couldn't resist showing off his prize for a bit longer and waggled the lollipop in front of the Simisear again. Then he started to wrap the tip of his tongue around the rainbow swirl part, where the sweetness was strongest.

He didn't taste anything but mud. Puzzled, he took his tongue off and turned it around, looking at it. When he licked it again, there was a small crinkling sound. No taste, no matter how sweet it smelled. What was with this thing? It was obviously some human thing. Why would they make something that smell so delicious but lacked any taste at all?

Overhead, there was a squawk as a Swanna flew overhead, carrying one of the humans that called themselves Rangers. The Swanna then summoned a large wave of water to crash over the burning area, trying to get the fire out before it spread too far. Nearby, the Simisear squealed before she was knocked out by the powerful water. It did nothing to the Palpitoad but wash the mud off his body. Not only that, but some of the fire remained, picking up the wind and continuing to burn.

The Palpitoad snorted. Such a mess, all for nothing. As the lollipop no longer interested him, he tossed it to the unconscious Simisear and hopped away, to find another place to be until this area settled down.

An hour later, the Simisear woke up in the Ranger's house. The human had been nice enough not only to heal her up, but to wash the mud out of her lovely red fur as well. Although it wrecked the style she had given herself in an attempt to attract a human friend. She looked around for a mirror to try fixing it and found none. Instead, she saw the rainbow swirl lollipop sitting on a table nearby, untouched.

Delighted to have it at last, she picked it up and carefully untied the ribbon. The cellophane wrapping was sealed with glue, but that was easily torn open. Despite all the mud, fire, and sticky amphibian tongue around it, the candy had come through untouched. The Simisear stuffed the whole thing into her mouth, even though it stretched out her cheeks in order to fit.

It was completely worth it.

…

Simisear Black entry: It loves sweets because they become energy for the fire burning inside its body.

Palpitoad B/W 2 entry: It lives in the water and on land. It uses its long, sticky tongue to immobilize its opponents.


	288. Barboach, Shelmet

Mallory woke up that morning with a smile on her face. It was her tenth birthday! And with that, she could become a real Pokemon Trainer with her own Pokemon, not just the ones her parents let her borrow. That was only the beginning though. Once she had a Pokemon of her own, she could opt out of boring school in favor of a grand adventure through Unova, winning battles, becoming popular, being on TV to be loved and admired by everyone... it would be great! She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, eager for things to get started.

Her mother and grandmother had made a special birthday breakfast for everyone, pancakes with sausage and fruit. They even made sure that Mallory's pancakes had chocolate chips in them, which nobody else got. "Happy birthday, princess," her father said, hugging her. "We'll be having your party in the evening, but we thought we could give you one present early."

"Really?" she asked, excited because she already knew what they were doing as she overheard them yesterday. But they wanted it to be a surprise, so she'd be surprised.

"We got this specially for you, from where we live," her grandfather said, giving her a small rectangle gift box.

"Cool!" Mallory said, pulling off the ribbon so that she could take the top off. Inside, there were two sections to the gift. One side had five Pokeballs. The other side had a single Pokeball, but one that had its status light active. "Yay, I got a Pokemon!" she said, pulling out the one active ball. "And some Pokeballs to get more. Thanks Granpa, Granma!"

"You're welcome," her grandmother said, smiling warmly. "We hope it's a good friend to you."

She admired the Pokeball for a moment. It was hers and nobody else's... that was wonderful. "Yeah! What kind is it?" She released it to the floor near her chair, hoping for something cute and fluffy, but mostly unlike anything her classmates would get.

What appeared was quite the opposite of cute and fluffy. It was some kind of fish, with gray scales, small blue fins, and large black whiskers. Making a wet splat as it flipped around on the kitchen floor, it looked up at her with odd black fish eyes. It didn't even make a cute sound; it just looked at her.

"She's a Barboach, quite a useful Pokemon," her grandfather said. "I remember you admiring the Water Pokemon last time we visited, so I decided to get one of them. This Barboach, if you train her up well, can take you just about anywhere across water, even underwater if you find the right move-teacher machine. Not only that, but they are born from hardened mud, so they can withstand moves that most other Water Pokemon would be badly hurt by. People usually don't expect that."

"Oh," did she really want a Pokemon born out of mud? Sure, she had liked some of the Water Pokemon they had seen in the aquarium, but she didn't remember seeing this one. Mallory wasn't sure about this Pokemon, but she didn't want to hurt her grandfather's feelings. "That could help. I guess."

"Are you sure about this?" her father asked of Grandad. It sounded like he wasn't sure about the gift Pokemon either.

"Certainly," he said. "It'll give her a tremendous edge over the other kids."

"But it's..." her father thought about it a second, "more like a boy's Pokemon, isn't it?"

Grandad gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. "Are you so far behind on the times? Stuff like doesn't matter to kids these days, right Mallory?"

"Yeah," she said, uncertain still. She got out of her chair and went to pick up the Barboach. However, its scales turned out to be slippery and slimy, like soap. Mallory tried again.

"We figured that we'd give your Pokemon to you early, so you could spend the day out with her," her grandfather said, cheered by her verbal agreement. "And the extra Pokeballs are to help build your team. In fact, if you want to take a little challenge from me, I might give you some more things that will be helpful to a new Trainer." He winked.

Mallory finally got a hold of the Barboach in both of her hands, picking her up to her chest. She didn't look any better up close, and the Pokemon didn't seem sure about being held. Despite that, the challenge could be interesting. Her grandfather made up lots of fun games. "Sure, I'll try! What do I do?"

"You go out to the places where wild Pokemon are and capture the first Pokemon you see," he said. "You do remember from the Trainer classes how to do that, right?"

"Right!" Mallory said, hopeful that she might get a nicer Pokemon out in the woods. After all, there were adorable Deerling out there.

Then the Barboach squirmed to escape Mallory's grasp, slithering up out of her arms and slapping her face.

* * *

Midmorning of her tenth birthday and Mallory's excitement was already fizzling. The sky was gray with clouds. Although that wasn't unusual for Driftveil, she had hoped that it would be sunny for her special day. It would've been nice, since she ended up with a mud fish Pokemon as her starter and her best friend had to be out of town for the party. And as she headed out onto Route 6, she had to walk through the muddy forest in order to get to the nearest place she could catch another Pokemon. That meant that she couldn't show off her cute pink skirt and yellow shirt outfit, as she needed to wear her mud boots, rain coat, and rain hat just in case. Although once she was out of her house, she unbuttoned the coat so it didn't look quite as tacky.

But there was still good that could come out of this, she thought. She knew that a Water Pokemon would do well against the local Gym, so she could get a badge soon. Then she could really head out and be free to do whatever. No more sitting around in old classrooms listening to long lectures and taking hard tests. No more having to deal with the school bullies. No more just being a nobody. In time, everyone would be watching her as a great Pokemon Trainer, admiring how well she did and how cute she was. Everyone would know her name. That would be worth a disappointing beginning! Besides, if she got a Deerling out here, nobody outside of her family had to know that the Barboach was the Pokemon she actually started with.

Mallory paused at the start of the tall grass where Pokemon lived. It came up to her chest, with occasional movements showing where the Pokemon were. However, she couldn't see what those Pokemon were. "Please have a Deerling be close," she said quietly, then walked into the grass holding onto the Barboach's Pokeball. She hadn't wanted to walk through town with the ugly little fish flopping after her.

A few steps in, the toe of her boot hit something hard. Looking down, she saw something metallic in the grass. A lost item? She bent down to pick it up, but then it split in half and something bright pink peered out at her with a large blue eye. It then closed up and hopped away to an open patch of the grass.

That was a Pokemon, a, a... a Shelmet. It was odd, because she had only seen them in pictures before. How come she never saw them on this route before when she took walks with her parents? Or had she just forgotten about it? It was no Deerling, but it wasn't exactly ugly either. Odd looking, that's all it was.

For a moment, Mallory considered just walking on and ignoring the Shelmet in favor of finding a Deerling. But, her grandfather had challenged her to catch the first Pokemon she saw. She could just say that she didn't see this one first. Still, it didn't seem right to lie to Grandad, even if his choice of Pokemon was way off. She could give it a chance (and hopefully keep enough Pokeballs to get a Deerling), so she hurried after the Shelmet.

It stopped in the open patch and turned to open its metal shell up and look at her. Mallory released the Barboach onto the muddy ground. Okay, um, attack it," she said.

The Barboach twitched her whiskers and looked back at her.

"I don't know how exactly," she said, pointing to the Shelmet. "Show me what you can do."

Still hesitating to move, the Barboach looked over at the Shelmet. It lowered the top half of its shell, pulling its pink body back inside. Neither of them seemed ready to fight.

"What is it?" Mallory said, crouching down and prodding her Pokemon. The fish flipped herself around, slapping some mud on her. "Ick, why'd you do that?" she said, getting up. "I'm going to where I won't get muddy." Then she walked back into the grass.

That seemed to do it, for some reason. When she turned around, the Barboach had slapped a much larger spray of mud at the Shelmet. It tried to keep the mud out, but had to open its shell to spit a gross-looking booger at her. Watching that, Mallory wasn't so sure about getting it again. The Barboach slapped more mud at the Shelmet, then flipped herself around in such a way that she tackled it. This battle seemed a lot more dirty than she had been expecting.

While the Barboach had been hit a couple more times, the Shelmet had definitely taken some hard hits. At least that's what Mallory thought. She dug out one of the inactive Pokeballs while the two Pokemon exchanged a few more attacks. Then she ran out into the small opening again. "Okay, I'll get it, for Grandad!"

This time, the Barboach actually made a sound, a squelchy kind of squeak. The Shelmet was in the middle of its spitting attack, but got distracted when the girl ran back into the battle. Instead of hitting the mud fish, it hit Mallory's legs through her open coat. Immediately, the Shelmet's eyes widened in panic and it hopped away back towards the bushes.

"That was disgusting!" Mallory said, trying to wipe the booger off. But it was really sticky, clinging to her hand now. "Somebody needs to teach you some manners... hey, come back!" She started to head for the bush the Shelmet had disappeared into. It would be so embarrassing to admit that the first Pokemon she tried to catch had run off.

The Barboach whined, almost like she was worried. She flopped after Mallory, her agitation giving her some quickness. Unexpectedly, the Shelmet emerged back from the bushes, holding something small between the edges of its shell.

"At least you listened that time," Mallory said, activating the Pokeball she had in hand and tossing it at the Shelmet.

It absorbed the Pokemon, but bounced a bit and got half-coated in mud. After it twisted and got more muddy, it clicked as it locked the Pokemon to it. Not even a struggle. Sighing in relief, Mallory went over and picked up the mucky Pokeball. At least she had met her grandfather's challenge and kept four free Pokeballs to get a Deerling with.

However, the Shelmet soon released itself. "Shhurruu," it said, trying to hold up the tip of its shell to her. The item was still there, a berry.

"That's a Pokemon berry, not a people berry," Mallory said. "Don't come out on your own; it's rude. You keep it. We're going to find a Deerling now." But then the Barboach jumped right in her path, causing her to trip over the fish and fall face first into the muddy ground. That was too much; her face burned in embarrassment and anger. "What was that for?! I never asked for an ugly fish like you. I was supposed to get an awesome cute Pokemon for my birthday and for some reason, Grandad got me you and the first Pokemon I find is some weird bug thing that misbehaves weird. Why do you have to be so mean to me, especially on my birthday? I hate you both! I'm not going to keep either of you! This day couldn't get any worse." Then she burst into tears.

As if nature was conspiring to make her birthday miserable too, a downpour of rain started without warning over Route 6. Mallory didn't really care and stayed there crying. She didn't want to go back home like this, all sticky and messy and a disgrace. After a moment, the Barboach and the Shelmet both approached her. The fish nuzzled her knee while the odd bug tried to offer her the berry again.

Then someone came up beside her, not dressed for the rain like she was but not bothered by it at all. "Shelmet wants you to eat the berry," he said, crouching down by her. "She says that she's very sorry for hitting you, as she wasn't expecting you to get in the middle of their battle. She wants to help you now, because you might have gotten poisoned."

"Huh?" Mallory asked, looking over at the guy. He had long green hair and the face of a nice person, but she didn't know who he was.

"They're trying to help you," he said patiently. "They want to be your friends."

For a moment, she wanted to be stubborn and say again that she didn't want either of these messy Pokemon. But then she realized that he might have been right about the poisoning. "I don't feel so good," she whimpered.

The strange man took the berry from the Shelmet and gave it to her. "Eat that; it should help. I'll take you to the hospital so that they can make sure you're okay." Once she did eat it, he picked her up and carried her back to Driftveil.

* * *

Mallory's parents and grandparents were all fretting over her when they showed up in the hospital. "I wasn't thinking that something this bad was going to happen to you," her grandfather said, hugging her.

"I'm okay now," she said, although feeling a little scared still. She looked over at the two Pokemon sitting on the bed with her. The strange man had left soon after dropping her off, but the two Pokemon had stayed with her the whole time. "This Shelmet made sure of that," she said, reaching over to her. The bug didn't even hide in her shell, but let her pet her inner pink body.

"That's a good Pokemon," her father said. "They should help you a lot when you go traveling."

"Mmmm, I think I'm gonna stay in school for a little while longer," Mallory said, looking down. That seemed safer, making sure she was better prepared.

And, she thought that she would keep both of these Pokemon too. Even if they weren't what she really wanted, they had both tried to help even though she didn't realize it. They could be good friends too. But what about that strange man? If she saw him again, maybe she could thank him for telling her that. But then how had he known it?

…

Barboach Platinum entry: Its slimy body is hard to grasp. In one region, it is said to have been born from hardened mud.

Shelmet Black entry: When attacked, it defends itself by closing the lid of its shell. It can spit a sticky, poisonous liquid.


	289. Lampent

It was a cold evening, with snow falling slowly. Lightposts decorated with garlands lit up the streets while a radio played holiday music, but some of the alleys were dim and quiet. Within one, a Lampent was just waking up. He had spent the day attached to the wall of this skyscraper, looking like an out of place black iron lamp. In the past, he might have blended in, but in all of his memories, he had only found two lamps that looked anything like him. Still, most humans didn't come this way to notice him.

Most. His blue flame was starting to burn energy from a living creature; one of the humans had gotten close to him. Without opening his eyes, he heard the light footsteps of children and smelled the sweat of nervousness. The Lampent opened his yellow eyes halfway, causing the children to pause. It was three boys; none of them had snowballs or water buckets. Believing that whatever they had in mind wouldn't be harmful, he closed his eyes again. The energy he drew from them wouldn't be much, easily recovered with sleep. But it would keep him going until he found something more suitable for eating.

One boy gave a soft sigh of relief, while another tried to hush him from the noise. Something jingled... jingled? It caused the boys to freeze up for a moment, but he humored them by appearing to still be sleeping. Then one of them got close enough to tie something to his right arm. While it wasn't heavy, it did jingle when he shook his arm, causing the boy to yelp and jump back. The Lampent then opened his eyes and looked down at the boys. He made an eerie call, which caused them to run off in fright. But a short time later, he heard laughter and proud shouts from them.

Looking at their 'prank', the Lampent saw a trio of silver jingle bells attached to his right arm by a shiny gold ribbon. He had heard the humans speaking lately about the holiday spirit, so were they trying to give that to a spirit? He shook his arm, making the silver bells jingle. Actually, it was a pleasing little thing, so he wouldn't mind wearing it for a little while. He detached himself from the wall and began to wander in the dark areas of Castelia City.

This was a place where many humans and Pokemon lived. Many died as well, but most of them were taken care of so that their spirits did not wander. As for the spirits that were not put to rest quickly, he hunted for them. His fires burned from the energy they had. It was not from maliciousness that he did so, just need for fuel. When he had been a Litwick, he had heard from an older Lampent that they were set to do this so that the lost spirits did not remain, drawing other souls of the dead to them and growing in numbers until the area was turned into a necropolis. But he always felt it was because it was better to hunt the lost souls of the dead than to burn the life energy of the living. While he did not burn much living energy, the steady loss would weaken the other until they grew ill and died.

A rock clattering on the wall near him made the Lampent turn alert. There was a woman standing in a doorway to the alley. "You keep away from our business, spirit," she told him harshly. "We don't need you cursing the area."

Maybe it was a noble purpose to keep the world in balance, or maybe it was just a courtesy for the living. Whichever reason it was, humans generally didn't think of that and feared them. The Lampent quietly moved on, trying to avoid running into another. It was a regular night to him. Except for the little prank, he thought, shaking the bells again. Or had it been an unintended gift? He liked it.

As the night went on, fewer humans were out in the streets. There were some other Pokemon wandering around, braving the cold for scraps of food the humans might have left behind. Not many other Ghost Pokemon, though. He had been born in another place, but this was where he made his home even though he was unusual for this city. Most nights, it was a good place to him. But he wasn't able to find a lost spirit tonight either. That worried him. He could stay lit for a while on living energy, but he didn't want to depend on it. At one time, that had caused something tragic. He needed to keep searching.

He passed by one alley and saw a human child in it. At first, he moved on, but something bothered him. The Lampent turned back and floated by the alley again. There was a little girl there, dressed inappropriately for the weather in a pink Audino nightgown and matching slippers. Feeling that something had to be wrong, he went into the alley to investigate. He worried about scaring her, so he made the silver bells jingle and tried not to be as eerie when he called to her.

"Ooo, what pretty fire," the girl said, smiling and not scared of him. "Are you a Christmas spirit? Because I was looking for one to make things good again. I was sure there were angels out tonight because of all the glowing snowflakes and pretty music. Are you one? I can dance good, so I can be an angel too once I learn to sing." Then she spun around on the spot.

The Lampent didn't know a lot about humans, but he was certain that this wasn't normal behavior from one. Dangerous too; she would freeze to death if she stayed out much longer like this. While that would give him the spirit energy he was looking for, that wasn't how he wanted to find it. He went past her, feeling her energy as he came close. That told her that the girl was sick already. Shaking the bells, he waited at the other end of the alley.

That got her to follow him. "Where are you going? Can I come too? I never saw an angel with blue fire for wings."

As long as she followed him to somewhere safe, he didn't mind whatever she called him. The Lampent looked around the street, but many of the buildings here had lights out. Down the street, there was a blue sign that he had learned was a sign of the police. The street was empty. He turned to keep an eye on her, fortunate because she was getting distracted in the snowflakes. Shaking the bells and calling for her attention, the Lampent led her over a block to where the police station was.

Once there, there was another problem. The police station was made so that it was protected from many things, including a Ghost Pokemon passing through its walls. Not only that, but his arms did not end in hands. The Lampent knocked on the door, hoping for a quick response. He tried to cut off taking in any new energy, but the girl was sick and it wouldn't take much from his power to make things worse for her.

"What's the matter?" the girl asked. She took hold of the handle, but the door proved to heavy for her to move. So she started knocking on the door as well.

It wasn't long after that when a policeman came to the door and opened it. "What are you doing out so late with your Pokemon, little lady?" he asked. "It's not a night to be out, especially as you are."

"I found a Christmas spirit!" she said, deliriously cheerful in her illness. "I was getting so hot inside and then I followed pretty lights until I found it. It's going to make everything better."

The policeman took her hand, examining her face. "I see. You'd better come inside and tell me how to call your parents. You might need to be in the hospital." He then looked at the Pokemon. "Thank you Lampent. You might've saved her life. Would you like to come in as well?"

The Lampent warbled back, hoping for the real angels to look after the girl from that point. Then he turned and went back into the dark alleyways. He had done all that he safely could.

The next night, he woke up to an unexpected gift from the policeman: a Pokemon Christmas treat made of seeds and berries rolled up with honey and peanut butter. While it wasn't as good as finding a lost spirit for fuel, it would keep him going for a few more nights. And the police treated him with respect for the rest of his nights.

…

Lampent Black entry: This ominous Pokemon is feared. Through cities it wanders, searching for the spirits of the fallen.


	290. Tranquill

When he woke up, the ocean had calmed down to its usual rhythm. Feeling that was a good sign, the Tranquill came out of the hole he had been hiding in overnight. The sky was blue, streaked with thin clouds. The sun was shining and it seemed all right above. But on the ground, it was a much different sight. Debris littered the beach: bits of metal, soggy papers, a sign from a Pokecenter, siding from a house, even a battered boat far up the shore. Trees had been snapped and toppled. A great storm had passed through last night, destroying everything.

It had nearly destroyed him. He had been trying to protect his Trainer, who had decided to go out in the storm. While he had tried to convince her to go back inside where it was safe, she felt that something was more important to go outside for. She had lost his Pokeball and when he had retrieved it, the wind had caught him and blown him into the air. Normally, he was perfectly comfortable in the sky, but with the heavy rain and immense winds, he had been caught helpless. The Tranquil had clutched the Pokeball in his foot and accidentally caused it to pull him in.

That might have saved him, for he had been unable to come back out until the Pokeball was thrown into the sand here. He had not recognized this place, although the storm made it hard to see anything. Picking up his Pokeball in his beak, he had gone into the first hole he saw and hunkered down in there to be safe.

Even by the calm day, he didn't recognize the place he was at. He wondered if his Trainer was safe. He wouldn't be a good Pokemon if she had gotten hurt. But he hadn't been able to help it, right? So it wouldn't be his fault. Still, he needed to find her. The Tranquill put his Pokeball in his left foot, making sure that he wouldn't send himself in it again. Then he took off into the air.

After ascending to his usual flight level, he could see that he had ended up on an island. There was a shoreline off in the distance. With that, he could orient himself; he had to be east of the mainland. He headed towards the shore, back to the spot where he had lost his Trainer. That might not be where he would find her, but it would be good to start.

The waters between the island and the mainland were still this morning. Like at the beach, there were many pieces of debris floating around. There were no boats, unusual for this area. But after that storm, who knew how many of the boats were still in good shape. It was frightening that so much damage could happen so quickly.

Through signals from the sun's light, the earth's magnetism, and the wind's feel, the Tranquill easily found the spot where the storm had taken him away. He flew in circles around it for a little while, finding some humans but not his. The damage here wasn't as bad as some places he had flown over: most of the buildings were still standing, although unprotected windows were shattered and several trees had toppled over. Maybe inside somewhere? He called out to other Pokemon around, but most everyone had come out already and none that were inside seemed to be his girl. He checked out the building they had been in, and even found the one she had been headed to. Not there.

Still, he wasn't going to give up. He knew of two Pokecenters in this city, so he flew to both in case she was there. He went inside one and found several Trainers. With the storm over, a great many other Pokemon had come here if they got separated from their Trainers. The Tranquill was seen as he was, simply another lost Pokemon searching for his human. In the sitting area, there was a nurse busily calling Trainers of those Pokemon. While he could simply wait there as well, he wanted to find his girl on his own. It was the pride of his kin that they could find any place that they had been to once, and could find any person or Pokemon important to them. He left and kept searching.

He checked the other Pokecenter, but she wasn't there. He flew to a hotel they had stayed at, the home of another friend of hers, and a place they had trained at for many days. Not finding her at any of those places, he paused on a rooftop and stopped to think. Where could she be? She was always on the reckless side; he remembered one time when she had descended down a deep rocky canyon with little more than some rope. He had tried to offer to fly her wherever she wanted in there, but she only accepted that offer when night had fallen and she was too tired from her hike to climb back out. Another time, she had challenged a tough Water Gym with only him. They had barely managed to squeak by even though he had tried his hardest to win for her. She usually managed to get out of the trouble she got in, usually with his help. But, maybe she hadn't this time?

But, she couldn't be dead! He wasn't going to accept that until he found her that way. The Tranquill shook out his wings and sang a defiant song. The storm might have taken him away, but he would find her! With that confidence, he had a strong feeling that he should check out a hospital in the city. He took off once more and went straight there.

Much of the hospital was boarded up still, but activity coming in and out indicated that it was still in use. A large generator by the building was busily providing power; the city had defended this place well and their efforts had paid off. The Tranquill landed on the ground near an entrance, then shifted his Pokeball from his foot to his beak. Then he hopped inside. While there were a lot of ways to go, he followed his instinct without hesitation.

Eventually, he came to a door that wouldn't open automatically for him. He scratched at the door with his foot for attention. A nurse came up from behind him. "Come to find someone, have you?" he said. Then he pressed a button on the side before pulling the door open. "Keep quiet and well-behaved. You should be able to stay that way."

The Tranquil bobbed his head in appreciation, then hopped on through so the man could come through with his cart of supplies. After traveling past several rooms, he finally found his Trainer. In a room with another patient, she was wrapped up in many bandages, especially around her torso. She was breathing though, thankfully alive. The Tanquill put his Pokeball down on a nearby table, then chirped quietly for her attention. When she didn't wake up, he nudged her gently in a spot that wasn't bandaged up.

"That your Trainer?" the nurse asked, coming into the room as well. "She got hurt badly last night, brought in when the hurricane's eye was over us. The doctors have done what they could. Now we're taking care of her and hoping her condition improves."

The Tranquil didn't entirely understand what the nurse was saying now, but he seemed to be worried yet reassuring. But the Pokemon was sure that his Trainer would get better. She wasn't the sort who would give up either, not in any odds. Giving a short song of bravery, the Tranquill checked out the room to find somewhere to settle in and keep an eye on his girl. He'd be here when she woke up, and he'd keep her safe until she was better. That was the only plan that he would accept.

…

Tranquill Black entry: It can return to its Trainer's location regardless of the distance separating them.


	291. Vullaby, Mandibuzz

There was a breeze, enough to carry leaves in lazy flight. On the ground below, there was a layer of mud from the recently passed rain. There weren't any bigger Pokemon hanging around to cause trouble. It seemed like the perfect time. Stretching her tiny black wings out wide, Vullaby readied herself. "I'll do it today!" she said. Then she started running (more accurately, waddling) as fast as she could to the edge of the cliff. "Yaaaaaaaaa!"

Then the ground ended under her and she was still moving forward. The breeze moved around her wings. For a moment, she thought, 'I did it!' And then she plummeted downward. Vullaby tried frantically to flap her wings and fly, but all it did was turn her about in the air. She pulled her legs up and landed with a bone-snapping crack. Fortunately, they weren't her own bones.

Unfortunately, the source of the sound was the bone armor she wore. It fell to pieces off of her. "Oh no, I'm naked!" she cried, looking around flustered for something to cover up her weaker belly and rear area. But there wasn't anything down here; all of the bones were stored up near the nest. She'd have to get back up there.

Up the cliff, when she couldn't even fly by running off it. Vullaby felt disappointed that she couldn't, but worry about someone attacking her like this pushed her to try. The cliff was jagged, so she might be able to jump up the rocks. For the first few jumps, it was simple. But then her feet got hold of a weak muddy rock, which threatened to crumble under even her small weight. Vullaby kept her wings out while trying to balance, but that moved the rock enough that it broke off. Quickly, she jumped to another rock that was so small that she could barely get both of her feet on it.

"I wish I could fly," she said, looking up at the sky.

There, she saw her mother Mandibuzz circling around to watch the ground. Then, Mandibuzz dove down. A bellow followed and she returned to the sky carrying a living Bouffalant in her claws. The land Pokemon struggled to hit her, but Mandibuzz simply hurled it back to the ground when she got above a nearby tree. Bouffalant bellowed again, daring her to come down and fight. However, she wouldn't follow that and climbed back into the sky again.

Vullaby watched the whole scene in admiration. "I want to fly and be strong and beautiful like that," she said. Then she clicked her beak and lifted her head. "I will be! But I want that time to come soon."

For now, she had to work on getting back to her mother's nest. Vullaby continued to jump from place to place, watching more carefully now for weak points. Once, she had to grip into a patch of dirt in the cliff because there wasn't a better place to go from the last spot. She worried about it giving way, but the clay held strong. When she was less than a foot from the top, she landed on a spot that started to slide her back down to the bottom. Not wanting to do that climb all over again, she flapped her wings and jumped with all her might to reach another foothold, then the top.

She hurried away from the edge once she reached the top. Then she turned around and spent a moment catching her breath. "Phew, that was a lot of work," she said to herself. "I wish there was an easier place to learn flying, so I could do it myself." However, there was still the matter of replacing her armor. She went to the hole in the rocks where her mother stored the bones.

Later on, Mandibuzz returned with a fresh meal in her claws. "Time to eat," she said, but then peered into the bone hole. "Vullaby dear, what are you doing?"

"Ummm..." She looked around at the various bones that she had been trying to piece together. "I had to replace my armor, so I thought I'd make it pretty like yours. I tried to do what you do, but it won't work." She tried to duck her head under her wings, worried about getting scolded for breaking her armor.

However, Mandibuzz chuckled at that. "There's magic to it, and I haven't taught it to you. Go wear one of the skulls; it suits you better than trying to cobble smaller bones into the right shape."

"Okay, Momma," she said, disappointed that she'd have to stick with the skulls. Finding a clean and dry one of the right size, she flipped it upside-down and put her legs through the eye holes.

As she came out, Mandibuzz nudged her towards the food. "Now how did you lose your armor?"

"I wanted to fly," Vullaby said, pointing to the edge of the cliff. She explained how she thought the moving air would help her get started, but then it wasn't enough to carry her and she had to climb back up. "Do you think if I tried when the winds were stronger, I could fly?"

"No, don't try that," her mother said. "Stronger winds would just blow you around and you could get hurt. The problem isn't the wind, it's your wings. They're too small to support you now."

"Oh?" She spread her wings out, but even that didn't match the length of one of her mother's wings. "But I thought mine had gotten bigger today."

Mandibuzz nudged her chin, to better her posture. "Just a little. You won't be able to fly for a long time. Focus on making your body stronger and someday, you'll be able to grow into a Mandibuzz like me."

Vullaby's eyes widened. "And I'll be strong and beautiful like you? But how do I get that strong? I want to fly soon so you'll be proud of me!"

Laughing again, Mandibuzz bumped her head affectionately into Vullaby's. "But I am proud of you. You got all the way up the cliff on your own, which is quite a feat for a young one like you. You're the best gift ever given to me and I'll always love you, no matter what. For now, you need to battle others and be patient. You'll grow up when the time is right."

"Okay, Momma," she said. Hearing that more than made up for the disappointment in falling off the cliff today.

Mandibuzz then got some blood from their meal. "I could show you more closely how we make beautiful things with bones and blood. You might be able to do something simple; if not, just keep practicing every meal until you get it right."

Watching closely, Vullaby started thinking about what kind of bone decoration she wanted to wear first. It was a good day after all.

…

Vullaby B2/W2 entry: Their wings are too tiny to allow them to fly. They guard their posteriors with bones that were gathered by Mandibuzz.

Mandibuzz White entry: Watching from the sky, they swoop to strike weakened Pokemon on the ground. They decorate themselves with bones.


	292. Pachirisu, Snubbull

Sitting in a tree on a warm summer evening, Philippe the Pachirisu was busily grooming his tail. He was very particular about his appearance, making sure that his white fur stayed white and soft. After all, one never knew when a chance for a romantic encounter would come by. He sometimes thought about staying with a human, as then he could stay inside and get access to professional grooming. But, there was a risk of ending up with an adventurous Trainer. Even if he found one that wasn't, there would be more restrictions in going out and about. So he was going to stick to the city park, taking care of his own appearance.

As he brushed through his tail, he kept coming up with paws of loose fur. That was fine, as it gave him material for one of his hobbies. He gathered up all of the fur he was getting into one clump, which he kept in a split between two branches so that it didn't get lost. Once his grooming was done, he busily patted and rolled the clump into a ball. He also brushed it against the yellow pouches on his cheeks where he stored electricity, to give it some extra snap. After some work, he had a white puff of a fur ball that crackled with static every time it was touched.

"Another perfect puff," Philippe said to himself proudly. He tossed it up into the air, bumping it lightly with his knuckles to keep it aloft. Over the months of his life, he had mastered a technique to make sure that his fur puffs kept their static for much longer than any other Pachirisu's puff. He liked playing with them, but always ended up putting them in with his food store. It kept other Pokemon from raiding his berries and nuts, as well as keeping them fresh longer. At least, he thought so.

He played with it a bit, then started thinking about what to do. It was too early in the night to be going to sleep, although a good number of his kin preferred to sleep once the sun fell. But the evening was the perfect time for romance! Such a pity that they didn't agree with him. Looking around, he considered plotting out how to woo a particular Pachirisu girl who lived in a really nice tree nearby.

Then he saw something that astounded him. It made his jaw drop so much that it should have fallen right out of the tree and onto the ground. Over on a table that sat on a hotel balcony close to his tree, there was a snowy white ball of fluff that was as big as he was. Philippe had never seen a fluff ball that big before. Even if he worked all his life, gathering his loose fur and carefully patting it together, he didn't think he could make one that big ever. He had to have a closer look.

Glancing at his newest fluff ball, he considered tossing it but decided to take it along as he bounded through the branches and onto the railing of the balcony. A quick hop and he was right next to the large fluff. Taking a hold of a piece, he noticed that it was a loose heap rather than an actual ball and that it was made of feathers. But the feathers were so fluffy and soft, puffed up just with air. How would it look when energized with static?

"I bet this could make me irresistible," he said in a quiet voice, pulling on the strand and finding that it was one long piece. He thought about taking off with it, but then he heard girlish giggling going on nearby. Noticing that it came from inside the hotel, he moved to the edge of the table quietly and glanced around.

The door was mostly shut, but it was made of glass so he could see three unusual Pokemon inside. They had reddish-pink fur with light blue spots; their coats shone from special care and grooming attention. Their large ears were floppy, split in such a way that they seemed to have four. As they were gathered in a tight circle, he couldn't see their faces well. But from where he could see, they seemed cute.

"Must be travelers with their Trainer," Philippe said, rubbing his chin. Then he grinned. "All the more reason to try this out on them!" He pulled on the feather fluff and started to wrap it around himself.

First, he did some around his neck, with an end of it hanging in front of his chest. Humans were fond of scarves, which were said to be highly fashionable, so he would wear it as a scarf. But it was much to long to just be a scarf, so he wrapped the other end of it around his large tail. If it stuck the end of the feather fluff to the tip of his tail, he could curl the end and hold onto it securely. This was sure to make him fluffier and cuter than ever! But as he was trying to get the other end gripped in his tail, he couldn't watch where he was going and stepped right off the table. Giving a startled squeak, he hit one of the chairs just right to tip it over, causing him and the chair to crash onto the floor right outside the door.

"Oh my goodness!" one of the Pokemon inside said, coming over and pulling the glass door aside. "What happened out here?"

The other two followed. "We seem to have a peeper," another said.

"Are you okay?" the third asked, bending down to look at him.

Philippe looked up and saw three of the ugliest and most terrifying faces he'd ever seen. These girls, twice his size, had huge fangs coming out of their mouths; their noses seemed to be squashed flat and their brows were slanted as if furious. For a moment, he was too stunned by falling and seeing those faces to do anything.

"What's he doing with the lady's feather boa?" one of the girl Pokemon asked. "It seems to be all tangled up."

"More like he was wrapping himself up to steal away with it," another said with a chuckle. "A romantic thief maybe, trying to look marvelous at his craft?"

One giggled. "At least the feathers match his fur, although it'd look a sight better if the boa matched his size."

"That would be so dashing!" She clasped her paws together and wagged her tail in delight.

Philippe managed to get back onto his feet, but his mind was working quickly. So these girls had scary faces; they seemed nice and normal enough from their words. Besides, his pride in his charm wouldn't let him run away now. "Hello, ladies," he said, giving them a confident sparkling smile.

They all started laughing. "Or maybe he's out to steal hearts," one said.

"Such a rogue."

One of them reached over to pat his head. "Aw, you're not scared of us? Most little Pokemon, when they see us Snubbulls, run away as quick as we face them."

"How could I be frightened of such dainty damsels?" Philippe boasted, taking her paw and giving it a kiss. "I have never seen your like before, but I am certain that your hearts are as lovely as roses and as warm as the summer sunshine."

"A bluffer and a flirt," one of the Snubbulls said in amusement. "You have quite a repertoire of questionable skills."

"Aw, but I think he's a cute little sweetie," the one closest to him said. "Here, let's get that sitting better on you." She started to wrap the boa around his tail better.

"You're the sweet one here, thanks," Philippe said, watching to see when he could grasp the end of it. "If you keep me closer, you might find that I'm spicier than you think."

"Oh ho ho, I don't think so," she said. "The lady might not approve."

"She doesn't have to find out," he said. Seeing that she was done, he took hold of the boa with his tail. "We could go out and see the sights of the city by night. I know of some of the most amazing places around to show travelers like you ladies. And some secret spots that most won't even think of."

"Sounds fun, but no," another Snubbull said. "We've got a big contest tomorrow, so we can't be tromping all about dirty alleyways and dusty rooftops."

He considered sticking around and seeing if he couldn't talk them into it anyhow. But, he felt that keeping the feather boa would be beneficial to other romances, not mention impressing any other Pokemon that saw him. "That's a real shame; you might find yourself dreaming in regret. But you've been wonderful to talk to, lovely ladies. Here, take this to remember me by." He gave one of them the little static puff ball he had made earlier. "I made it with all my love and affection. Good luck with your contest." He hopped onto one of the remaining chairs, then up to the railing. There, he turned and blew them a kiss before leaping back to his tree.

"Hey, he took the lady's boa," one of the Snubbulls said.

"Oh, she has a hundred of those," another said. "Let him."

Philippe grinned as he made his way to his sleeping hole. Tomorrow, he'd definitely see about getting this boa charged up so he could amaze everyone who saw him. That had been a good, if chaste, encounter.

...

Snubbull Emerald entry: By baring its fangs and making a scary face, it sends smaller Pokemon scurrying in terror. The Snubbull does seem a little sad at making its foes flee.

Pachirisu Diamond entry: It makes fur balls that crackle with static electricity. It stores them with berries in tree holes.


	293. Hoothoot, Gligar

Faulkner's office had large openings in every wall, open to the air so Flying Pokemon could come and go as they pleased. The breeze coming through felt nice, although that meant that loose papers couldn't be kept around. With that in mind, there was a pair of large filing cabinets in the corners behind the large wooden desk. In other corners, as well as near the desk and in the windows, there were perches for the Pokemon to sit on. There were two Spearows, a Pidgeotto, and a Hoothoot in the room now. The first three belonged to the Leader, but the last was perched on the edge of the chair where her Trainer sat.

Setting a pewter Fearow paperweight on the application papers, Faulkner skimmed it briefly before saying, "All right Gail, tell me why you want to be a Gym Trainer here."

"I want to work on my battle techniques, but with different people instead of the same ones every day," the twelve year old boy said. "Also, both of my Pokemon are Flying Pokemon and I've gotten interested in knowing more about them."

He nodded. "Would you tell me a little about your two Pokemon? Including how you got them."

Gail looked down at the Hoothoot; she was sitting there quietly, tilting her head back and forth. "This is Luna, the first Pokemon I got. I had gotten some Quick Balls from my parents and they thought I'd just get whatever Pokemon I ran across. But she had been coming to the fence in our backyard every evening at the same time. I had been giving her some nuts, so she knew me well enough that I probably could have gotten her with a regular Pokeball. She's been a good friend of mine for two years, although she's agreeable to any who are nice to her.

"The other Pokemon I have is a Gligar; I call him Goof because he can be silly at times. Last winter, I was on a trip with my parents and he stole my mom's purse. Luna and I chased after him to get it back. He was tough to fight, so I decided to have Luna put him to sleep with Hypnosis and capture him. Even though he was asleep, he managed to break several balls before I finally got him. Like I thought, he's a strong fighter, but I have trouble teaching him to be mannered and he can be disobedient even to me."

"Some can be proud or troublesome, but they tend to come around when they really respect you," Faulkner said. "I've reviewed the three battles you turned in for the application. Tell me what you remember about one of the battles."

This was one of those interview questions where he hadn't been able to determine how important it was or why they asked it. But as he had heard that it came up regularly, he had reviewed those battles himself this morning and decided on one to talk about it.

* * *

As he needed a certain amount of recorded battles, Gail had spent several days near Sprout Tower with a camera he borrowed from a friend. He could have won easily against the monks inside; he had defeated their challenge not that long after he had gotten Luna. But he didn't think that would impress the Gym Leader. Instead, he challenged Trainers that had come to defeat Sprout Tower and Faulkner's Gym.

While waiting on other Trainers to come by, he let his two Pokemon fly around. It was daytime, so Luna would rather sit on the unlit torch and keep the time by tilting her head back and forth. On the other hand, Goof was splashing in the water and making mud on the path. At least, he had been. "Goof, where are you?" Gail called.

"Eee!" The Gligar then landed on his head, putting his muddy claws on Gail's shoulders and leaning over to peer into his eyes.

He would have been startled if the Gligar hadn't done this already dozens of times. "If I wanted to be messy, I'd stomp in your mud spot myself."

Goof clicked and turned his ears forward. "Gliii!"

"No, now please get out of my face," Gail said, trying to grab the Gligar. But Goof just flew off and dove into the water.

Then a girl came down the bridge towards Sprout Tower. "Oh hey, are you a Trainer too?" she asked. "Ready to battle?"

"Of course," he said. "Luna, you start this time."

The Hoothoot flew off the torch and landed on the ground while the girl called out a Wooper. She tried to have it use a muddy attack, but Luna was able to hover in the air a few seconds to avoid it before landing again. Knowing that most good Trainers wouldn't try a totally missed attack again (although a good Trainer should have known Ground wouldn't work), Gail had Luna put the Wooper to sleep, then attack it. Even if he had worked with her a long time, she still didn't have a strong attack. He hoped that she would be able to evolve soon, so she'd be stronger.

When the Wooper was defeated, the girl brought out a Girafarig. Gail decided to swap out Luna for Goof. As usual, the Gligar preferred to attack by flying at the opponent Pokemon's face to startle them. They were going to poison the Girafarig, as Gail hadn't fought a Trainer with one and wanted the extra poison damage in case it turned out to be tough. But then as soon as Goof struck it with his tail, it fainted. Goof also took out the girl's last Pokemon in one hit, being quicker to take out the two than Luna had in taking out the one.

* * *

Faulkner continued with the interview, asking about information on Flying type Pokemon, having him talk about other battles, and giving theoretical battle scenario to see how he would handle them. Then he asked a question Gail wasn't expecting. "If you were offered a rare Flying Pokemon if you gave up one of your current, which one would you let go?"

A rare flying type? Was that an offer, or just another theoretical question? But after giving it a moment's thought, he knew what he'd do. "I would rather keep the ones I have."

"Are you sure about that?" Faulkner asked, sounding serious about it.

Gail nodded. "I know Luna's not a strong Pokemon, even for her kind, but she's been my friend and partner for so long that I wouldn't want to give her up for any other Pokemon. And Goof causes me trouble, but he's strong and I'm sure that I can get him to be more obedient in time. He's amusing at times too."

"Hooo hooooooo!" Luna called out, echoed by other Hoothoots that were outside.

"It's five o'clock," Gail said when Faulkner looked at her. "She'll hoot on the hour if she's awake, but the wild ones won't start until now."

"That's right," he said, making a note on the application. "If you're here to learn more about Flying types, then you might want to reconsider. You know a lot about them already, including things that I usually have to teach the younger Trainers." Then he smiled. "But there might still be more to learn, and I'd be glad to have a Trainer around who is loyal to his Pokemon. Can you start on Tuesday morning?"

So it didn't even need consideration. Gail smiled and nodded. "Sure, I can do that. Thank you."

"Hoot!" Luna said, flapping her wings. But then she flew off to a perch on the desk when Goof came out of his Pokeball without warning and clomped onto Gail's head affectionately.

"Hey!" Gail called, grabbing a hold of Goof. But he ended up laughing with Faulkner about it. It was good to see that the Gligar was happy for him, if not so good in how he decided to show that.

…

Hoothoot Soul Silver entry: It has a perfect sense of time. Whatever happens, it keeps rhythm by precisely tilting its head in time.

Gligar Leaf Green entry: It flies straight at its target's face, then clamps down on the startled victim to inject poison.


	294. Rhyhorn

"What's that Rhyhorn doing wandering around town?" the tour guide asked, momentarily distracted by the Pokemon standing outside.

"Leave it be," one of the men in the group said. Others in the tour group frowned or tried to get distracted with something else. This guy was annoying. "The Pokemon ought to be free to go where it will."

"There's a city law on safety that says the wild Rhyhorn to be kept away from town," the tour guide said.

"It's pointless discrimination!" the man said. "It's a sign of the times when the laws encourage such restriction of rights and freedoms."

"Let's not get into that," the guide said, doing her best to remain civil. "Moving on... here, we have one of the more curious artifacts the museum has: the Crown of Uxie. Despite the name may suggest, it was given as a gift to a man long ago by the legendary Pokemon Uxie. It has the power to bestow the power of mind reading while it is being worn. While we have it, it is normally turned inactive when on display like this. It is only allowed to be used after a careful application and review process, to make sure that it is not used for abuse."

"No, you keep it locked up so that people can't find the truth with it," the annoying man said. "You're just playing into the hands of the ancient conspiracy that rules the world. That treasure would lay everything bare, even the truth that Pokemon are just as capable as humans."

"Actually, we recommend that it's not used to read the minds of most Pokemon because," the guide said, going with her usual answer for the question.

But this was the usual tourist. "Forget it, you're just as speciesist as all the other drones out there."

"Shut up," one of the other men in the group said.

It took asking the conspiracy theorist to leave the museum to get things to settle down, although he ranted all the way out. But he had confirmed what he wanted to know. With the information on where the crown was, he went back to his hotel room and put on a disguise of a fake mustache and a wig. Then he returned to the museum, paid for another entry ticket (with much grumbling about their greed), and went up alone to cut the security wires to the display and take the Crown of Uxie.

When he got back out, he looked over his treasure with pride. It looked simple, just a basic gold crown set with blue sapphires. But from his research, he knew that the only thing they did to make it 'inactive' was to undo a connection in part of the gold braiding. He snapped it back together, then looked around for a target mind to read.

Fortunately, the lone Rhyhorn was still standing around outside of the museum, just chewing its cud. That would be a good place to start. He put the crown on then focused on the Rhyhorn. Their minds linked instantly.

…

There's an interesting rock there. It's black with green flecks and shaped like a squashed eye. I don't know what to do with it, but it's interesting. The other rocks here are black and brown and white, not green. Maybe I can knock it around with my horn. But it's small. Better to knock around larger things. I'm eating.

Humans are walking around me. They're colorful creatures, all of them different. Although that one in pink and white with the big thing on its head might be a Pokemon. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference. There's a human poking my side, saying something to me. It's nice to have attention. I'm eating.

It's a good day. The sunshine is warm and the grass is delicious. I'm happy. I can stand here all day and be happy. The human is pushing me now. He must be friendly. I'm eating.

There's an interesting rock here. I haven't seen many like it. It's black with green flecks and shaped like a squashed eye. Squashing eyes sounds unpleasant. I'd rather think of good things on a good day. The green in the rock is pretty. The other rocks here are black and brown and white. It would be nicer with more colors, like the humans. I'm eating.

It's a good day.

The human has brought out another Pokemon. It's yelling at me. I don't know why it'd be mad. It's a good day and I'm just standing here eating. It hits me in the face with a blast of water. I don't like that. It's mean to be so rude, especially when water hurts like that. I give a snort then charge at the other Pokemon. I go right over him. I'm running.

I thought they were being nice, but they went and hurt me. I'd rather not stick around for that. I'll just run. That sounds good for a nice day. The ground in this place is nice and flat. There are lots of things to avoid, but I can run a long ways here. I'm running.

This is good. But I'm thirsty. There should be some water around to drink somewhere. There is always water to drink around. As long as it's not water to attack, water is good. I will find water. I'm running.

It's a nice day to run. I don't remember why I started running but I am now. Not that it matters. I'm a good runner. It's good to run. I'm running.

WHAM! Why did I stop? Why is there lots of rock and glass and stuff falling around me? I was running. Oh, a building stopped me. The building is falling down now. That was a dumb place to put a building, right in the way of my running path. I hope the people here aren't hurt much. The falling building doesn't hurt me. My horn is bumped from hitting the building, but it is fine.

It would be a nice day if it wasn't for the dust and falling building. I will go somewhere else to do something. I'm thirsty. I'll go to find water to drink. Water is good as long as it's not water to attack. I'm walking.

…

The conspiracy theorist thief was caught while he was caught up in the mind of a Rhyhorn. While the trial was delayed due to the thief's temporary inability to form any thoughts besides simple observations, he was unanimously found guilty and sentenced with jail time and psychotherapy. The Crown of Uxie was deactivated and put back on display the day after it had been stolen.

The twelve-story tall Beech Tree Living building was completely demolished, destroying over thirty apartments. Fortunately, the building had been condemned and the accident had simply saved the owners some money. A few people were injured, but none died. In response, the city council put out a public announcement reminding everyone of the Pokemon safety laws which were in place to prevent tragedies like this could have been.

The Rhyhorn was captured at a city park, where it was calmly drinking from a pond. It was shipped to a Safari Zone, where it was caught by a young Trainer. Eventually, it became a renown Pokemon listed in the Hall of Fame for its many victories.

…

Rhyhorn Fire Red entry: Strong, but not too bright, this Pokemon can even shatter skyscrapers with its charging tackles.


	295. Bibarel, Ursaring, Cubchoo

Things were bad. The stream was overflowing from the spring melt-off. Normally, this was controlled by way of the Bibarel dam. But the area it was in was a mess. Only a third of the dam was left; the branches and sticks that made it up were scattered all along the stream banks. Shortly before the sun rose, the dam had been broken, washing it and many nests away. Six of the Bibarels were sitting in a circle discussing the work, while a number of Bidoofs ran about getting the lost materials.

"See, that's why we do the big work in the summer," the oldest Bibarel said. "Water's moving too fast to work safely. We need a big branch to slow the flow down."

"We can work in that, we're strong," one of the young Bibarel said.

"And we're do you expect us to find a branch big enough to cross the whole stream?" another asked. "We might as well knock down an entire tree if that's what you want."

The old Bibarel shook his head. "No, that would be wasteful."

"What about one of the trees that collapsed during the winter?" another asked.

"It would be weak, but it might hold long enough," the old one said.

"I told you, we can work in this." He slapped his tail onto the ground to show his defiance. "We'll weave the branches together like always and seal up nest areas with mud."

"The mud would wash out before it could set up," the old one said, shaking his head. "We either get the felled tree here as she suggested or wait until the water slows down. Doing work now would be fruitless otherwise, as well as potentially harmful."

"You're a coward," the younger one said.

Then, a roar interrupted their discussion, causing many of the Bidoofs to run off. A furious and damp Usaring stormed through the bushes to reach them, carrying something small and white in his left paw. "You flooded my den," he growled.

"It wasn't our doing," the oldest Bibarel said. "The spring flood came so..."

"It's your dam, so it's your fault that I woke up soaked!" the Ursaring shouted, tossing down what he held. "And this thing ended up in my den too."

The small Pokemon sat up, looking unconcerned about the angry Pokemon that had been carrying. While it looked like a smaller Ursaring, it was white furred instead of brown. A shiny drop of snot hung from its nose. "Hullo!" he said. "I am Cubchoo, come from the mountains."

"Hello," one of the female Bibarels said.

"Apologize for your insolence and fix that dam!" the Ursaring demanded.

"It wasn't our doing," another Bibarel said. "There was a huge wave of water and ice that wrecked it."

"Likely story," the large bear said.

"Actually, it was," the little bear said.

"Fix it!" the Ursaring said, ignoring the Cubchoo.

"What was it?" the one female Bibarel asked the Cubchoo, as she was nearest to him and already talking with the young one.

"Avalanche," the Cubchoo said, sniffling a little. But its snot drop kept hanging. "There was a big ice block that kept building over the winter at the spring, holding lots of water. I was climbing on it earlier and it cracked and burst under me. It made a huge amount of ice, water, and snow fall down, and I fell down with it. It was fun!"

In the meantime, the oldest Bibarel was trying to calm the Ursaring down. "We're working out how to do it safely."

"You should do it quickly or I'll smack you lot around, drag you up some trees, and tie you all to the tops," he said.

"But you're neighbors," the Cubchoo said. "You should work toge..."

"I don't care," the Ursaring said. "I just want a dry den!"

"If you want it done fast, then you should help us," one of the younger Bibarel said. "You're just lazy and wasteful, pulling off entire tree branches just to get at one apple."

"I'm strong! Need proof?" he flexed his paws making sure his sharp claws were visible.

"Maybe you could..." the Cubchoo started to say, but then gasped before sneezing. A blast of ice came from his nose, enough to freeze the Ursaring solid with a large amount of ice around him. "Hooo, excuse me," the little bear said, rubbing his nose.

"Nice going, kid!" a Bibarel said, although they all looked the same to the Cubchoo.

"Aw, are you sick?" the female near him asked.

The Cubchoo shook his head. "Nuh-uh. It's just the pollen down here. My snot is nice and sticky, so I'm fine."

"Gross," another one of the Bibarel muttered.

The oldest Bibarel walked over and looked at the frozen block of Ursaring. "Well, this fellow is large and solid now. Let's use him to block the flow of water to do work. You two, go fetch one of the felled trees; I don't know how long he'll last underwater. You two start checking on the recovered wood and shape it if need be. You and me will start direct work on the dam once there is a slower area of water flow."

The Cubchoo sniffled. "Oh, can I help? Since I'm here anyways."

"If you can get the water the freeze up to help the slow down, that'll help," he said.

"I'll give it a try. We'll succeed with the power of teamwork, cause teamwork is the best!"

"Teamwork involves using a frozen Ursaring as part of the team?" one of the Bibarel asked as others looked at each other, just as confused.

"He's helping!" the Cubchoo said, smiling.

They couldn't argue with that; it was certainly helping more than his threats of beating them up.

…

Ursaring Heart Gold entry: Although it is a good climber, it prefers to snap branches with its forelegs and eat fallen berries.

Bibarel SS/HG entry: It busily makes its nest with stacks of branches and roots it has cut up with its sharp incisors.

Cubchoo B2/W2 entry: Their snot is a barometer of health. When healthy, their snot is sticky and the power of their ice moves increases.


	296. Azumarill, Swanna

This place was strange to the Azumarill. Its water was hard with minerals and salt, but not salty enough to be the ocean. Due to the rockier lake bed, the water was clearer. Due to being part of a river, the water flow was quicker than he was used to. The Pokemon here were different too: striped fish called Basculin and colored jellies called Jellicent where here instead of frilly-tailed Goldeen and the simple Magikarp. He couldn't even find Marills here. While he could find food, what he couldn't find was home.

Home... he could remember it so well, a quiet freshwater pond in a quiet human town. There had been a Pokemon Gym there, but as it wasn't a Water type or one where Water did better, it had never mattered much. The smell of the ocean was often in the air, as it wasn't a far walk to reach that larger body of water. Here, there was often the smell of smoke and human industry. Where was the pond he called home?

It could be anywhere; it felt far away. He had been captured as a Marill by a Trainer, raised up to be an Azumarill by winning many fights. And then... he wasn't sure, as it seemed like he had woken up from a long hibernation without actually hibernating. He had woken up to complete chaos in a human building where many Pokemon were appearing and awakening without warning. The humans had been frantic in trying to find something to do, to fix a machine that someone had gotten into. Not liking that crowd, he had bolted out of the building as soon as he could and headed for water. But then he seemed to be in a completely different land.

After having traveled for a full moon cycle, he had found many rivers and waterfalls, but not many ponds. What should he do now? He could keep searching. Maybe if he went to the ocean and explored the waters there, he could find his proper land. But the ocean was said to be so large that no Pokemon could explore its entirety in one lifetime. His home would be like a small island compared to that. He could settle down here. But these waters not to his liking, even though this area had slower currents than others. On his travels, he had found some Marill groups, but they spoke and acted differently than he was used to. They didn't mind the swift water.

What to do? He thought about talking to the locals and asking for advice on where to find a pond, but according to his ears, there were mostly the Basculin around. Those Pokemon were rowdy, always looking for a fight much like the Carvahnas. But as he felt the water vibrations, he also picked up on a group of larger Pokemon on the surface. They seemed to be Flying types, but they were swimming in unison, like a rhythm. Curious about that, the Azumarill swam up to the surface to see them.

The water's upper level was filled with orange light, reflecting the sunset sky. He surfaced under the shadow of a great red bridge. Not far from he was, there was a group of seven lovely white Pokemon. They must have been the Swanna he had heard about. To no music that he could hear, they appeared to be dancing on the water. One of them stayed in the center, twirling on the spot and sweeping its wings around. The other six swam around it, turning while they did and moving their wings in response to their dance lead. Not one of them made a mistake; their movements blended together into a graceful whole. The Azumarill stayed where he was for some time, dazzled by the spectacle.

After the sky had grown dark and the humans' lights above grew bright, the Swanna flock noticed him. The one in the center waved one of them to swim over and meet him, while discussing something quietly with the others. "Good evening, stranger," the white bird said. "Praise be to the guardians of our land."

"Um, yeah," the Azumarill said, uncertain of who he meant. "Good evening, Swanna. I happened to feel your dance underwater, so I came up to watch. It was beautiful, thanks."

He shook his head. "It is in thanks for this day, and in hopes for a good day tomorrow. One must always show gratitude to the spirits who keep us safe."

"Right," he said. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm in my homeland anymore. I don't know what spirits you dance for."

"Spirits of the wind and land," the Swanna said. "The wind spirits especially, we keep them happy with the dance. If they get bored, well, there's troubling weather to come. But, you are away from home? That is most unfortunate."

The Azumarill felt a lump in his throat at the memories that came up; his ears drooped over his face. "Yeah. I just ended up in this land, a free Pokemon although I had been with a Trainer. I'm okay with being free, but... I miss my home, and I can't find any ponds to settle in if I want to make a new home."

"There are some ponds around, but not near here. Where do you come form?"

"I don't know the name of it, but it was a wonderful island in the ocean." He splashed the surface of the water. "There were no great wide rivers like this, but there were many ponds, small rivers and streams, and hot springs. I lived in a pond with fresh muddy water. Since I don't know where I am, I don't know how to get back. Where are the ponds of this land?"

Pointing his wing to the southwest, he said, "In that area. If you follow the river, you will come to a great city on the east bank; it is the biggest of the land, where the buildings reach into the sky. On the west bank there, by following the human roads, you could find the area after some travel."

"Really?" He looked over in that direction, but all he saw on the shore was forest. "I don't think I've searched that area. Thanks, I'll go search there for a new home."

"It would be a long travel for you, I believe," the Swanna said. "If you have been searching by yourself, you must have faced much hardship already." He spread his wings out. "I could carry you that way, if you wish."

"Would you?" the Azumarill asked, not sure if he should believe it as an offer. There were some Pokemon who would say they could do something, but wouldn't, or they wouldn't unless there was a battle involved. Feeling homesick as he was, the Azumarill didn't want to get into a battle at this time.

"Let me ask my flock leader," he said. "But I think it would be acceptable. If one wishes to see the world enter an ideal state, one must live out those ideals." He swam around, then looked back. "Come, you should at least introduce yourself."

"Okay," the Azumarill said, swimming after the Swanna. "Thank you so much; all this traveling has been wearisome and stressful."

Because he had been polite, the Swanna leader agreed to have the Azumarill flown to the area that had several ponds. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to stay here or to keep searching for a way to reach his homeland. But with a more suitable pond, he was able to stop wandering aimlessly for a while and figure things out.

…

Black entry: Swanna start to dance at dusk. The one dancing in the middle is the leader of the flock.

Azumarill B2/W2 entry: Its long ears are superb sensors. It can distinguish the movements of things in water and tell what they are.


	297. Poliwag, Goldeen

There was a splash from the stream nearby. "Have you got it?" James the Goldeen called out, partially out of the water.

His exploration partner, a Poliwag that had hopefully been named Gladiator (but James always called him Dean), dropped something out of his mouth and replied, "I'm getting it! Don't worry." He picked it back up and waddled over on his tiny feet. But the thing was long enough to drag on the ground, tripping him up every few steps. Not that he walked well on land in the first place; the thing just made it even harder.

"I'd help if I wasn't such a flopping flop on the land," James said. Although once Dean got close enough to the stream's bank, he flopped out and helped to drag the thing underwater. "What is it?" he asked when they were both in the water with their apparent treasure.

"I was hoping you'd know that," Dean said, sitting on the large flat area of it. "I saw it and thought that since it looked so odd, it had to be a human thing."

"Hmm." The Goldeen swam around it, examining it closer. It had a short but fat wooden end, half as big around as he was. Although it was made of wood, being in the water didn't affect it like most wooden things. The other end was what Dean was sitting on, a flat piece of metal that started out skinny, widened out quickly, then narrowed to a rounded tip. "I guess it could be used as a sign. Or, maybe a big Pokemon could use it to dig stuff up with."

Dean's large eyes lit up with excitement. "So it could be a human thing! Because the stories say that humans were tall, like big Pokemon."

James rubbed the edge of the metal part with his fin. "Yeah. And I've seen this shape before in books. The shape is called a spade. So, we could call this a spade tool. It's definitely odd. Let's get back to the lake, then! Will it fit in the bag?"

"It should," Dean said, opening up the Treasure Bag that they had borrowed for this adventure. "Grandpa could get a lot of stuff in here, big things too." Working together, they stuffed the spade tool into the bag, then swam for the entrance to Stormy Passage.

There was a big obstacle there, though, one that kept most Pokemon away from this place. The only way to enter Stormy Passage, as far as the lake Pokemon knew, was underwater. However, the entrance was behind a strange tunnel where there were several human devices that sent bolts of electricity through the water. Even the fastest of swimmers would get shocked by at least one. Because of that, no one in the lake knew where Stormy Passage would lead.

James and Dean shouldn't have been able to get by themselves, but they had discovered something while playing in the area yesterday. "Are you ready to do this again?" Dean asked.

"You betcha!" the Goldeen said, spiraling around while showing off his speckled fins. "And a one, two, three, CHARGE!" He bolted ahead, getting hit by a blue spark from the first device.

However, James just laughed, staying there while Dean swam by it with the bag. Then the Goldeen rushed ahead to get the attention of the next device. In this way, the Poliwag was in no danger of being hit. And according to him, the bolts did nothing to James.

"Whee, I feel all charged up!" he said, spinning in rapid circles once they were past the electric devices. "All my aches and pains from exploring are just zapped away. Oooooh, someday, I'll be king of the seeeaaaaaa!"

"Are you sure those things aren't frying your brain?" Dean asked in jest.

"Well if you smell smoked brains, you know who it is," he said, putting his fins by his eyes. Then he laughed and continued dancing along as they swam back home. "Have they made me any cah-ray-zee-er?"

"Actually, no," the Poliwag said, causing them both to laugh. They continued to joke and laugh all the way back, although Dean hoped that his friend's newfound talent wasn't going to hurt him in the end.

Back at the lake town, they headed headed for the stoney home of a Pokemon said to be the best explorer around, Razorfang the Feraligator. They both turned more serious as they approached the home. Razorfang was not only intimidating, but he held a grudge with Dean's grandfather that made him dislike even Dean. He also didn't like James, but then most Pokemon in the lake town looked down on him. However, Razorfang could do something for them if they could impress him: he could get them accepted as an official exploration team by writing a letter of recommendation for them. Dean's grandfather, although a great explorer to the two novices, was not of a good enough rank to do so.

"I'll get the doorbell," James said, swishing his fins.

"Wait a minute," Dean said, but not in time to stop James from ramming into the big metal bell that sat outside Razorfang's door. It rang so loudly that it probably could have been heard to the next lake. Then the piece connecting the bell to its frame snapped, causing the bell to continue its clamor less musically as it hit the lake bed.

"Whoops," James said, swimming out of the cloud of dust that got kicked up.

"I was afraid of that," Dean said. "Especially after you said the link looked weak the other day."

He shook his fins out. "Hey! I thought it was okay, you know, because Razorfang likes to bash his fists into it to make his announcements. It should've held up."

"Who's messing with my doorbell?" Razorfang called out, although not from in the house. He was descending from the surface, along with a Pokemon that normally lived on land. The Wigglytuff was wearing a green scarf around his face that seemed to be imbued with some kind of power, allowing him to breath freely underwater.

"I didn't mean to break it!" James said. "But you needed to repair that link anyhow."

The Feraligator snorted. "You? How did some little pretty fish like you break the bell?" Thankfully, he seemed more annoyed at that claim then the bell actually breaking.

"I rammed into it to get your attention," the Goldeen said, swishing his horn through the water.

"Wow!" the Wigglytuff said, smiling broadly behind the thin scarf. "You have strong friends, Razorfang!"

"Ugh, they're not my friends," Razorfang said. But when the land Pokemon gave him a quizzical look, he somehow seemed intimidated. "What do you two want?" he asked, more tolerant than usual.

He was afraid of the Wigglytuff? James and Dean felt puzzled about that, but it was an opportunity not to be missed. "We want to ask for a letter of recommendation from you so that we can be an explorer team," Dean said, holding the bag with his feet and using his tail to stay in place while he brought their treasure out. "We found this as proof that we can do it."

"Yeah, it's a spade tool from the Stormy Passage!" James said. "We think it's a human thing, although we don't know what to do with it."

"Oo, Stormy Passage?" the Wigglytuff asked. "Sounds fun! And a strange treasure you have."

On the other hand, Razorfang looked at them in disbelief. "You're say that you two got that from the Stormy Passage dungeon?"

"Um, yeah," James said. "We did."

"That's ridiculous!" he said, snapping his toothy jaws at them. James squeaked and swam back behind Dean, who was doing his best not to swim off in a fright too. "I can't even get in that place and you two, a talentless Goldeen and a traitor's descendant, you two got in there? How do you expect me to believe that?"

"Bu-but you can't find human things just anywhere," Dean said. "We think there's more human things past those electric devices."

"Yeah, and I'm not talentless anymore," James said, although not as proudly as he had been when he had discovered it. "The electricity likes me, but it doesn't hurt me at all."

"Likely story," Razorfang said, crossing his arms over his chest.

But, the Wigglytuff seemed more interested. "Electricity doesn't hurt you, huh? So it comes right to you and misses your partner?"

James swam out from behind Dean. "Yeah, that's right. And I get all energetic when it does that. It's awesome!"

He clapped his paws together. "Wow, that's amazingly rare! It's an ability called Lightningrod, and I've never heard of a Water Pokemon with it. Do you have the normal ability of a Goldeen?"

"No," Razorfang said dismissively. "That's why he's a talentless freak."

The Wigglytuff shook his head. "Oh, no no. Not at all! It means that he's special and has a different ability. It would be very valuable. So, you can't get into Stormy Passage because of electricity?"

Razorfang seemed dumbfounded at that, so Dean piped up, "Yeah, there's a bunch of human devices that zap any Pokemon that goes by. But the entrance is underwater and nobody knows how far it goes, or where it leads. We found that James attracts them, so I can pass safely by too. We were hoping that if we could be an official explorer team, then we could get badges as well as Escape Orbs to help us get in and out of that dungeon safely."

"We'd help other Pokemon out too, but we mostly want to know where that dungeon goes," James added.

"That sounds like a good reason to help your friends become explorers," the Wigglytuff said to Razorfang.

"They're not my friends," he said, still reluctant.

"Please?" Dean asked. "We just need a letter at this point."

"If that's so, then I'll make them an official team!" the Wigglytuff said. "But on one condition."

"What's that?" Dean asked. If he wanted to have the spade tool, then he was fine with that. The Poliwag wasn't sure what to do with it himself, except maybe do as James suggested and make it a sign.

"Take me with you to see Stormy Passage!" he said excitedly. "It sounds like a great place, lots of mystery! We can be friends and have lots of fun!"

James whirled around on the spot. "Oh yeah, that'd be great!" he said, excited too. "Thanks, this is great!"

"Sure, but we just got back from there," Dean said.

"Tomorrow then," the Wigglytuff said. As it turned out, he was a famous explorer on land and very knowledgeable about exploring. It was quite a lucky event that allowed them to have such a master along to teach them during their first official exploration.

In time, James and Dean would become even more respected and accomplished than Razorfang among all explorers, both under the water and over the land.

…

Leaf Green Poliwag entry: Its newly grown legs prevent it from walking well. It appears to prefer swimming to walking.

Ruby entry: Goldeen is a very beautiful Pokemon with fins that billow elegantly in the water. However, don't let your guard down around this Pokemon – it could ram you powerfully with its horn.


	298. Jellicent, Pawniard, Cranidos

His body ached when he woke up; a rough hard floor was underneath him. Nearby, he heard familiar sounds of metal against rock. The young man opened up his eyes and saw what he expected from the sound: his Pawniard was scraping her arm blades against the blue rock of his Cranidos' head. When he'd first seen the red and silver Pokemon do that, he had been concerned about her hurting the ancient Pokemon. But Craig never seemed to mind it when Silviya used him to sharpen her blades; it might even have made them friends quicker. Now it was just a familiar routine.

A familiar routine in an unfamiliar place. The Trainer sat up, wincing as his bruises became painful. At first, he seemed to be in a decrepit old cabin storehouse: weathered and rotted wood made up the walls and floor around him, while the crates were broken or collapsed. But there was also dried seaweed, fish bones, and broken shells. Looking down one hole in the floor, he saw dark water rippling with tides.

Now that he had stirred, the two Pokemon looked to him. Craig immediately came to his side, being careful to walk on stronger boards. "Craaaiiii," he whined, turning his gaze around uneasily before looking up to him for guidance. The Cranidos didn't like being indoors, although wooden structures didn't usually bother him.

"Where are we?" the young man asked, patting Craig's head. "I heard that your kind came from ancient jungles, so you should be all right with the dampness and the wood. Although it strikes me as creepy too." It was so quiet, with the main sounds being his Pokemon and a strange wind outside.

"Tch," Silviya said, examining her blades. After swishing her arm blades through the air to her satisfaction, she looked over the ones on her torso. She had bladed edges everywhere and was meticulous about keeping sharp. But even going through her routine, she was watching the walls and door, wary of whatever else was here.

"I know we were on the beach, but I don't remember seeing a building like this, over the water," the Trainer said. "What in the world attacked us?" He rubbed Craig's chin, to calm him. With that, the Cranidos nipped him gently, then went over to the door to watch for something. The Trainer dug into his bag for some aspirin and a bottle of water. While waiting for that to kick in, he tried to make contact with someone, anyone would do. But his cell phone wasn't getting a signal, no matter what he tried.

Now that he was feeling decent, the Trainer got up and left the room. Silviya immediately stopped her blade check and set herself to walk ahead of him. She waved at Craig to keep close to his side. Seeing his Pokemon decide on being defensive of him, he could only guess that whatever had brought them here wasn't friendly towards humans.

"I'll trust your judgment, Silviya," he said, heading through the old wooden hallway. The floorboards creaked under his and his Pokemon's weight, although watching the Pawniard showed him where he could and couldn't walk. There were other rooms branching off from the hall, but there was only more wrecked furniture. While he spotted some windows, they were covered in mold, grime, and seaweed. It was like being inside of a ship. At one end of the hallway, there were a set of stairs that when down into the water and up into a lit space. He hadn't gotten a Pokemon he could use Surf with, so the only option was going up.

What they walked up to see was incredible: a castle made of dozens of shipwrecks. It could have just been a pile of ships; some were old like the wooden barge he had woken up in, while some were new like a metal ferry sitting at the top of a tower nearby. But the way that they had been stacked and arranged seemed deliberate, with walkways made of debris between various vessels. They appeared to have come out onto a courtyard made up of the decks of eight ships smashed together, with with an extra fortified structure up ahead. Around them, there were tall towers made of stacks of ships, as well as an outer wall. Far above, there was a bright sphere as the sun pierced through the water. But he couldn't tell how far under the surface they were.

Even on seeing this patchwork ship castle, there were two things that were more impressive than that. First, there was a large air bubble surrounding half of the courtyard, including the ship they were on. Even Craig, who would sink like the rock he'd come from, would be fine as long as the bubble stayed. Second, there was a large statue in the middle of the courtyard, nearly at the edge of the air bubble. It was of a large oceanic Pokemon that was unfamiliar to him, but the attention it was given seemed like it should be a legendary.

Inhabiting this ship castle were a number of ocean Pokemon, but most prominently Jellicent. Their ghostly forms filled the water; a few even came into the air bubble, swimming slowly and keeping an eye on the three of them. The young man had heard that Jellicent were a danger of sea travel, sometimes sinking ships that came into their territory. But kidnapping a human and two Pokemon from the beach? Why would they do that? If they had done it. He didn't remember what happened then, only that he had felt something painful across his back and blacked out a few seconds later. Then again, an unusual amount of people had disappeared from that beach in the past month.

Three of the Jellicent came closer to them. The two males were blue, light patches in the dark water. The female was bright pink, easily seen and elegantly frilled. However, brighter colors like that often indicated tougher Pokemon. At his side, Craig gave a small roar, trying to be intimidating but not being big enough to do so. Silviya was more effective at that, simply running her arm blades across those on her hips for a piercing shriek of steel.

"What do you want?" the young man asked.

The three Jellicents made eerie warbles and turned aggressive. He had no hope of being able to understand them, but he usually found Pokemon more responsive when spoken to. More worrisome, the possible battle didn't look good. Silviya should be fine, but Craig was out of his element here. The Trainer had been trying to solidify the Cranidos' loyalty, and a quick defeat would not help that.

But if he remembered his facts right, there was a way to get through this. He spoke with confidence, to boost that of his Pokemon and to help intimidate the wild ones. "After a fight? Fine. Silviya, Feint Attack one. Craig, follow up with Assurance. I believe in you both."

With a glint in her eyes, the Pawniard obeyed quickly, darting ahead and stabbing one of the males with a Dark power around her blades. Craig charged after that Jellicent; since he wasn't as nimble or quick as Silviya, his headbutt came after her attack. As both attacks were Dark in nature, that Jellicent as eliminated.

The other two then attacked, one blasting a large amount of water at Silviya; she was barely hanging on at the end of it. The female then sent some kind of ghostly hex at Craig, hurting him but not as badly. While the young man was about to order his Pokemon to do the same to another one of the Jellicent, a fourth one came up behind him and grabbed hold of his arms with her short tentacles. Being pulled so close to her made him feel sick despite the painkiller he had taken earlier.

Craig noticed first, yelping before he rushed for the Jellicent that had the captive human. The Jellicent made a sound of warning, putting one of her fins on his face as a warning that she could kill him at any moment. Unsure of what to do, the Cranidos stumbled to a stop and whined for someone to help. Silviya hissed in a hostile tone, running her blades together again. But she was more cautious, especially on noticing that more of the Jellicent had moved in.

With some kind of curse making it hard to move his body, the young man was lifted into the air. The Jellicent swam to the statue and dumped him there. His Pokemon came over in pursuit, but stopped by his side as the Jellicent came to surround them. What was going on? He hadn't believed that Pokemon would kill a human. But here, it seemed all too possible. It didn't help that the deck in front of the statue was dark.

"What are all of you doing?" he asked, trying to sit up but finding himself weak. He looked up at the statue. However, its face was hard to read, along with its purpose. Looking back at the large Jellicent, he felt that attacking them further would prove fruitless as there were so many and they were willing to attack him. He bowed his head. "Whatever it is, would you please take these two Pokemon back to the surface, at least? They would have a better chance on land."

"Shuuzuu," Silviya said, touching his cheek sadly for a moment. Then she turned and slashed her blades at the air in front of her, sounding for a minute like she was cursing the Jellicent group. At first, Craig was bewildered, but then he barked in support of her. If this did turn worse, then they were going to fight no matter the odds.

The Jellicent did not seem intimidated, but when they started discussing things with the Pawniard and Cranidos, they did not seem hostile either. The young man watched for a while, trying to decipher their negotiations. At the end of it, all but three of the Jellicents departed. One went to the watery part of the statue's stand and took out some thin stone tablets. Another picked up Silviya and Craig, with the third took hold of the young man. The three then took them back to the surface, even giving them smaller bubbles of air so they could keep breathing.

_I'm not sure why they changed their minds; it might have been something Silviya had said. Or, knowing what I do now, it may have been because I asked for them to be saved before myself. But it was soon known that they weren't the only Pokemon acting strangely. They had knowledge of the great disaster to come and they might have been testing us humans before it fully struck. The tablets I had been given would reveal the prophecies, but before I could know enough to help, I had to find someone who could translate the text._

…

B2/W2 entry: Its body is mostly seawater. It's said there's a castle of ships Jellicent have sunk on the seafloor.

Pawniard Black entry: Blades comprise this Pokemon's entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them on stones by the river.

Cranidos Diamond entry: It lived in jungles around 100 million years ago. Its skull is as hard as iron.


	299. Alomomola, Darmanitan, Vigoroth

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Startled by the sound, Lola the Alomomola popped out of the water to see what was going on. But the seashore seemed quiet as normal: the small rocky beach was still, the trees were gently waving in the wind, the waves were small, the statue was... wait, statue? Yes, there was a statue there that she hadn't seen before, a blueish stone that was shaped like a Pokemon all crouched down. Definitely that statue wasn't the source of the scream. But, was it a statue?

She watched it until it blinked. "Oh, so you are a Pokemon after all," she said. "Hello! Who are you?"

The statue Pokemon shifted its eyes, not moving from its position or spot. "Hello. I'm a Darmanitan, but I haven't earned a name in battle yet."

"Why would you need to earn a name?" she asked. "I was given mine as a gift when I hatched. I'm Lola Amomo the Alomomola."

"Amomo?" the Darmanitan asked, sounding curious.

"Yes?" Lola asked, then chuckled. "Lola Amomo, daughter of Olma Lo Moa, at your service." She bobbed in the water.

"I see."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Lola splashed, startled again. "Oh, what was that? I heard it just a little while ago too."

"Did it?" He shifted his eyes to look at the forest. "I wouldn't have heard. I had been focused inward in order to restore myself from battle."

"Is that why you're like that?" Lola asked. "If so, then I can help! I heal other Pokemon with cuddly soothing hugs. Come over here and I can take care of you."

The Darmanitan didn't budge. "No thanks. I can heal myself just fine."

"Are you sure? My hugs will heal you up fast and clean."

"No," he repeated. "If you heal by hugs, then that would require me going into the water, which is distasteful to me. No offense to you, though."

"Oh, well, if that's how you feel," she said, causing her top fin to droop in disappointment. "And I can't come up any closer or I'll get stuck on the beach. I wish I could come out on land, cause then I could give healing hugs anywhere. But anyhow, why do you have to earn your name? You never answered."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Lola and the Darmanitan both paused, looking into the trees. "Partly because of whatever that is," he said. "The truth is, we do get names at birth too. But when we evolve, we leave our birth name behind and need to earn a name in battle, so that others know how great and strong we are."

"I never heard of doing things that way before," she said. "Other Pokemon change, but they don't change their name. Of course, I've not seen another Darmanitan before you."

"We normally live further inland, as warriors of the sand. I've just been traveling further than usual in hopes of getting a name unlike the others. It's usually names like Flamerush or Rockfist." He closed his eyes. "But maybe because I'm away from my people, no one gives me a name after battle."

"Maybe I can think of one," Lola said.

"You want a battle?"

She shook herself. "Not really. I just want to help."

He opened his eyes and looked at her again. "That wouldn't really help."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Finally, a brown blur accompanied the strange screaming as a Pokemon ran onto the beach and collided with the Darmanitan with enough force to launch him into the water. The long armed Pokemon then promptly fell on his back, scattering many small rocks underneath him. "aaa urk," he added, somewhat breathless.

"I've got you!" Lola said, swimming over to where the Darmanitan had landed. "And now I can give you a hug!" She smiled as she nuzzled close and wrapped her large fins around him.

Before long, the Darmanitan shifted, growing hot quickly. When Lola let go of him, he was a deep red primate with huge knuckles and fiery eyebrows. The water hissed around him, turning to steam. He cracked his knuckles, then looked down in the water and smiled at her. "Thanks, Lola. That was more pleasant that I expected."

"You're welcome!" she said, hopping out of the water briefly. "I love to help! But what's with that guy?"

"The Vigoroth? I don't know. We see them running through the desert sometimes." He walked out of the water and went up to the other primate. "Hey, what's going on? You lot usually don't scream when running."

After being nudged, the Vigoroth did an impressive backflip to get onto his feet. He immediately started hopping around. "They, they told me to sit still, for ten minutes. Ten minutes! I couldn't do it, it was such torture, so I went tearing down the mountain in order to calm down."

"You had to calm down from sitting still?" Lola asked, puzzled.

"IT WAS FOR TEN MINUTES!" the Vigoroth shouted, bouncing more frantically.

"How about we battle, then?" the Darmanitan asked, holding a fist in the air. "That should blow off your energy."

In excitement, the Vigoroth whirled around, lost his balance due to loose rocks, and did another backflip in order to avoid falling down. "Yeah, that's the ticket! Let's go, let's go!"

"Yay, you two do well!" Lola said, waving her fins. "I can heal you when you need it, so don't be too careful."

It was a quick moving battle. The Darmanitan was fast, and could rush around in a blur of flames. Then again, the Vigoroth seemed to be faster, jumping around constantly and chaotically. When they hit, both were powerful, especially with punches. Eventually, the Darmanitan decided to get defensive and reverted to his statue form. He then launched fireballs at the Vigoroth until his opponent collapsed onto the rocks again.

"Good, I can sleep now," the Vigoroth said, falling asleep on the spot.

The Darmanitan shook his head. "Good for you, but I was going to ask about a name."

Lola jumped out of the water. "Hey, you can call yourself Tari Mannad!"

"What does that have to do with that battle?" he asked, skeptical.

"Nothing," she admitted, splashing some water. "But if all your kin are named for how you battle, then you can always tell how they fight, right? Cause Rockfist would punch hard and Swift would be really fast. But, if you're named something like Tari, nobody would be able to tell how you fight so you could win with the element of surprise. And I am giving you the name after a battle, so it still counts, I think."

He gave it some thought. "It is clever."

Lola waved a fin. "Okay, Tari! Want some healing before you head back home? I'll have to wait for the tide to get the other guy."

"Sure, that would be great."

…

Alomomola B2/W2 entry: It gently holds injured and weak Pokemon in its fins. Its special membrane heals their wounds.

Darmanitan White entry: When weakened in battle, it transforms into a stone statue. Then it sharpens its mind and fights on mentally.

Vigoroth Emerald entry: It can't keep still because its blood boils with energy. It runs through the fields and mountains all day to calm itself. If it doesn't, it can't sleep at night.


	300. Furret, Golett

What to do? The Furret stretched as she got up from sleeping, then peered around to check her surroundings. It was a room inside a ruins, but it was surprisingly intact. On the stone walls, there were inscriptions that she couldn't read. In the middle of the room, there was a folding table and a similar chair making a workstation. The Furret's Trainer was sitting there at a computer, studying scans she had made throughout the ruins. Why now? They were supposed to be exploring around and making records to study later. That's what she'd understood. The Furret went over and rubbed her head against her Trainer's hand.

"Hi Caper," the scientist said, petting her but not looking. "Wait a bit; I'm reviewing to see where to check over again."

Wait? Caper scratched her head, not sure what to do while waiting. She wanted to be exploring. For a moment, she spent some time grooming to make sure that her long fur was straight. That took not long enough, so she wondered if she could look around on her own. Maybe if she didn't go far. This room was in a corner, so there was only one door out. In the doorway, she peered out.

Some areas of this place were in worse shape, walls that had been broken down. It was fairly clean in most places, but Caper could smell other Pokemon around. None she recognized, but with the many smells, there must have been many kinds. There was an interesting smell coming from across the hall, something she'd noticed coming in. However, that area didn't have a door that her Trainer could open yet, not even from the big room in the middle. There was a hole in the wall, but the Furret hadn't gone through there yet.

Looking over and seeing her Trainer still at work, Caper decided to check out that hole. Maybe she could find a way to open a door from inside. The scientist would appreciate that. Hoping to please her, Caper hopped away from the door and went to the hole. One of the blocks that made up the wall had crumbled here, scattering debris all over the hall. This left a hole a little over a foot high and wide. She was able to slip through and into the hidden room.

It was dark in here, away from the scientist's lantern. Caper sniffed around; the air and dust was less disturbed in here. However, there was a smell of a Pokemon close by, one that might be a Ground type. Another smell was that like the computer her Trainer used, some kind of human electronics. It was an odd contrast to the smell of the ruins, but maybe another human did work in here.

To be careful, she checked out the Pokemon smell first. It was in the far corner of the room, unmoving. Caper crept closer, watching for signs that it might pounce on her. It was bipedal, humanoid in form with a big round body. Even as she moved around, it didn't budge. When she was within a few feet of it, she could make out a smell of old clay. Maybe it wasn't a Pokemon? That, or it was asleep.

Since it might be asleep, she moved quietly to one of the doors leading out. Like the other side, it had no handle or hinges. She put her forepaws against it and pushed, finding it firmly in place. Caper went to the other door and pushed on it too, but then she felt a tingling on her spine much like when she encountered Pokemon without a solid form. Maybe a Ghost? But when she looked back around the room, there was only that clay Pokemon. It was glowing with a violet light, its eyes opening and surveying the area.

Caper bolted through the small hole, back at her Trainer's side in seconds. She coiled her long tail around the chair and kept her front near the woman's feet. What was that? She hoped it wasn't hostile, but knew that it might not like this intrusion on its territory.

"What's wrong?" her Trainer said, pausing in her work to stroke her quivering back. Then they heard a sound like moving rocks. "Oh, did one of the doors open?" She picked up her light and went to the door.

Timid but not wanting to make her friend face potential danger along, Caper followed after. In the hallway, they were met with that clay Pokemon. It examined them for a second, then made a salute. Good, it wasn't hostile. But what did it want?

"Another Golett, but you're different," the scientist said, going up to it. The green-blue Pokemon stayed there, watching. "Must be an alternate coloration. Some collectors might like you, but I'm not sure if you have a purpose in being here."

Caper went closer as well, but stayed at the side of her Trainer. The odd Golett then pointed down the way it had come before heading back that way. Thankfully, her Trainer decided to go along and explore instead of doing her computer work again. In the large main room, they found that the door that had been shut tight was now open, leading to the room Caper had just been in. The Golett went straight to the panel of electronics and began making beeping noises at it.

"My goodness, what's a room like this doing in a ruins?" the woman said in awe, looking over a place that could have come from the university she worked at. "This place has been sealed off from people for thousands of years. It, it couldn't be from you Pokemon?"

There was a clicking sound that startled Caper, making her puff her fur up and crouch on the ground. But she forced herself to stay, not wanting to leave her Trainer alone in a strange room with a strange Pokemon. However, it turned out to be a device in the room, lifting a cover to reveal another device behind it. The Golett went over to it, at first beeping. Then it made a fist crackling with electricity, as if it was going to punch the device. Instead, the Golett held it inside, causing sparks to power it up.

One of the walls became bright, turning into a screen. There was a human man there, dressed in loose gray clothing. "Welcome and …, ... to the … vault," he said in a thick accent that was difficult for Caper to understand. Possibly her Trainer too. "Because of the … movement … our main location … we do not know how much longer we can hold out against the … … which destroyed our … and library … . They made it so we could not go back, but they wish to take our … back further, denying science and history. This place was … to hold and preserve … as well as warn against... … and the other Pokemon we made. The … Pokemon is an assistant and … to help whoever comes to find information stored here. We..." then the screen dimmed, the voice getting faint. There was a snap from the Golett's fist as it charged up again.

"Wait, is that power source charged with a Pokemon's electrical energy?" the scientist asked. "If it is, I have a portable generator we can use instead. Would you open your left hand for yes, and close it for now?"

The Golett looked at her a moment, then held its left hand open.

"I'll need to go put up my workstation and move it here," she said. Then she picked Caper up and hugged her. "Don't fret, Caper. This could be a monumental discovery! An archive of ancient science and history, maybe even answers to the mysteries of why humans are here." She laughed as she carried her Pokemon back to the other room. "Did you wake the Golett archivist up? I know I saw you sneaking off to look around. Thank you; you're finding your courage."

That was finding her courage? Caper didn't think she'd done anything big. But her Trainer seemed really happy, so it had definitely been a good thing.

...

Golett B2/W2 entry: Ancient science fashioned this Pokemon from clay. It's been active for thousands of years.

Emerald entry: A Furret has a very slim build. When under attack, it can squirm through narrow spaces and get away. In spite of its short limbs, it is very nimble and fleet.


	301. Trubbish, Vileplume, Amoonguss

She entered the room and wrinkled her nose as the atrocious smell. At the other end of the room, there were six Pokemon playing around. A Vileplume was in the center, bouncing her large red petals around and sending small yellow pollen clouds out every time she did. Dancing around her were three Trubbish, dragging around what seemed to be trails of trash. Off to the side, there was an Amoonguss, swaying and slowly turning the mushroom caps on his arms. A fourth Trubbish was rummaging in a waste bin, tossing out things it didn't want.

She shook her head. "Geez, did you have to say I could work with anything? Not like I would deny it, but... who'd come if it wasn't for the competition?" She went closer to the playing Pokemon, getting some of them to pay attention. "So it looks like we're working together for a few months. I'm Jennifer, Master Coordinator and theater star. I'm going to put you in a wonderful show. How's that sound?"

"Vowoooo!" Vileplume said, bouncing vigorously to agree. The Trubbish all stopped what they were doing and jumped too (although they sounded like trash bags being tossed around doing that). Meanwhile, the Amoonguss just swayed and watched her, not as excited.

"Well it's good that most of you are eager to go," Jennifer said. "So let's figure out what you all can do. Looks like you could do some dancing with direction. Can any of you sing?"

"Gaaaooo trub trub," one of the Trubbish replied, then started to sing. Before long, the other Trubbish sang too. The one at the waste bin even hurried over to join the chorus. It wasn't a pretty song, but wasn't bad either.

If only it didn't increase the smell and give it an addition like hot grease. Maybe it would help when they had the stage to separate the Pokemon from the audience. "We can work with that," she said, putting a hand to her head. It seemed stuffy in here now that the smell was so thick. "We can do a song and dance show, although I don't know if to clean you all up fully or," she yawned, "maybe polish you up to not look so..." she fell asleep before she even realized she was tired.

* * *

The next time Jennifer saw the Pokemon she was using for the competition, it was a week later. Apparently the person who had assigned this group to her had neglected to mention that she'd need a face mask to avoid breathing in the aerial toxins that _every single one_ of them could produce. Coming back into the room, she found that it was had gotten more damp and littered with trash. Had they been stealing trash from other rooms to do that? And why didn't the janitors do something about it?

"Okay, my actors, do you remember me?" Jennifer asked. "We lost a number of days, but there's still time to get an act together. Now while I was waiting on being released from the hospital, I found some songs we could work with. I'll let you listen to them while we work on the dancing part. So then," she waved a hand through the air; it turned yellow. "Was the pollen this bad last time? I don't remember it like this."

The Vileplume laughed. In the wake of her every movement, the plumes of yellow pollen moved and built. Wanting to work in clear air (as she wasn't sure even the face mask would be enough, Jennifer brought the Poison Pokemon troupe outdoors for practice. She just hoped that no one would blame her if there was a sudden increase in the Oddish population over the next few months.

It took a while to start on her dance plans, since the Vileplume and Trubbish wanted to play dance instead. It was always the five Pokemon playing together, as the Amoonguss stayed to the side. Since the show wouldn't go as smoothly if that continued, Jennifer went over to the large mushroom Pokemon. "There's no need to be shy," she said. "I think you would be a great part of the show. We'll have you and the Vileplume as leads, since you're both the same size, and the smaller Trubbish can act as a chorus. How do you dance?"

For a moment, the Amoonguss just stared at her. Then he backed up and bowed his head. To the music currently playing on the portable stereo, the Amoonguss swayed and twirled in a dance. He was particularly expressive with the smaller caps on his arms, even if his face didn't change much. He was actually quite talented, something Jennifer wouldn't have guessed.

She clapped her hands for him. "Very nice! You could be quite a star. Hmm?" She shook her right hand, which felt odd. Yellow pollen came off in large puffs. "I hope this pollination passes by the time the competition starts. Come on, Amoonguss, work with the rest of us."

"Oshu," the Amoonguss replied, then shuffled over to the other Pokemon. Mostly, he looked at the Vileplume.

The Trubbish group all cheered, happy to have another Pokemon to play with. On the other hand, the Vileplume went still on seeing the Amoonguss come up. They stared at each other as if they were familiar with each other, but not in a good way. The Vileplume then turned away, frowning.

Great, she had in-fighting and since she didn't know these Pokemon that well, she had no idea what to do about it. "Please, can we get along? We could make an great show and you two would be," she had to think about it a moment, "a cute couple on stage." Jennifer wasn't sure cute was the right word to describe a really smelly flower and an oversized mushroom, but maybe someone would think of it that way. "Come on, Trubbish, you all can sing while they dance."

The Trubbish were happy to help and changed their path so that they circled around both the larger Pokemon. Jennifer could manage to get the Vileplume and Amoonguss to dance separately or with the Trubbish, but not at the same time. But, perhaps another day. She had to cut off the practice sooner than she wanted because the odd sensation in her hand turned into paralysis over that whole arm.

* * *

For the rest of the practice sessions, Jennifer arrived with long gloves, a long sleeved dress, full stockings, a long scarf, and the face mask. As it turned out, the pollen the Vileplume was producing prodigiously right now could inflict paralysis with sufficient skin contact. She asked about the Amoonguss so she didn't end up missing more days trying to work with them. It turned out that its spores could cause nausea. As she already had the face mask, she was protected.

Getting the Vileplume and the Amoonguss to work together took up much of her time. For a long time, she refused to look at him. Jennifer found her stubborn, so she tried convincing the Amoonguss to do something. "What are you two arguing about?" she asked. "If you're arguing. Were you really a couple or something?"

"Fooo," he said.

"Or maybe I'm thinking it's some soap opera," Jennifer said. "It's not like you're having some lover's feud that could be fixed with giving her some flowers and an apology will work. You're not that kind of Pokemon."

The Amoonguss gave her a long look, so she went to try teaching the Vileplume the dance moves she wanted her to use. So far, she preferred bouncy moves that showed off her large petals (but also spread lots of pollen). Jennifer wanted her to do some twirls too. Then they got interrupted by the four Trubbish, who all chattered and threw various small flowers at the Vileplume. The Amoonguss was a short ways behind them; he threw a group of cornflowers at her.

"What did I start?" she said, putting her hand to her cheek. But then the Vileplume smiled and ran over to hug him. His longer arms worked for that better than her little ones, but seeing them with her flower and his cap tilted back to be close was cute. Not just them, but the Trubbish were extra excited and bounced around them.

Maybe they weren't the dirty and dumb Pokemon she'd thought them to be.

…

Emerald entry: In seasons when it produces more pollen, the air around a Vileplume turns yellow with the powder as it walks. The pollen is highly toxic and causes paralysis.

Amoonguss B2/W2 entry: It moves the caps on both arms and does a dance to lure prey. It prefers damp places.

Trubbish Black entry: Inhaling the gas they belch will make you sleep for a week. They prefer unsanitary places.


	302. Poliwhirl, Cofagrigus, Mantine

The Poliwhirl ran along the beach, regretting his decision to sneak away from his Trainer to explore on his own. Seeing a water-soaked log in his way, he jumped and tried to scatter sand behind him. He could have done well enough in his own training if he'd just stuck to the beach. But no, he had to go into the cave that had large steel chains on it. It had only been one chain arranged in a cross shape with a lock in the center, no door or anything. He had assumed it couldn't be anything really bad, no situation that he couldn't just jump out of.

Instead, he'd woken up that thing. He was hesitant to call her a Pokemon, even though she smelled vaguely like a Shuppet he had run across once. She seemed to be made of gold, some large container with a human-like countenance on her top... front, whatever she was. But ghostly arms reached out of her dark insides, a seemingly countless amount. "You must be tired from running so far," she said gleefully, from much closer than the Poliwhirl wanted. "Come rest with me and you will find eternal peace. Just ask my darling friends." She tried to snatch him up.

Thankfully, the slippery oil that his skin produced kept her from getting a good hold on him; he was able to get right out with a hop ahead and to the right. But then a strange Lopunny that seemed to have dead eyes tried to get him instead. There was a whole bunch of those strange dead-eyed Pokemon with the ghostly Pokemon. Despite that, they seemed just as fast as they would normally be, if not faster. They were covered in dust and cobwebs, like they hadn't moved for a long time.

He considered headed for the ocean instead, to try getting away by swimming and diving. Would they follow him underwater? When he glanced over at the see, he noticed a graceful figure jumping over the waves. The Pokemon disappeared under the moonlit sea briefly, but then leapt out high and flew over the beach, alongside the chase. It was a Mantine, with a single Remoraid trying desperately to hang onto his belly so as not to fall onto the dry sand. "Ahoy there!" the Mantine called. "Somebody lured that Cofagrigus out, excellent work. Keep ahead, sailor, run for the fire!" Then he wheeled back to land in the water (likely to the relief of the Remoraid).

Excellent work? The Poliwhirl couldn't see how this would be good, as that thing, the Cofagrigus, she was trying to trap him inside herself to become like the dead-eyed Pokemon. Hopefully the Mantine had some plan at the fire to deal with her. The Poliwhirl continued running while the Cofagrigus laughed and kept pursuing him. "They couldn't do anything before, they couldn't do anything now," she said.

As he got closer to the bonfire on the beach, he became less certain of what the Mantine was thinking. There seemed to be a party of some sort going on there, with a great many humans and Pokemon dancing to unusual primitive music. Most seemed to be normal people, but there were a few that were dressed even more strangely than the Cofagrigus looked. Still, he didn't have a better idea and the Mantine had come back out of the water to fly around the party.

The Poliwhirl ran right into the warmly lit area, disrupting several of the dancers. But he didn't cause as much disruption as the Cofagrigus and her followers did. The dancers closest to that point yelled and started to run off. However, he was getting worn and the sand had been slowly sipping away his moisture. The Poliwhirl turned around once close to the fire, clenching his white fists high. The Cofagrigus shone brilliantly by the fire's light, intensifying the insane look on her face. While she waved him to come closer to her, her dead-eyed followers came into view as well, a whole twelve dusty Pokemon.

"Hold!" a woman's voice called out sharply, silencing the musicians and causing everyone there to stop. Then she threw something right in front of the Cofagrigus: a simple gold bead necklace.

It didn't seem like much, and a Pokemon her shape shouldn't be able to make use of a necklace (except maybe as bracelets). But her expression quickly turned to that of delight as she snapped it up with a ghostly hand. "Delicious, gold! Maybe I would spare you..." she brought it within her body, but before long he eyes went wide. "Wait, this isn't gold. It's not even suitable to eat."

The woman who had thrown the necklace came towards them. The Mantine followed, starting to hover in the air just behind her. "Sweet mercy, bringing this misled Pokemon to us along with another well suited to taming her," she said. She was one of the stranger dressed humans, with sort dress made of some animal skin with brown fur, a necklace and headdress of various bones (including some small skulls), and white feathers acting as trim in many places. "Poliwhirl, bring forth your power of hypnosis against this Cofagrigus."

While the woman was a stranger to him, she had such confidence and authority in her poise and voice that it didn't seem like a good idea to disobey. He had considered using that against the Cofagrigus at first, but she had risen her followers before he could be successful. On his stomach, he had a transparent layer of skin that showed a spiral of inner tissues underneath. By manipulating his muscles and internal fluids, he could make the spiral appear to vibrate and turn in a hypnotic fashion.

It started to work quickly. "I should... punish you..." she said at first, but her words grew less aggressive as she became entranced by him. Her ghostly arms lowered, then retreated into her golden shell as she relaxed.

"My friend, keep him in place," the woman said.

"Right-o, captain," the Mantine said, flipped the ends of his fins and summoning a spiral of water around the Cofagrigus. It caught hold of her like a whirlpool, even lessened her hold over her minions. The dead-eyed Pokemon had stopped in place, waiting for some order.

"Hwa wat?" the Cofagrigus said, sounding weary.

The woman went right up to the strange Pokemon, without any fears. She pushed a hand towards the Cofagrigus. "Sleep and heed my words," the woman said. And with her orders, the Cofagrigus completely shut herself and went still, floating in the air. "You have pulled many within your coffin, dear lady, I suspect more than you have here. There are those who would kill you, but the spirits of my ancestors tell me that you can be changed with more discipline. I can help you find a more satisfying life as long as you follow my words. First, cast off your hold over these mummies that you have created. You don't need them any more."

"You aren't here to destroy me," the Cofagrigus said in her sleep. "I will obey. I cast off my hold on these mummies." A hand extended out of her coffin-shell for a moment as if throwing something away.

Then the dead-eyed Pokemon seemed to wake up. Some dropped onto the sand in exhaustion, while others looked around in confusion and fear. One of the normally-dressed humans ran up to the Lopunny and hugged her, causing that Pokemon to burst into tears and hug her tightly. It seemed amazing; those were ordinary Pokemon, but the Cofagrigus had complete control over them before. And he could have ended up like them if he hadn't been able to slip out of her grasp repeatedly.

"Now, you will become one of my Pokemon so I can properly train you," the woman said. Not once she had turned her eyes from the Cofagrigus since starting this, even as she held a hand out behind her. "Pass me a fresh Pokeball and one of the crowns."

Another woman tossed the items to her, although the Mantine knocked the ball in the proper direction so his Trainer could catch it. The Poliwhirl worried that it wouldn't work; she was a powerful Pokemon, after all. Although the whirlpool was still in effect, he kept up his hypnotic power just in case. But the woman was able to catch the Cofagrigus without a problem. The ghost Pokemon didn't even seem to struggle.

Once she had her, the woman turned to him and smiled. She knelt down and gave him a hug. "The spirits must have directed you tonight, to help save this troubled Pokemon and her victims. Thank you for your assistance."

"Yeah, yeah!" the Mantine said, dipping some to brush a fin on the Poliwhirl's head as he flew by. "We were going to go after her tonight and it would have been much more dangerous on her turf. You're great!"

"Well I didn't mean to rescue anybody," the Poliwhirl said. But the Mantine just laughed at him and the woman, probably not understanding him, put a light crown on his head. The others at the dance party cheered and gave him a bunch of the bead necklaces, much like the gold one the Cofagrigus had tried to eat. While they hailed him as some kind of hero, he felt embarrassed that this had all happened because of his mistaken pride in trying to train himself. He slipped away from the party as soon as he could, heading back to where his Trainer should be.

…

Poliwhirl Emerald entry: Its body surface is always wet and slick with an oily fluid. Because of this greasy coating, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle. Water 1

Cofagrigus Black entry: It has been said that they swallow those who get too close and turn them into mummies. They like to eat gold nuggets. Ghost 5

Mantine Soul Silver entry: Swimming freely in open seas, it may fly out of the water and over the waves if it builds up enough speed. Water/Flying 2

…

The Poliwhirl's Trainer was slightly drunk when they finally met up. "Man, how'd you get so many beads?" he asked. "Did you impress a lot of girls?"

Elsewhere, the Cofagrigus had woken up near a large box of Marti Gras bead necklaces. "Aw, now I don't have any more mummy friends," she said, picking up a handful. Then she giggled and took some more. "But now I have so many pretty shinies! Pretty pretty!" She then began to dance around until her new Trainer told her to stop for a bit and give out the beads instead.


	303. Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus

It was a quiet day in Driftveil. The weather was nice, with only a few clouds in the sky. Nothing big was going on; the construction crews didn't seem as active today, giving residents a slight break from the constant noise they had lived with for the past few months. Some people even felt like nothing bad could happen today. Which of course meant that something had to happen.

Without warning, intense winds blasted the town from the east. Branches were knocked off trees, half-finished construction projects were ripped apart to put the crews behind for weeks, a few older houses were blown over, and unlucky pedestrians were thrown into walls, onto the street, or into each other. Behind the roar of the gale, a hearty laugh might have been heard. Tornadus was at play again.

"Woooo, more buildings go bye-bye!" the cloudy Pokemon said. He whipped his tail around to keep the winds going over the town a little longer. "You can't build anything of permanence, just accept that. So build more things that fall over faster!" He caused a cyclone of air to form around himself as he paused to look over Driftveil, wondering if he should stay here longer or move onto another town. Surprise runs were the best.

Then he felt a call from his sibling Landorus. He wasn't sure what she'd want, maybe just to say hello. Tornadus blasted off across the sky over Driftveil again, causing a violent and chaotic wind flow to wreck more havoc, then headed off to where Landorus usually was.

Although he liked setting up huge gusts in his wake, Tornadus did slow down as he approached the fields. Landorus tended to get furious if he or Thundurus messed up farms that she was watching over, and she could kick both their butts like that. True, he didn't get beaten up as badly as Thundurus in those battles, but it was safer not to vex her. There ended up being only a modest wind when he landed in the area.

Landorus was at her usual shrine, guarding the crops and farmers there as she usually did. She waved her tail at him, thankfully in a good mod. "Hello, brother. It's good to have your gales giving power to the land again."

"Uh yeah, hey," he said, waving back. "I'm just happy to be free again; they had a really nasty seal this time on us."

"Did they?" she asked, seeming curious.

Tornadus made a rude gesture with his hands. "Yeah, sealed us up in clay pots this time, and then threw them into Chargestone Cavern. I was so itchy the whole time from all that static. Once the seal was weakened, I pulverized those pots and got straight out of that place."

"That would be rotten for you to live with," Landorus said. "Strange that they put Thundurus in there too. About him, I tried to call him earlier, but he didn't respond."

"Maybe he's out having fun in freedom, as usual," Tornadus said. "I wouldn't worry about it."

She shook her head. "I know you wouldn't, not this soon. But I am concerned. I haven't felt his bolts touch the ground yet even though I know both of you got free. Strange, isn't it? And I had been waiting on him to help start a fire in an area that needs its undergrowth cleared."

"Oooo, a fire?" he said, interested. "I love fires! But, I can't start them like he does."

"Right, so we need to find him," Landorus said.

"I'll go look!" Tornadus volunteered enthusiastically, thinking that it would be great fun to use his winds to whip of a huge fire with Thundurus. "Be back in no time!" He then rushed off into the sky, causing a sharper wind to hit the area.

Landorus raised an arm over some more delicate crops, keeping them from being bent in this wind. "I knew you'd do it once fire got mentioned," she said.

Meanwhile, Tornadus raced all over the land of Unova, searching for his brother. He thought about racing close to the ground, to make the winds fly along with him. Then, he figured it'd be faster to stick to the sky and search for the clouds that usually clustered around Thundurus. Finding him sooner meant playing with wildfires sooner. And after being crammed in a pot with lots of electricity around for at least a decade, Tornadus couldn't wait to initiate a major disaster again.

Heading to the largest cloud mass in the area, he searched the sky for a while but found no trace of Thundurus. It was odd. Tornadus flew down and searched the ground for several minutes; his winds stirred up the thunderhead and made intense rain and thunder come. But not lightning, at least not to the ground yet. There weren't even any charred stumps and houses around, so he began to think that he was in the wrong place.

Then he found Thundurus, sulking in a cloudy pile on the ground for some reason. His tail was curled close around his body and his head was lowered. What was up with him? They were free now, it was time to celebrate with storms and arson! "Hey, there you are!" Tornadus said, flying in close. "Come on, Landorus wants us to scorch the countryside! Actually, she just wants you to burn some undergrowth, but she told me and it would be much more fun to create a huge fire! I don't remember where... actually, I don't think she told me. So come on, we've gotta go back to her and find out where to burn stuff."

"Go away and leave me be," Thundurus said, sort of angry but not even scowling.

Tornadus flipped himself upside down, hoping that might amuse his brother. "Hey, hey, what's wrong with you today? We just got back our freedom! Besides, I know even you must have hated those clay pots too."

"Did you hear anything in there?" he asked, not looking at him.

"Nope," he said, righting himself. "The latent electricity in the area filled my head so much... argh!" He put his hands to the side of his head, but then whirled around Thundurus. "Come on, let's go burn stuff and make huge storms at the same time."

"Leave me alone," he said, flinging a hand aside to summon a thunderbolt. "You wouldn't understand."

Tornadus quickly dodged the bolt. "Aw, come on, you weren't even trying," he said. "What is wrong with you?" When he wouldn't answer, Tornadus started poking him on the side of the head. "I'm not gonna leave you be until you tell me! Come on, come on! What is it? What is it?"

"Cut it out," Thundurus snapped, trying to shove him away. But that was better than seeing him sulk.

"Teeeeeeeeeeelllllllll mmmmmmmeeeeeeeee," he replied, pushing him back playfully.

"Gah!" he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look away. But eventually he gave in to Tornadus' poking. "Okay, okay, if you'll stop that. I think I'm in love."

"Oh, that," Tornadus said. Then he poked Thundurus one more time. "Hey, but I understand that!"

"No you don't!"

Yes I do! I've been in love before, you know."

Thundurus finally looked at him, but in order to glare at him. "That was with a windmill."

"He-ey, it still counts!" Tornadus insisted indignantly. "I never did knock it over and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I like windchimes, but they're nothing compared to that. Anyhow, you're taking this too seriously. It'll bug you for a few days, and then it'll pass like some bad cold. You'll feel better if you go do something. So let's go burn stuff!"

"It's not like that," he said, seeming dispirited again. "I don't know if I should..."

Tornadus flew around him again, but this seemed to be serious. It wasn't like Thundurus to be like this. So, he had to fix things now. "Well then how is it like?" he asked. He held his hand out. "See, even your rain isn't as lively anymore. What is it?"

"I could hear things outside the clay pot," Thundurus said, reminiscing. "I could even talk to the Pokemon out there. At first I just spooked them, triggering a large spark when they didn't expect it."

"That sounds fun," Tornadus said. "For you, anyhow."

"It was for a while, but then, she showed up. She was just a Klink then, but she started talking to me. I remember what she first said to me: 'The imbalance of the electrical systems of the cavern suggests that some part of the location is the source of a great deal of boredom and frustration and in the interests of keeping a uniformity of contentment in the community system, I seek a method of addressing this imbalance.' She has a really nice voice, with just enough electrical accents to be wonderful."

Tornadus tilted his head. "A Klink?"

"Well she's a Klang by now. She kept coming to talk to me and 'fix things', but I got to enjoy our talks and miss her on days she didn't come."

"Klangs are big and hard with lots of gear teeth things that always move," Tornadus said. "It'd be hard to hug one. I mean, I could hug the windmill, but hugging a Klang would be even more awkward."

"I don't care about that!" Thundurus said. "I liked talking to her. It even got to the point where I didn't mind being inside a clay pot."

His eyes went wide. "Really? Sheesh, there is something wrong with your head."

"Maybe," he said, seeming sulky again. "She was the one who weakened our seals, you know. I told her we were put in there because people found us troublesome, but she still did it because she said she wanted to see me in person. I don't know if she's in love with me or why she did it."

"Well then why didn't you talk with her when you got out?" Tornadus asked. "I mean, I hate that place, but it's somewhere you'd be comfortable with."

"I would've, but you scared her off!" he said, back to being mad (really mad this time). "At least, I think you did. Besides, how can I go back to see her? I'm not even sure I'd be able to figure out which Klang she is, or if she'd want to see me now that she knows that I wasn't kidding about who I am and why I was in that pot." And now he was sulky.

"Hmph. Well you're not going to find out unless you go!" Tornadus then grabbed hold of Thundurus arm and tried to fly him away from his sulking spot.

"Hey, hey! What're you doing?"

"I'm gonna drag you back there since you're chickening out about going yourself."

"F-fine, but let me go," Thundurus said, throwing his hold off but following still.

When they landed outside of the entrance to Chargestone Cavern, Landorus was there to meet them. "I'm sure there's some importance to calling me away from the farm," she said sternly.

Tornadus pushed Thundurus towards her. "Yeah, this guy's lovesick, so we're gonna drag him in here to meet with the object of his adoration. Only it isn't an object this time, since he likes a Klang."

"I see," she said.

"Why did you have to get her involved?" Thundurus hissed.

"Hey, I'm not stupid," Tornadus said. "I'll go back in there to help you look, but only with the both of you to draw the electricity away from me."

"You're really going to help?" he asked, uncertain.

"What's it look like?" he said, heading into the cavern.

Landorus took Thundurus by the arm and tugged him to follow. "That's sweet," she said. "Let's go find this Klang so you can introduce her to me. It must be an interesting story if he's entering this place willingly."

Tornadus turned to them and floated backwards a short ways. "So the plan is, we'll just talk to a bunch of them until you recognize her voice, since you love that so much. Or maybe she'll recognize yours, we'll just have to see. No point being upset about something that may or may not be true; decide on being upset or ecstatic when you hear the truth, right?"

"Oh my lord, he actually sounds intelligent for once," Thundurus said, making the other two laugh.

He waved it off. "Well don't expect that to last or anything."

"Good to know that," Landorus said sarcastically.

As it turned out, their escape had startled the Klang who had let them go. But she did seem glad to talk to Thundurus again. It might just work out this time. But more importantly, Thundurus was in a better mood to start fires and storms with Tornadus, making things immensely better.

…

Tornadus B2/W2 entry: In every direction it flies, creating winds so powerful, they blow everything away.

Thundurus Black entry: Countless charred remains mar the landscape of places through which Thundurus has passed.

Landorus B2/W2 entry: From the forces of lightning and wind, it creates energy to give nutrients to the soil and make the land abundant.

Editor's Note: We here at POS do not recommend using arson for solving life's problems or for entertainment. Campfires are fine, but anything larger than that is not. Except maybe controlled fires to burn undergrowth. At any rate, please do not interpret this story as a suggestion to set fire to things. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.


	304. Scolipede, Herdier

Elsa- Waaah, it looks more evil than before *cries. I told you that you shouldn't trust those shifty eyes. _Posted 5:12:12 PM, Today_

Bobby- Congrats on getting the Scolipede! Spikelord has always been your coolest Pokemon and now he's the best too! Btw, have you tried those new Harvest Song butter pretzels? They have an aura of buttery-ness and are sooo good. _Posted 5:12:47 PM, Today_

Jaike- Don't be so cocky, farm boy. There's no way you can control that Pokemon now. You were lucky in that he didn't get disqualified as a Whirlipede because he was just barely obeying your orders. I saw how it was impaling those wild Pokemon with just its neck claws. That bloody scene is just going to repeat itself and you're going to make a fool of yourself in the final round because of it. And I won't be the only one who won't ever let you live it down. _Posted 5:13:57, Today_

re:-Bobby- that ain't going to happen. Luke's going to win! :D _Posted 5:14:12, Today_

re:re:-Jaike- ugh. Spikelord would be doing the world a favor by impaling you. _Posted 5:16:01, Today_

re:- _See More..._

Jane- Well, he looks like a mighty fine Pokemon now. Could be a mite rough to get him to listen to ya now even though you were the one to catch him. I'm sure you can handle that. Just remember: you and your Pokemon are a team and thus ought to work together, even to bring a hotheaded member into line. _Posted 6:45:32, Today_

* * *

Luke looked over his profile page, feeling uncertain now. Earlier, he had posted a picture of his newly evolved Pokemon Spikelord in excitement, not even five minutes after the evolution happened. But things had soon gone wrong. The Scolipede didn't want to listen to him anymore. He kept picking fights, only using the moves Luke ordered if he felt like using them himself. Not only that, but he was using those move viciously, intentionally creating nasty wounds on his opponents. Even his poison seemed to be hurting them more. More than one had tried running away, and Luke had to recall Spikelord back to his Pokeball so that he didn't pursue them. If this kept up, then he would end up disqualified from the tournament.

At this stage, it would be particularly embarrassing. The Pokemon World Tournament stadium was currently holding a week-long major competition now, where over a hundred Trainers and teams had signed up. Being an upperclassman of the Trainers School in Striaton and one of its best battlers, Luke had been chosen to represent the school along with two others. Unfortunately, one of his rivals had been chosen as well. Jaike had lost big time on the second day, thus he had been dropped from the roster. He still stuck around to give Luke a hard time. Sometimes it seemed like he was determined to make sure he couldn't win since he had been dropped.

Luke could deal with Jaike. He tolerated the bully, reminding himself often that once they graduated in a couple of months, he'd never have to see Jaike again. However, dealing with Spikelord was a major problem. He couldn't change his team around this late into the tournament, but he only had the next morning to get the Scolipede to cooperate. If he kept fighting that aggressively in the stadium, then they would get disqualified for causing excessive harm. It would be a disgrace to his school, a potential for a lawsuit, and, due to the live worldwide broadcasts, a bad scene that millions of people would remember him for.

With so little time to deal with this and so much pressure to not fail, Luke declined on posting anymore and got offline. Another one of his Pokemon, a Herdier he called Valiant, gave him a curious look as their eyes met. "Aaaooo," he whined, in a way that seemed concerned.

"I don't have long to do something," Luke said, petting Valiant. "What should I do about Spikelord? It's nice that Aunt Jane believes in me, but I don't know what she expects out of me."

He thought about it for the rest of the night, making it hard for him to get to sleep. But by morning, he did have an idea.

* * *

Luke went out to the forested area outside of Driftveil early that morning. As soon as he released Spikelord, the Scolipede started heading off into the trees to find something to fight off the path. But then Valiant ran in front of him, barking and blocking his way. Spikelord hissed and nipped at the air in a threat. That didn't intimidate the Herdier.

"Stay with us, Spikelord," Luke said, in a strict voice much like the toughest teacher at school. "We've got more training to do today, but if you disobey or get out of line, Valiant's going to bark at you. This way."

Spikelord didn't seem too happy about that, but he did follow after Luke. Valiant ran alongside the tall Bug, keeping an eye on him and ready to intervene. Really, that should have been obvious, Luke thought. His aunt had given him Valiant as a Lillipup, being the child of the Stoutland she used to keep Pokemon at a ranch from wandering off (among other duties). Valiant was his smartest Pokemon, able and willing to follow any order Luke gave him. Because of that, he would know when to bark a scolding without prompting.

The first battle they found was against a Deerling. Valiant stayed out of the battle, but barked sharply when Spikelord tried to bite it rather than poison it as Luke had asked for. While the Scolipede growled, he did use the move Luke wanted (although the time wasted was enough for the Deerling to attack Spikelord twice). It was working for a while to do this. Hopefully by the end of the morning, Spikelord would obey long enough for the tournament battles without Valiant's barks.

But during a battle against a Tranquill, Spikelord snapped when Valiant and Luke got after him for jabbing his spikes too hard into the bird. He tossed the Tranquill away, causing the bird to flutter off in fright while bleeding. Spikelord then swiped his tail at Valiant; the Herdier managed to jump out of the way, barking all the while.

"Stop it Spikelord!" Luke called. But the Scolipede didn't listen, instead dashing by both of them, swiping his tail at Luke. Luke's heart started pounding in a panic, although he didn't feel hurt. Glancing down, he saw that his shirt had been sliced through, but his Pokemon's tail hadn't touched his skin. That was too close.

Then Spikelord rushed by again, roaring before he grabbed Valiant off the ground and pierced him with his poisonous spikes. Valiant kept barking and squirming to get away, eventually getting dropped to the ground. Although his Pokeball noted him as being poisoned, the Herdier remained on his feet, defiant to the disobedient Scolipede.

"No Spikelord," Luke said, still trying to get in control of the situation. "Stop! I'm your Trainer, so listen." When the violent Pokemon growled and glared at Luke, he decided he had to stop this by force. "Valiant, Facade!"

Valiant howled, then rammed himself into the Scolipede. In his desperate state, the blow was enough to flip Spikelord backwards, onto his back and unconscious. The Herdier perked his ears up and looked back at Luke, his tail wagging. However, he was breathing hard and bleeding from the injury near his shoulder.

"Good work, but come back," Luke said, calling Valiant back as well. Then he hurried away, back into Driftveil. Thankfully, the Pokecenter wasn't far from this entrance to town. But would that closeness be enough? He didn't know if Spikelord would be obedient or if Valiant would be capable of battling today. Either situation could disqualify him.

On being told that Valiant's injury might be bad, the nurse took the Herdier's Pokeball and examined it separately. Then he was taken in back for further care. Since he could only wait now, Luke left the Pokecenter building and went around back, on the road that led to the Gym. There weren't many other buildings this way, so not as many people came. Thus, he was able to release Spikelord and be fairly confident that no one else would be in trouble.

Spikelord seemed to know he was in trouble, somehow. He held his head low, hunched over rather than standing up on his hind four legs in pride. "Currrr," he said in a somewhat piteous voice.

"Yes, you lost," Luke said, still using a strict tone with him. "You disobeyed me and you lost. I've been training you for the past year and I'm the reason you've gotten to be so strong. Without me, you'd still be a Venipede. And if you don't get your act together soon and become obedient, then you're not going to get a chance to show anybody how strong you are."

"Tch tch, scooooo," Spikelord replied, even more pitiful. He didn't like the idea of not showing off.

"If Valiant isn't well when we get back into the Pokecenter, I'm withdrawing from the tournament," he said. It wasn't an idle threat either. Yes, they had made it to the final day of competition. But it wouldn't be worth the risk if Valiant's injuries got worse. "And it will be because of you. Now I don't want to give up on you. I also don't want something like this to be repeated. Do you understand?"

Spikelord bowed his head even lower in shame.

Now for a test... he could put Spikelord in his Pokeball if he turned aggressive. "Good. Let's go back in there." He then walked back to the Pokecenter, his Scolipede walking silently by his side.

Fortunately, the nurse told him that Valiant would be fine for battling later in the day And Spikelord kept to himself, not bothering others in the Pokecenter (even a girl who was speaking rather loudly into her Xtransciever). When Valiant was brought back out, Spikelord bowed to the Herdier, recognizing his victory. Valiant wagged his tail and gave him a friendly paw pat to show that all was forgiven. Seeing that, Luke felt confident that they could go into the tournament's finals without worrying about getting in trouble.

…

Herdier White entry: It loyally follows its Trainer's orders. For ages, they have helped Trainers raise Pokemon.

Scolipede White entry: Highly aggressive, it uses the claws near its neck to dig into its opponents and poison them.


	305. Toxicroak, Victini

" _Okay, we have to get rolling soon in order to be prepare the big summer blockbuster in time. The market researchers say that a superhero movie will be highly anticipated this year."_

" _What kind of licenses do we have?"_

" _There's a few, but with the part years' successes, I think we can take a risk on something original. Further work from the researchers indicate that a partnership between a human and Pokemon would meet with a good reception... someone easy to relate to but 'cool', as would be said."_

" _I have an idea! How's this?"_

Dean was at home that night, kicking back in his old reliable recliner with some drinks and snacks nearby to watch the big game. Nobody had been able to come hang out and watch with him, aside from his best buddy of a Pokemon, a Toxicroak named Vance. No matter, as the alternative had been going over to a friend's house and dealing with that guy's girlfriend, who had the knack of nagging right during the best part. Vance himself was sprawled out on the floor, relaxing in his own way. Nothing was going to interrupt this night's entertainment.

Nothing, that is, save for a spontaneous blackout.

Swearing briefly, Dean got out of his chair. "Of all the rotten luck..." then he noticed a light streaming across the floor in another room. There was a soft thump as Vance flipped himself onto his feet and began hopping that way. Dean headed over too, pushing the curtain aside to see what was going on.

Much of his neighborhood was dark, so it wasn't just his problem. But above and past the roofs of the houses across the street, Dean could see a brightly lit tower standing out in the darkness. Every light in that place had to be on, so they had power still. Why not everyone else? This would take some investigation. And maybe some muscle to get things set right.

"Let's head out," Dean said to Vance, getting a hearty croak in agreement.

" _He goes off to fight someone who interrupted his show?"_

" _You didn't say it had to be a squeaky-clean good hero."_

" _Right."_

" _And he has to have a Toxicroak for that extra edge. Something unusual, sinister but not too much so, a Pokemon not normally paired with a hero. Toxicroak in particular because we have that really talented one in our Pokemon lots, but he doesn't get the screen time he deserves, in my opinion."_

" _He is a good one. What kind of costume for the heroes, you think?"_

" _Goggles. And lots of belts."_

" _Any actual clothing?"_

" _Of course, but the accessories have got to be right. Should be darker colored, to go with the Pokemon star. But it should be manly. You know, show off some muscles, grungy enough to not care about going into combat themselves."_

" _Sounds good, but what's their goal?"_

" _To get the electricity back and get revenge for missing the game again. But there will be something big in the one powered building."_

Dean didn't know what the building was for; he'd ignored it previously as it seemed to be some boring office he wanted nothing to do with. Looking into it, it was still hard to tell what was going on in there. Mirrors lined the wall on the other side of the doors, only revealing brightly lit areas around it. He tried the doors, but they were locked. No issue. He had Vance bust up the glass with his fists, allowing them to step through the door frame and enter.

Once inside, the wall turned out to be simply there to disguise the first level and the massive amount of machinery there. A great many of them were clustered in large blocks, labeled 'Battery' in one area. If that was a battery, then it was a tremendous amount of power to be stored. Why was this place sucking up all the power? Whatever the reason was, he and Vance were going to put a stop to it.

Although there was a lot of noise, they were able to hear someone yelling. "What are you lazing about here for now? We were running through the initial test phases and you quitting means we've blown the power for the entire city! You're going to pay for this you, you little rat!"

"And what sort of mischief are you up to needing all this power?" Dean asked, coming up on the man, who seemed more like a sniveling rat than the one he was yelling at. Within some of the machinery, there was a small Pokemon with red fur and large ears. It was a surprise, since this Pokemon often seemed like little more than a rumor, the legendary Victini. But there he was, defiant in the face of the one holding him captive. While Dean noticed him, he opted to pretend not to care. The mirrored goggles helped, obscuring his identity and reactions. He punched one fist into the other. "You're causing a lot of people trouble, and we're here to punish rotten rats like you."

Vance gave a long croak, hopping in place and readying himself for battle. But it wasn't a Pokemon that the scrawny guy called on. It was a battle robot, a strange one with two punching arms and three rolling feet. "What are you doing in here?" the scrawny guy said. "Security bot, get them out of the building!"

"Go for it, buddy," Dean said, nodding to his Toxicroak.

Happy to have an unusual battle, Vance bounded forward and punched the robot on one of its arms. The robot responded by swinging its other spiked fist at him, but to no avail. Without taking a step away, Vance leaned and twisted his torso out of the punch, then rammed his claws into the robot's torso with the energy from his motions. He wouldn't be able to poison the robot, but his venom still gleamed on the injuries he had inflicted.

Meanwhile, the scrawny guy got closer to Victini, pulling out a knife. "Call your Pokemon away!" he said. "Or I'll stab this one. Your Pokemon isn't going to attack me."

"Course he won't," Dean said, knowing that Vance wouldn't hit a human even like this. Instead, Dean darted over and slammed his elbow into the scrawny guy's stomach. "Doesn't mean that I won't."

Victini perked his ears up, then hopped up in spite of his chains and caused a shower of orange embers to absorb into Vance. Dean was worried for a moment of why this Pokemon would attack his when they were helping him, but it turned out to be good. With the borrowed power, Vance was able to punch the metal robot so hard that he cracked it into two. It toppled over in defeat.

" _A robot?"_

" _An evil robot. Nobody could argue one of them getting beat up."_

" _Sure, but there had better be more than one in the movie. When Victini powers up Vance, they need to be knocking around over a dozen of them."_

" _Sounds good."_

" _Then why is Victini in all that machinery?"_

" _It's a generator; I've heard some stuff about Victini that would make for a good evil scientist plot. We'd just have to get someone in to explain it to Dean, because he wouldn't care to learn otherwise."_

" _Make sure the one explaining is a sexy female scientist then. A guy like that would pay attention to her."_

" _You just like women in lab coats, don't you?"_

" _Anything wrong with that?"_

" _No, not really. About the generator..."_

The scientist knelt down and picked up Victini, relieved to see him. "You're safe!" she said to the Pokemon. Then she smiled at Dean. "Thank you for getting him out of the generator. I didn't think they were really going to do that."

"What were they doing with him?" he asked, although his interest was in showing enough sympathy to get her interested in going out with him later on. Women couldn't resist charm combined with concern, in his experience, and she had really fine legs.

"They were using him as the generator, to store up a tremendous amount of energy for their plans," she explained. "Victini can theoretically produce an infinite amount of energy. He normally does this to increase the power and energy of Pokemon around him, such as he did for your Toxicroak, but they found a way to draw the energy directly from him to use as electricity."

He frowned. "Sounds like trouble. What do they want that much energy for?"

" _What would they want the power for?"_

" _I don't know yet. We can come up with something."_

" _Robot army?"_

" _Could be. Or, how about a giant energy cannon? They'd use the threat of vaporizing entire cities in order to take over the world."_

" _Or both?"_

It was the three of them against an army of fighting robots. Victini hung in back, wearing dark shades to imitate Dean's goggles. Sometimes, he flung pillars of fire into their mindless foes, but mostly he hung back and gave Dean and Vance the power to be real heroes. Man and Toxicroak beat down all the robots in their path, leaving nothing but sparking scraps in their wake in a stunning display of fisticuffs and power.

Then they came to the center of the battle. Within the armor of a seemingly nondescript skyscraper, there was an enormous twenty story tall cannon shaft. According to their sources, it wasn't yet ready to fire. It could level this whole city within seconds. But looking up at the exposed weapon, Dean wasn't quite so sure that this cannon was inactive. There were certainly plenty more fighting robots ready to defend it.

"The things I do because of a lovely lady," Dean said, partly mocking himself. Then he shrugged. "Let's get down to business, boys."

The two Pokemon struck a pose, eager to keep on with the glorious battle.

" _Sounds like quite a thriller."_

" _It'd be a smash hit, I'm sure. Wish fulfillment and all."_

" _How do we want to end it? A close victory would be great, but a twist would get everyone talking and coming back for more."_

" _Right. Well how about this?"_

"Let's get this settled," Dean said, waving Vance towards the door. Filled with energy from Victini, Vance was moving about like a violet blur, slamming into the door hard enough to break it off its hinges in one clean shot. The trio then burst into the control room of the cannon. "All right, who's the chicken in charge here? We're here to knock some sense into you."

However, there were only a trio of robots here, smarter models than they had been fighting on the way here. "Oh, Master, you've come."

"What're you talking about?" Dean said. But then Victini darted away from them, getting onto the back of the largest chair in the room. The red Pokemon grinned at them, showing off his teeth. "Victini, what's gotten into you?"

"Master Victini is the one responsible for our creation," the robot said.

"He wanted to have something exciting happen," another robot added.

"Then you're the reason I've been running all over this city fighting robots and tracking down your lost energy, rather than having a good time watching sports?" Dean demanded to know of Victini, who he thought had been his ally. His fists clenched tight; even without the energy boosts, this would be a far more challenging battle than the robots.

" _Victini is the evil mastermind?"_

" _Nobody would suspect the cute one."_

" _True. But how's Dean and Vance supposed to win against the Pokemon of victory?"_

" _There's your close call final battle, where the outcome is uncertain."_

" _And where the villain's motives are questionable."_

" _It would be a surprise, causing a big stir. That's what sells movies."_

" _I still don't know about that ending. But, we can figure some alternatives out."_

" _Or leave it up to audience interpretation. People love that."_

" _Maybe. Let's get the script started for this and figure out what kind of set the CGI crew needs to get started on."_

" _This is going to be a great movie, I promise."_

" _It had better be."_

…

Victini B2/W2 entry: When it shares the infinite energy it creates, that being's entire body will be overflowing with power.

Toxicroak HG/SS entry: Swaying and dodging the attacks of its foes, it weaves its flexible body in close, then lunges out with poisonous claws.


	306. Bidoof, Anorith, Heatran

All eyes were on him as he walked to the front of the classroom. Why did it have to be him? He would have liked one of the smaller challenges of the school competition, just to get his new classmates acceptance. But no, the teachers had put him in one worth a lot of homeroom points, and straddle him with such a decision. He could go with one of the sets that his classmates would approve of. Or, he could go with the one he felt confident in winning with.

"I'll... go with the Bidoof and Anorith pair, please."

Of course, they didn't like it. Why was he going with the bad pair? One was a common lazy pest of a Pokemon, the other was strange looking and none of them were sure what to do with it. The other pairs, any of them, had cooler or stronger Pokemon in them. This competition was going to be a loss and the reason their homeroom would fail was because of the new kid's dumb decision for this one challenge. Because of this antagonism, he found it easier to check in with the teach as quickly as possible on the challenge day, then head out with Pokemon to complete his task.

Because of the challenge, he was allowed to head out by train into the countryside, to where an old volcano sat. It was a weary old thing, worn down by age to an unimpressive shortness and heaving ash clouds in a halfhearted fashion. But it was the closest volcano and the competition committee of the private school really wanted a big fire challenge to go with their elemental theme. And their challenge here? A photo scavenger hunt which used pairs of the school's Pokemon to accomplish specific tasks. The fire was all in the location, which wasn't all that fiery on the outside. Or inside, if talk around town was true.

He put the camera on its strap on his shoulder securely, then called out the two Pokemon he'd chosen. Bidoofs were indeed very common, but he'd used this particular one and others before. Named Boris, this Bidoof had always been agreeable to work with and had a decent set of moves. Boris looked up at him and waved a paw on recognizing him. As for the other, Anoriths were ancient Pokemon risen from fossils, little guys who used their wings to fly through the water or flutter just above the ground. Ace the Anorith had been donated to the school and was used by one of the science teachers for lectures. While Ace wouldn't recognize him, or anyone save maybe that teacher, he always seemed obedient.

Walking along the paths, he spoke to the two Pokemon, explaining what they were doing and wondering aloud what to do about the scavenger hunt prompts. One of them wanted 'a flurry of fists and ashes'. That was easily solved by getting into a battle with one of the wild Machops and taking some pictures while directing Ace to use Fury Swipes, stirring up the gray ash lying on the ground with his white and red wings. Less easily solved was winning that battle; he had to use one of the given potions to heal up Ace afterward, so that he was okay with continuing.

Another prompt was 'signs of Pokemon', which he got by snapping a shot of Boris sniffing around a metallic feather and fresh footprints in a thick layer of ash; they were all avian in nature, which neither of his Pokemon could make. Boris also helped with 'a special old structure' when he helped clear rocks from an old shrine they found, tucked away on a side path. The student was quite interested in it, as it seemed to be to a local volcano spirit, one he didn't know of. Making a reminder in his notebook to ask about it, he called the two Pokemon to continue on. It seemed like a forlorn forgotten thing; they spent a few minutes picking up bits of trash to at least make it look nicer for when one of the other students came by.

One of the last prompts he found was 'opposed elements'. He had heard about a natural hot spring being located on this mountain, but having recently moved to this place, he hadn't heard where exactly. On the other hand, the local students would know where to find this probably easy location. He managed to find it by asking Boris to find some water, figuring that as a native dwellers of rivers and ponds, the Bidoof could do so. And it turned out to be the perfect time to catch the prompt. Within the steams from the small ponds, he could see flame spouts coming out of chimney-like structures poking out of the water. Maybe this volcano wasn't as lazy as people thought. He got a nice picture of the fire and water, but he would need one of the Pokemon in the shot for it to count as part of the hunt.

Kneeling down, he spoke to Ace, trying to coax the Anorith into swimming close to the fire spout. He was an opposed element himself, being formed of rocks of the earth, but made to live within the seas. Or even being an ancient creature living thanks to modern technology. Boris leapt into the water first, making a happy barking sound and splashing around. Since he was covered in fur, it seemed the water wasn't that hot. The student touched it with his fingers, then rolled up his pants legs to step into the pool himself. With this, Ace went into the steaming water as well. Directing him to swim near the fire spout and keeping Boris from joining in took several more minutes, but he eventually got a great shot.

He smiled on getting that. There were only two prompts left: 'a light within the dark' and 'looking from the volcano's peak'. With the photos he had gotten, he felt that he should get a good score for his homeroom (hopefully to his classmate's approval). But he could get some extra points for this challenge with non-prompt photos of the Pokemon he had as his exploring partners. So he let them play in the water, getting some fun shots like Ace clamping gently with his large mandibles to Boris' wide tail to ride after him.

They got to the other side of the shallow pool and found an entrance to the interior of the volcano. With that one prompt and a lantern in his equipment, he had expected that there would be caves around. He called the two Pokemon out of the water and headed inside with them, using the lantern to see where they were going. On the way, he spotted some black lumps of soft-looking black rock on the ground. When he held his hand over one of them, drips of water immediately turned to steam, hinting that it was incredibly hot. He instructed the two Pokemon to carefully avoid those seeing that. The tunnel was smaller than the hallways in school, but tall enough for him to walk without bumping his head in most places. Before long, it came to a natural set of stairs, heading deeper into the volcano. The lumps of cooling magma continued along the pathway.

At first, he thought he'd get the 'a light within the dark' by giving one of the Pokemon the lantern to pose in the tunnel. But then his mind was soon drawn away from the challenge by what he found on the wall. Unown script, accompanied by various illustrations of some volcano god. He checked through the camera's memory and noticed that some of the illustrations matched what had been on the shrine outside. Interested in this, he took some pictures for reference of what to ask about or research for. He could make out some of the Unown script on sight; if he was right, then the god was named Heatran. Boris and Ace kept close to him, waiting for him to be done so they could continue.

He began to wonder how long they had taken going down this tunnel. He had to be back to the school dorms by dark, to turn in the photos and Pokemon. Perhaps when they found a dead end, or the an exit to the volcano... but the stairway kept going.

Eventually, a fiery light appeared at the end of the dark tunnel. Excited to come across that, he encouraged Boris and Ace to go ahead so he could catch at least their silhouettes in the light. But shortly after he took two photos of them, a deep roar filled the tunnel, one strong enough to feel in his bones. Ace got spooked, fluttering back for a moment, then circling around in uncertainty. On the other hand, Boris stepped closer to the light, ears perked forward. The student hurried ahead to where they were, finding an entrance into a much larger chamber. He thought briefly of not going in, but curiosity got the better of him. Besides, he trusted these two Pokemon to stick by him, whether they had to fight something or run from it. They went into the large chamber.

The light was coming from both fire and magma, burning in circular moats at the edge of the room. There was a single pathway that led to a larger version of the shrine outside. While less weathered by age, the stones of the shrine were scorched black by the fires around it. Within the shrine, there was the volcano god that the pictures in the tunnel depicted. It was larger than all three of them together, the student, the Bidoof, and the Anorith. Its back was like a black shell similar to the crust of the volcano's outside. But its underside and four massive legs were glowing red in parts, reminding him of pictures of steel being formed. There was a crack on the right side of its back, with a bubble of red magma forming. Drips of the superheated rock lay near that wound.

Heatran looked over them, wary. It put a foot down gingerly and started to roar again, only to break off into a fit of coughing. Maybe it was old and worn like the volcano itself. The student took a picture of it and its shrine from near the tunnel, then wondered if he could get close enough to use one of the potions on it. Taking out an apple, he said to Ace and Boris, "Try to tell it that we mean no harm, and we can help if it lets us." Then he tossed the apple towards Heatran.

By the time it stopped bouncing and rolling, it was by the large Pokemon and starting to turn brown from the heat. Heatran snatched it up anyhow, eating it quickly. Ace was still nervous, still fluttering around close to the student's feet. But Boris went ahead fearlessly, calling out a friendly greeting like he gave the other school Pokemon when outside of battle. Heatran looked down at the Bidoof, given some softer sounds in a rough voice. While it looked at the student as he started to approach, it made no aggressive turns or warnings.

The moisture in the potion did hiss as it sprayed against Heatran's open wound. But it still did its job, sealing up the wound quicker and sterilizing away bad germs. As there was some left in the dose, he sprayed it on some rougher looking areas on Heatran's body. Although, what would be an injury and what would be a simple scrape was hard to tell on rougher Pokemon like this. Once that was done, he took out his camera again and got a few shots as Boris managed to convince Ace to come up and greet the old volcano god up close. That certainly had to be a worthy bonus.

"We should be leaving," he said gently, letting the camera hang off his shoulder again. "I'm sorry if we disturbed you, Heatran."

To his surprise, he got a response. "You were no bother," Heatran said. "This bug here is a peculiar creature. Very primitive, even more so than me." He chuckled, but then coughed again.

"He's from around 10 million years ago," the student said, recalling the science teacher's lectures. In his mind, his thoughts were all in excitement. How many people got to talk to a Pokemon others considered a god? What should he be asking, or saying? It wasn't an event he'd seriously considered happening to him.

"That explains it," Heatran said, looking at Ace. "And here I thought I was getting old. Hah, I was just considering how wild I was in my youth. Used to go to the village and demand they send the most beautiful maiden to me as my bride every decade or so. It was mostly to cause them panic and worry, plus see who would be brave enough to come down to face me in combat for her safe return. That was the exciting part; never did like it when nobody came for the girl. It's been a long time since I did that, though. I don't really care for all that these days. I'd be much happier if people simply took better care of the outer shrine."

"It was in a sorry state," he agreed.

It stepped closer to him, the glow on its legs dimming. "I did notice that you cleaned it up a little. And then you stumble into my inner shrine, being brave and kind enough to come heal me. With how little the other humans think of me these days, I appreciate even these small things."

He began to feel nervous again, like when his classmates had been watching him choose the Pokemon he'd take for this challenge. "It was only right. I was going to ask my teachers about the shrine anyhow. I could talk with them and the other students about coming back up there to clean the outer shrine up properly, if you want."

Bowing down, Heatran replied, "That would be all I want. Now what would you want for this?"

He rubbed his head. "I'm not sure. I, I'm here on a class assignment, and what I do will affect the honor of my classmates as well. Not only that, but I'm new around here too and only a few of them have accepted me as part of their group. At this point, all I need is a picture from the volcano's peak. If I can get out of here and back down the mountain in time to return."

It seemed amused at that. "That's as simple for me to help you as it was simple for you to help me. Give me a minute and I'll cool my back down enough for you to ride up with me."

"Wow, really? Thank you."

"If it gives your class honor and restores mine, it is nothing to do this." Before long, he was able to pick Ace up and let the Anorith grip Heatran's rocky back with his feet and mandibles. The student then got on with Boris, holding onto the Bidoof and Heatran so that none of them fell off.

And it was quite a ride. Perhaps it was some power Heatran had, but some kind of gravity help keep them on its back while the volcano god climbed straight up the walls of the inner chamber and through a tunnel in the roof. Once they got to a less steep passage, Heatran sped up, quickly passing through rock tunnels and picking passages with no hesitation. It was barely two minutes before they emerged into the open air, then another minute to when they were perched on a wide portion of the rim of the upper crater, at a place no human could reach alone. The student then took several photographs of the landscape, Boris, Ace, and Heatran before taking another fast ride down to the base of the volcano. It was the most thrilling adventure he'd ever had.

With the massive point lead the homeroom got from his part of the school competition, it was easy to convince his classmates and teacher to return to the volcano for a few weekends to restore Heatran's old shrine.

…

Bidoof Diamond entry: With nerves of steel, nothing can perturb it. It is more agile and active than it appears.

Anorith Emerald entry: It was resurrected from a fossil using the power of science. It swims by undulating the eight wings at its sides. They were feet that adapted to life in the sea.

Heatran HG/SS entry: Boiling blood, like magma, circulates through its body. It makes its dwelling place in volcanic caves.


	307. Kyurem

Most of the time, it was here, in a dark cold cavern lying at the end of a large crater. Ice would form in here all through the year due to its presence, but when it was woken, the ice would all melt. Near-freezing water puddled on the floor, causing the footsteps of the visitors to be punctuated with small splashes. "There's no need to be afraid," a man said. "It's just a shell of a creature shrouded in rumors. Until someone controls Kyurem, it is no danger."

They called it Kyurem, although there wasn't much point in giving it a specific name. It was just a shell. However, it was a shell to a very powerful Pokemon and it kept a connection to the two minds that had emerged from it. The two minds kept balance with each other. If an imbalance between their power emerged in their homeland of Unova, they would call on it to restore balance. It was a neutral force, taking on aspects of the one which was weakened to set things right. They usually sent a human or Pokemon to it as a hero and guide. Kyurem did what it was told to do.

But, that was to the one who helped correct an imbalance, giving it a purpose. Kyurem tapped into the minds of the two to judge the humans who had come to visit it. Some of them were decent, but not appropriate to be a hero. As for the leader of the group, he was different. He was a force of imbalance, looking for power to change the land but not qualifying as a hero for either of the others. He would cause much suffering if he had a powerful dragon like one of them at his command. So, Kyurem attacked and ate him before the others could try defending their leader.

At first, the others ran away in fear. Then a few grew brave and tried to retaliate. The ice dragon was attacked by several Pokemon, one of which kicked a hole in its side, knocking those scales into its body. An icy mist rapidly spilled out of that wound, quickly freezing the water around it again. Since most of these Pokemon and humans weren't bad, Kyurem bellowed and blasted the whole room with its ice energy. The attack would hurt them, perhaps badly, but it shouldn't kill them like the mist itself would. They retreated to reconsider their attack. But they wouldn't get a chance to try again. The mist was freezing Kyurem over once again, making his hollow body stiff.

It wasn't something to worry about. This always happened. Since Zekrom and Reshiram seemed to have no need for it at the time, Kyurem would be a part of the ice once more. That was how things went. At least, until this time...

It sensed an imbalance first, but Zekrom, the one most obvious, didn't seem worried. Then, without warning, it turned into an absence. Neither Zekrom nor Reshiram were around. That had never happened before. Kyurem wasn't sure what it was supposed to do. At first, it tried to reach out to their minds, find where they were and what they wanted it to do. It couldn't reach them. Perhaps there was a problem.

Perhaps, they had both been destroyed? That shouldn't happen. Zekrom would have been more concerned if it was that. What should be done? Kyurem wasn't used to thinking on its own. It seemed it would have to break out of the ice and locate them, find out what happened. Stirring its body, the dragon began flexing its muscles. Once it got a little bit of room to move, it could break out, absorb the ice back into its body, then head out to search. It could take weeks, but to Kyurem, time didn't matter.

Then more things went wrong. The temperature in the cave near it increased greatly. At that point, the dragon only had a few millimeters of room to work with. It couldn't even open its eyes or smell clearly, but it seemed to be fire from an unfamiliar Pokemon. The ice cracked several times, then broke completely upon impact. "I knew it!" a man's voice said. "There is a third dragon here... keep working! There isn't much time."

Kyurem tried to get a better idea of what was going on. It was a group of ten humans and five Pokemon, it could smell that. But ice still crusted over its eyes. Not only that, but it was used to a slow process of awakening and breaking out of the ice. At another strike, the ice underneath the dragon was crushed, no longer able to support its weight. But Kyurem was weak right then, not having absorbed the ice back into itself yet. The dragon collapsed onto the floor, breathing in great gasps trying to be ready. These people seemed to have counted on that too. One came right up to him and put a cloth reeking of a heavy scent. Within seconds, Kyurem found itself asleep once more.

When it woke back up, it was no longer in its ice cave. The ice had all been removed, so it could open its eyes and look around at the strange place. It was a bright, filled with many points of electric but steady light. All around the dragon, there was a transparent barrier that easily resisted blows. The entire structure moved steadily, a small up and down motion that took some getting used to.

Another mystery following a troubling absence. Kyurem reached out but again did not sense the minds of Reshiram and Zekrom. However, it did sense something. It didn't even seem to be a mind, for its thoughts were of a strange series of words, numbers, and symbols that could be understood alone but not together. It was connected to two things, one that was on the dragon's body, and one that seemed to be moving. Entering the room.

Kyurem looked and, past the transparent barrier, a man entered from a doorway that moved on its own. He walked with an ornate cane, which seemed to be the other thing connected to its mind. Around his body, he wore a faded black cloak. He used to cane to walk, but once he got in front of the transparent cage, he thumped the cane on the floor hard.

Instantly, the thing that had been placed on Kyurem set off a painful shock into its head. It jerked back. What could be done about that? The thing was on the back of its head, where it might not be able to reach to take it off.

"Good to see you stirring," the green-haired man said. "I wasn't going to involve you yet, but since that idiot brat failed me," his voice turned sharply bitter, but he seemed to get control over it quickly, "I had to get you sooner than planned. It was a close call, almost too close. The idiot took Reshiram with him when he cowardly fled his responsibilities, but the other brat..."

His hand clenched the cane and while it didn't hurt Kyurem this time, the dragon could feel a strong connection to the man's barely contained rage. In the past, it had worked with heroes who were aggressive, or even motivated initially by vengeance. Kyurem was often more aggressive than Reshiram or Zekrom in its approach to correcting imbalance, mostly because they called it in when things were truly bad. But this? The dragon wanted to be able to check with their powers to see how this man was devoted to truth or ideals. But that connection could not be made.

The man continued on his rant, pacing now. "I gave him the keys to the power of other legendary Pokemon. Originally I was going to use them as a backup plan. But as long as I can still obtain my original goal, gaining unwavering control over the mythic Tao dragon, I won't need them. They won't be a match for your power, once you are fused with the other two again."

Fusing them back together... that wasn't supposed to happen, as far as Kyurem know. But the ice dragon did not know much. It depended on the other two and its heroes to know what to do. It was the body... no, not even that. It was the shell with hardly anything of the mind. Reshiram and Zekrom had split the mind. So much so, Kyurem felt no jealousy or anything towards the other two because of it. It felt very little. But, what it felt now, it was different... strange...

"But that boy just held onto them for months," the man said, clenching his free hand into a fist in front of him. "I didn't want to break our cover by attacking him outright. Then he finally decides to leave with Zekrom towards Sinnoh. Do you know of that place? It is a land very distant from here, where those three legendary dragons are most remembered. Luck can't help him now; he's much too far away to stop me this time. But you know the more important thing about him leaving? With both Reshiram and Zekrom out of the region, I theorized that you would begin to awaken without their powers to constrain you."

Their powers do not constrain me.

Me?

I don't have an identity. I am a part of them; we are part of a whole. They came from the mind, so they gained identity. I am dependent on them, a balance point between them to keep their powers equal. I am a hollow shell and nothing more, for no mind was left with me.

But... I am alone now. Without them, I cannot depend on their thoughts to know what to do. I must think on my own. And thus, I must... be me.

But who is me?

The man thumped his cane on the floor again, causing another shock in my head. "You will not fail me. You will obey me. And once I have that trained into you completely, I will lure the other two dragons back with your captivity. But that's not where this plan ends, certainly not. I will have the Tao dragon under my command, and thus, the whole world will follow. This time, my plans will not fail."

That didn't seem like what should happen. I try looking into him as I would through Zekrom and Reshiram's minds. Although I cannot feel them now, I somehow manage it. And this man... he cannot be the hero the guide me. He manipulates truths and corrupts ideals. He doesn't just lead to imbalance, he completely destroys the whole balance. If I could reach him, I should kill him and destroy his body. It wouldn't even be worth it to eat him.

But he both holds me captive and forces me to be independent. I don't know what to do. I would call out to Zekrom and Reshiram, but he says they're far away. They might not hear me.

It's terrifying to be so alone.

…

Kyurem Black entry: It generates a powerful, freezing energy inside itself, but its body became frozen when the energy leaked out.


	308. Dwebble, Larvitar

The Dwebble slept contentedly in her rock. Life was good for her. After all, she had this lovely sandstone rock for a shell; it sparkled with tiny quartz crystals, which made her the envy of other lady Dwebbles. She lived in a patch of lovely desert which sand that helped to hide her from predators. Not only that, but the sand itself was tasty and kept her strong. She didn't need to fight much and could spend her days drawing in the sand, relaxed and happy. There was nothing to worry about.

Except maybe those vibrations she felt from her rock shell. The Dwebble stirred from her sleep. It wasn't coming from the ground. Maybe some other Pokemon was trying to wake her up by knocking on her shell? She opened her eyes right as the top of her shell broke with a nasty snap, falling to pieces around her.

"Hu-what?" she exclaimed, shocked into waking fully. She darted a few steps ahead and turned, seeing her prized rock shell all cracked into worthless small pieces. Right behind where she had been sleeping, there was a Pokemon she wasn't familiar with. It had green scales, small arms, and a chunky body. "You, you..."

The green Pokemon seemed to perk up on seeing her. "Momma!" He dropped the piece of rock he'd been eating and ran over to her side.

The Dwebble shuddered in fright; this creature was taller and heavier than she was. He could crush her easily, especially without a shell. And... he thought she was his mother? How, how did that work? She had to look up at him. "I'm n-not your mother. Please don't hurt me."

Instead of listening, he dropped down onto her. The Dwebble closed her eyes and scrunched up her body, fearing for her life. But even though he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, he seemed to be hugging her, not attacking. "Momma, I find you. I eat all the way up to you."

Did he mean that he meant to eat her in her rock shell? Or what? Maybe his egg had been buried and he'd eaten through the sand to get up here. That's what her kind did. But, what was he? Still, when he released her, the Dwebble couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the infant. He had obviously been expecting to find his mother up here. Although, if he was this big as an infant, she felt afraid of running across his mother.

Especially without a shell. "Sorry child, but I'm not your mother," she said gently.

"Not Momma?" he asked sadly, looking down at her with teary eyes.

"Yes, and you ate my home," she told him. She gave a small shiver. "I don't want to make your real mother angry, but..."

He whined. "Sorry. I eat lots of sand on my way up, but no rocks until that. Was lots hungry."

"Well you may have the rest of it," the Dwebble said, relaxing a little. But she couldn't become fully relaxed until she had a shell again. "It's not much use to me. I need to go find a new rock so I can be safe. Um..." but what did she do about this baby? She wasn't sure how well he could defend himself and some Pokemon around here loved to battle (she hid from them most of the time). Then again, she wouldn't like meeting his mother.

The green Pokemon made a barking sound, momentarily startling the Dwebble. "I help! We find rock for you. Um, where rocks?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Dwebble pointed one of her claws to where she had found her last rock. "Over there, there's a rock wall with piles of loose rock at the edges. Thanks for helping me out."

"I do good thing to make up for bad thing," he said, then walked alongside her to reach the rocky area of the desert.

Once there, the baby seemed interested in finding rocks to eat, but he always pointed various ones out for her first. He didn't quite grasp that she needed one big enough to hide in, but not so big that she couldn't move it around when needed. He even pointed out the rock wall itself. "Nobody hurt you with that!"

The Dwebble found herself chuckling at that. "It would be quite a personal fortress, but I don't think I'll ever be strong enough to have that for a shell."

They searched for a while, but weren't haven't much luck. Much of the rock pieces were too small. While she was disappointed that she probably couldn't find another quartz embedded piece, right now just finding a shell to be safe again was her priority. Once she had one, then she might consider looking for a pretty rock again. But then a roar pieced through the sand-filled air, shaking the Dwebble through her entire body. That had to come from a powerful Pokemon, and now she could feel its heavy footsteps through the sand.

"Who that?" the baby asked.

Despite her feeling of dread, the Dwebble snapped one of her claws and spoke up. "Whoever you are, if you're out to hurt this child, I'll stop you." Probably not very well, but maybe she could buy enough time for the child to find a place to hide. Then she could dig into the sand to wait for the stranger to leave.

The footsteps drew closer and the Pokemon appeared through the sandy air. It was huge, with even its feet larger than the Dwebble. But more importantly, it was green and scaly just like the baby. In fact, he took a few steps closer to it. "Momma? That you?"

"There you are," the enormous Pokemon said, coming up to them. "Yes, it's me, little son. It seems you got lost underground."

"Momma!" The baby rushed over to her and hugged her leg.

The mother Pokemon leaned down, spooking the Dwebble into drawing her body in defensively again. However, she spoke with no aggression. "Don't be afraid, tiny one. Thank you for looking out for him I hope he didn't trouble you much."

Phew, she wasn't mad. "N-no, he was good," she said. "Um, he has a kind heart already. He should be a good child."

She was pleased to hear that. "Is that so? That's wonderful. You should thank the lady here."

The baby Pokemon hopped back toward the Dwebble. "Uh, I was! I help her find new rock shell to live in. But no good rocks for her."

"I can help with that," the mother said. "Stay where you are, both of you." She then took a step away, then rammed her head into the rock wall. Many pieces broke off from the impact, kicking up a lot of dust and sand. The mother Pokemon then plucked out a piece and tossed it over to them. "How's that?"

Not only was it of good size, but it had quartz sparkles just like her last rock. Even better, there was a smoky white crystal poking out of one side. "That's beautiful, thank you. It will make a great home."

"Good!" the baby said, then giving her another hug. "I go with Momma now. Thank you, lady! I be good always now."

Once he let her go, the Dwebble tapped him with her claw. "You're welcome, child. I hope you get a great home too."

The baby Larvitar and the mother Tyranitar then headed off for their proper home. The Dwebble waved to them while they were in sight, then focused on her new shell. While it would take a little while to melt away a proper hold for her, it was always worth it to have a beautiful shell to live in.

…

Larvitar Soul Silver entry: It is born deep underground. It can't emerge until it has entirely consumed the soil around it.

Dwebble White entry: It makes a hole in a suitable rock. If that rock breaks, the Pokemon remains agitated until it locates a replacement.


	309. Sharpedo, Seadra, Gothita, Beheeyem

What have you been doing? It shouldn't have taken you this much time to establish a base.

Sorry, sir. I met with some locals and... it got a little out of hand.

How so?

I think it's best if I just show you.

* * *

There was junk in the ocean currents, in the form of large pieces of metal. The Sharpedo grabbed hold of one with his teeth and tried to rip it apart. Strangely, this metal was tougher than he usually encountered, only breaking off at an already weak point. His teeth throbbed with pain, but he shook it off and let go of the junk. Then he swam to the center of the currents. Along the way, other Sharpedoes joined him.

In the center of the chaos, there was a furious Seadra, glowering up at a shadow on the surface of the water. The sea water swirled around her still, remnants of her whirlpool. As the Sharpedoes approached her, she looked over them, then snorted. "And what brings the crowd here, huh? Coming to find chaos?"

"You could say that," he said. He grinned, showing off his shiny sharp teeth. "Need any help?"

The Seadra grumbled for a little while, then patted her body with her fins. "As much as I hate to admit that my power isn't enough, I hate leaving that boast go by unchallenged more. So yes, if you could help with this boat overhead."

"What boast?" the Sharpedo asked.

"Some silly little 'mon thinks too highly of the humans. See..."

* * *

The Seadra owned a patch of seawater and she demanded respect from everyone that passed through. She fought off other Pokemon until they admitted that she was the best in the sea; she changed currents so that the human boats avoided her territory to avoid being sunk. For years, she had proven her authority and power. But now there was a human boat that completely ignored her currents. It just plowed right through her territory and she hated it for not respecting her.

Leaping out of the water, she was able to get onto the ship and look around. It was larger than most boats she had sunk, but it was made of wood so that shouldn't matter much. Also, it had a huge wheel on the back which she'd never seen on a boat before. Still, she should be able to catch this in a big enough whirlpool. The humans on board needed to know who was responsible, so that they knew who to respect.

Close to where she had boarded, she spotted an unusual pair of Pokemon. It seemed like a pair of land-based Pokemon, or maybe only one of them. The one seemed rather human-like, a small pigtailed Pokemon with a black dress and white bows (which seemed natural to her). However, the other one might have been air-based due to the fact that he was hovering in the air. He had no wings, though, also being human-like; his body was smaller than his tall head and his hands had three odd glowing fingers.

"Hiiii!" the girl Pokemon said, looking at the Seadra with her large black eyes. "Did you come up to visit?"

"No, I came up because you're all invading my water," the Seadra said, spreading her fins out proudly. "Why don't you tell your humans to get out, you... whatever you are?"

She laughed. "Can't talk to humans, nope, not me. And me, I'm a Gothita. You must be a Seadra." The Gothita blinked her eyes slowly.

On the other fin, the hovering Pokemon brought his fingers up, making them twinkle and flash in different colors. The Seadra braced herself for an attack, but none came. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What was that for?"

The Gothita swayed in place. "He says, um, that we shouldn't worry about him. He's a Beheeyem."

"He didn't say anything!"

"Yes he did. See, it's like this."

* * *

There were a lot of things to see on the boat, nearly all human-made, all of it interesting to study. Mamie the Gothita wanted to study it all. As soon as she was released on board, she began walking around to look at things. The floorboards, the rails, the paddle, the paddle's gears, the posts, the lifeboats, the anchor, the sailors... so much to see! Before long, she had wandered away from her Trainer. Not that Mamie minded. If her Trainer really wanted her, then the Trainer would find Mamie.

The skies darkened and the lights of the boat came on, calling on moths to be interesting to watch. But before long, Mamie found something even more interesting to watch: a Pokemon she had never seen before. He was a psychic like herself, floating around on a quiet part of the boat and studying things too. Happy to find a kindred soul, the Gothita ran over and looked at the newcomer. "Hiiii! I don't remember seeing you on this boat before."

Startled, he brought his thin arms up to his face. They looked at each other for a full minute, then the stranger moved his fingers, changing the colors they glowed. Behind those motions, there was a psychic message. 'Don't mind me. I mean you creatures no harm.'

"I don't either, even in battle," Mamie replied.

'What?' he said, puzzled.

She laughed and spread her arms out, swaying cutely. "That's how it is, isn't it? Battles are to challenge each other, but not to harm more than temporarily. So, what're you doing?"

'Strange,' he said. Her put his hands on the sides of his head briefly, then returned to his light talking. 'I guess I could tell you.'

* * *

Nearly a hundred years ago, at least by the time kept on this particular planet, a small colony ship of their kin had been lost in the area of this solar system. Space travel wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't quick, so it was only now that they were able to get a search team out to figure out what happened. They had checked surrounding planets, but only this one was sustaining life and the others showed no signs of a colony. But with all the technology and life on this planet, picking out a signal or sign was difficult.

M'del was chosen to scout out the surface, looking for an inconspicuous spot to set up a camp so they could make a closer search. He was also checking for information about local civilizations and any survivors or descendants of the original colonists. For that, he might need to speak with the natives. He needed to do so carefully, but he could handle things so that they would hardly remember him.

He arrived at the surface over a body of water. Underneath the surface, he could feel a great many life forms. He wasn't sure how many would be intelligent, though. But there was proof of intelligent life, within sight even. There was a boat traveling across the salt water, with a big paddle wheel behind it and white steam coming from tall chimneys. Curious to see how far the technology went, M'del went over to check it out.

The whole thing seemed efficient, so such boats had been in use for some time he would guess. He tried to avoid the passengers; the night seemed to keep most of them inside. However, one small female creature approached him without his notice. She seemed quite friendly, if odd to his thinking. She introduced herself as Mamie, a passenger, so he told her that he was searching for a quiet place to stay (although not entirely what his mission was). While she didn't recognize his kind, she did inform him that there were two major groups of intelligent beings: the Pokemon, which she was and she mistook him for, and the humans, which were apparently the more advanced and intelligent, but physically weaker. And there were many kinds of Pokemon in the world. Perhaps the colony had merged as one of them?

While Mamie seemed positive (save for battles being some kind of game due to human intervention), the second Pokemon that M'del met was not. It was an aquatic one with blue scales and bony fins. This Seadra claimed that the boat was trespassing on her territory. After Mamie introduced them without a care, the Seadra continued on her threat. "I don't care what your names are," she said. "Names don't matter. What matters is power, and I have the power to sink this boat."

"Are you sure?" Mamie asked. "This is a steam-powered paddle-boat, top of the line too. Nothing's gonna sink it."

The Seadra snorted. "Steam? Steam's not a real power. Water is power. Let me show you." she then jumped back into the water.

'This might be trouble,' M'del said. Not necessarily for him; he could hover and if things got really bad, he could ask for a teleport out to the ship. But he didn't like leaving the passengers and crew of this boat to suffer a needless show of pride.

* * *

"Oh, no no no, this is gonna be fun to watch," Mamie said, clapping her hands while M'del worried. "She's a wild Pokemon, so she's not gonna be as powerful as she could be. Still, a whirlpool might be interesting."

'You and the others might be in danger,' the Beheeyem pointed out, literally pointing out to the water at the end of his statement.

"It's fine. I'm sure the crew is prepared. Watch." She hopped up on the railing and looked to the water to see it start to move. Not yet, but in a little while... a little while that she had to question the stranger again. "How'd you come here? Flying over the sea?"

'Flying through space,' he said, somewhat absentmindedly as he watched the sea as well.

Widening her eyes, the Gothita looked up at him. "Whaaaat, really? You flew in from space? Cool! Where's your spaceship?"

His lights stuttered for a little bit, then he put his hands to his face before replying. 'I didn't mean to say that. But, you seem to know a little about it. Odd; you'll have to tell me more. My spaceship is in orbit at the moment; you might be able to see its lights, if you can distinguish them from the stars.'

"Wow, I wanna see it!" Mamie looked up to the dark night sky, eager to see this real spaceship far over their heads.

* * *

Back in the cool sea waters, the Seadra grumbled to herself as she swam ahead. Nothing could sink that boat, huh? They would see about that. And, running on steam? That was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. After all, there were Water and Ice Pokemon, but what about Steam Pokemon? Right, there were absolutely none, meaning that steam was a worthless power. It wouldn't be hard to sink this paddleboat.

Once she found a good position, the Seadra began spinning rapidly, pulling the water currents into following her. A whirlpool quickly formed, changing the nature of the surface. Overhead, the waves would be sinking around her location, pulling the boat into a dangerous tilt and breaking its structure. Most boats would sink within minutes.

Not this time. The paddleboat did change how it was traveling, but under its own power to skirt the edges of the whirlpool. A few items did get knocked into the water as a result of the change, mostly some wooden and metal crates. But her target, the boat itself, was unharmed.

The Seadra felt furious and embarrassed. Why hadn't this boat sank? Steam power shouldn't be that strong. And it was bigger than the other boats, but in the end, the power of water should be enough to overcome any boat. Maybe if she tried again, but spent longer making sure the whirlpool was at its peak of power...

While she was considering that, a group of Sharpedos approached her. They had been drawn to the currents and, most likely hoping for easy prey, offered to help her take down the boat. Once she explained about the situation, the main talker of their group said, "Of course they should respect the waters, especially those belonging to you. How about you bring up another whirlpool? While it's going, we'll ram into the underside of that boat. That should bring it down."

"Right," the Seadra said, considering how her currents would help the Sharpedos go even faster than usual. "We need to get ahead of them so that they'll come right into it. Let's put this plan in motion."

* * *

Normally, the Sharpedo left the Seadra alone. She was the most powerful Pokemon in these waters and quick to pick a fight that she most often won. However, the idea of attacking a human boat and using a powerful whirlpool to do so was too tempting. He and the others began to ride the currents, finding positions form which to best strike.

The spiral currents quickly came to life, pulling him along the funnel. By propelling himself just right, he was able to shoot right through them and at the boat, which was trying to steer away from the center of the whirlpool. Not only that, but he was the first one to do so. A grin formed on his face... that is, until he saw what was on the bottom of the boat.

"SPIKES!" he shouted, trying to warn his kin. It was too late for him; no matter how much jetting he tried to do, he careened right into the spikes protecting the bottom of the boat. While it shuddered to his strike, his body also throbbed from the impact. His tough scales deflected most of them, but a few still punctured painfully into his skin. He pulled himself off and swam to the side of the boat.

When he looked up, he saw a small female Pokemon standing on the boat's railing, staring up at the sky. Was that the one the Seadra spoke of, the one who had total confidence in the humans? She had some right to be, what with the defensive spikes under there. Still, it made him mad. She wasn't even concerned about the whirlpool.

"Don't be so cocky!" he yelled. "The proud Pokemon of the Water can still defeat you!" He rammed himself into the side of the boat, hoping to knock her off.

Not only did it not work for that, but it didn't even get her attention. She kept staring at the sky. Instead, a brown Pokemon floated overhead. On seeing him, the strange Pokemon fired a bright beam of light.

* * *

You attacked a native?

They were trying to damage that boat, sir. And, my attack didn't even do anything to him.

It did nothing? What kind of defenses do they have?

Mamie said that it was a Dark type, which somehow nullifies some attacks against it. She told me so after the sea Pokemon had given up their attack, once the ship's crew Pokemon went after them. She was so focused on trying to see our ship that she didn't even notice the battles around her. Just from that, I knew that this world must be full of other strange things that we know nothing about.

True. Did you take the memories of those who spoke with you? We don't want to cause a disturbance.

I know. The Seadra, the humans, and some of the other Pokemon were pretty easy to make them forget me. But the Sharpedo and the Gothita, those two were really hard. It seems like we don't fully understand our own powers.

That's impossible, M'del.

No it's not. Not at all. It's the truth.

…

Sharpedo fifth gen entry: Its fangs rip through sheet iron. It swims at 75 mph and is known as 'The Bully of the Sea'.

Seadra Sapphire entry: Seadra generates whirlpools by spinning its body. The whirlpools are strong enough to swallow even fishing boats. This Pokemon weakens prey with these currents, then swallows it whole.

Gothita B2/W2 entry: It stares at everything. It can become so obsessed with watching that it doesn't notice attacks.

Beheeyem Black entry: It can manipulate an opponent's memory. Apparently, it communicates by flashing its three different colored fingers.


	310. Spinarak, Snover

This was supposed to be a vacation, but Bugsy the Spinarak didn't like it one bit. It was cold, the snow made his colors stand out, there were so many humans tromping around in boots, and the only warm place was one that had a lot of fireplaces. However, he never got a say in the matter when his Trainer decided to take them on a skiing trip. He never got a say in anything, mostly because he was a Pokemon incapable of telepathy or articulating human words. That was especially unpleasant when his Trainer decided that he wanted to fly on top of a frisbee.

This was it, he decided. He was getting the bad end of this training deal and he'd rather escape back to his old forest home. Bugsy waited for his Trainer to get distracted in talking to other humans, then hustled along the snowy slope to reach a rocky area. While his colors would still stick out in the gray and white, there were at least things to hide behind there. He got there and looked around, still seeing the humans. Not far enough away. He headed for the trees.

Although it was cold and snowy, the trees here were full of green. Needles though, not leaves. Still, it was a forest and thus a place he liked much better than human towns. Bugsy walked until the tips of his legs began to feel numb. Since he didn't want to freeze, it would be best to find a tree to hole up in for a little while. Tie some needles together to make a small space for warmth, make a web to catch a little food, then head down the mountain once he had more energy. That seemed like a good plan.

Many of the trees were tall, but he came across one that was short. Although it wasn't even as tall as his Trainer, this one was wide, thick with needles. That seemed like a good place, so he climbed to the middle and looked for good branches to start a small web from.

The tree was oddly warm for this snowy mountain, but he didn't think much of it until it shook itself vigorously. "Huh, who's there?" a nearby Pokemon voice said.

The tree whirled around, making Bugsy dizzy. He had barely managed to keep his grip with his too-cold legs; only the thread he'd been spinning kept him on. Securing himself in place, he said, "J-just a spider. Don't mind me."

"What's a spider?" The tree raised its two largest branches, reaching back but not quite touching him.

"Someone who should be in a warmer place," he said. "Sorry, are you a Pokemon? I thought you were a tree."

"I am a tree! And a Pokemon!" It laughed. "Are you a Pokemon too? I wish I could see you, but you're on my back.'

"Yeah, I'm a Pokemon," Bugsy said. "I was just trying to warm up. This place is much too cold for me; I should've left when we were at the bottom of the mountain, but my patience has run out."

"I don't go to the bottom of mountain much," the tree said. "I'm a Snover, we live for the snow! I've been traveling to lots of different peaks lately. I guess it would be different to visit the bottom once in a while."

"If you could do that, I'd be grateful," he said.

The Snover swayed, making Bugsy feel ill. "Okay! But if you should live in warm places, what are you doing up near the peak?"

"My Trainer brought me here."

"What's a Trainer?"

Bugsy brushed his front legs over his eyes in disbelief, immediately regretting it as that made his head cold. "Don't you know? They're humans who train Pokemon."

"What's a human?"

"They're..." He rubbed his front legs together while his thread was keeping him on the Snover. He couldn't barely feel them. "Well, they're not Pokemon. They're not even that strong on their own. But they can do all sorts of things that Pokemon can't, especially making things. They're kind of mysterious that way, even if they're all over the place."

"I've never seen a human," the Snover said. "They sound so awesome! Where are they?"

Without really thinking about it, Bugsy answered, "Well there's a group of them with their machines not too far from here, off in the direction I'm facing."

The Snover turned around quickly again, nearly throwing Bugsy off. "Really? Wow, I wanna meet them! Let's go!" It started running past the other trees.

Bugsy gripped on tight in fright. He was trying to get away from them, not go to them! When he started to protest, the Snover slid to a stop as he'd arrived right at the ski lift's drop-off zone. The Spinarak climbed up to the top of the Snover, to look around and see who was there. Thankfully, his Trainer didn't seem to be around. Instead, there was a group of teenagers and adults talking and laughing together, preparing the head down the mountain on their skis and snowboards. Some of the boards were sitting on this flat area of snow, waiting to be ridden.

Flailing its arms around in excitement, the Snover hopped over to the humans. "Wow, you're funny looking creatures! Why do you have so many different colors, different from each other? What's all that metal stuff with the branches overhead? What're you doing? Who are you all?"

"What a cute Pokemon," one of the teen girls said, coming over to pet the Snover with her gloved hands. "He's even got a little passenger."

"Huh, I wonder what this one is doing here," one of the adults said. "We've had reports that Snover can be found on other mountains, but we've not had any show up here."

"I'm traveling," the Snover said. "And I want to know all about you!"

"Um, the humans can't understand Pokemon," Bugsy said.

"Whoa, really?" it asked, twisting a little in trying to find him.

"Right, that's one of the mysterious things about them," he said.

"All right, you all better start heading down before this place gets too crowded," one of the adults said.

"We can walk with them to the bottom to get you to warm places," Snover said, watching as the humans finished checking their gear.

"They're not going to walk," Bugsy said.

"Then how're they...?" the Snover started to ask. Then a few of the teenagers started heading down the slope on their skis and snowboards. "Wow, that looks fun! I wanna try!"

"You probably shouldn't," Bugsy said, but it was too late. The Snover was already running for the slope. Jumping on one of the unclaimed snowboards, its momentum carried them both over the edge and down the slope.

The snowboard picked up speed alarmingly fast, causing the trees to sweep by in a green and white blur. The Snover started flailing its limbs again; the snowboard swerved in response. Being more careful, the tree Pokemon started leaning back and forth. "I can control it, wheee!"

Afraid of what would happen to him if he jumped, Bugsy crouched down, shuffling needles aside to get secure. "This is making me sick," he murmured.

"We need to go faster!" the Snover said, twisting its body around to figure it out. By scrunching down and leaning its trunk forward, it managed to do just that.

Bugsy looked ahead, hoping the end of the slope would be in view. But no, what he saw was worse. Right in their path, there was a large pile of snow flanked by two large pine trees. Was there a rock there? "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Wheee!" The Snover guided the snowboard right between the trees, causing them to hit the snow pile. However, the side they hit was angled just enough for them to slide right over the snow and high into the air. The winter sun flashed like a lens flare and there seemed to be nothing stopping them from crashing right into the ground to get smashed to a pulp of needles and spider legs.

Somehow, that didn't happen. The Snover managed to land the snowboard in order to keep zooming down the slope. Fearing another close call, Bugsy shut his compound eyes and tried to bury himself in the Snover's needles. They might just be soft enough to cushion his fall if something terrible happened.

After a few more terrifying minutes, the Snover turned wide one last time and tumbled backwards, laughing with mirth. Bugsy found himself squashed between a tree and snow, something he hadn't ever thought might happen. He dug frantically through the snow, trying to get himself free. Sticking to that Snover had been a mistake. He popped out into the sunlight, breathing a sigh of relief that the ordeal was over.

"Bugsy, what're you doing there?" a familiar voice called. His Trainer was leaning overhead, grabbing hold of him with damp gloves before he could think to run. He was much too cold to go fast anyhow. "Did you make a new friend? I saw him jumping that ramp; he's got to be the most awesome Pokemon I've seen!"

"Yay!" the Snover said, raising its limbs high.

Bugsy groaned, giving up for now. "I'll get away from this madness, someday..."

…

Snover Diamond entry: It lives on snowy mountains. Having had little contact with humans, it is boldly inquisitive.

Spinarak Soul Silver entry: It spins a web with fine – but durable – thread. It then waits patiently for prey to be trapped.


	311. Skorupi, Ampharos, Bronzor

Her ears picked up vibrations in the sand, the first sound besides the wind that she'd heard in many moons. Steady regular crunches of the red sand, it was something walking on two feet. Too big to eat all at once. Still, it was another coming this way and hope that she'd get food before she starved.

It was strange. Normally, the desert was quiet until the rain came. Then life would burst out: plants blooming, insects buzzing, Pokemon stirring. After a few days, all would settle into quiet again. But it had been a long time since the last rain. She needed to eat again.

Since this was the first creature to be moving in the desert in a long time, she waited and watched. It was night with a sliver of silver moon in the sky. Close to the ground, she saw three yellow orbs, glowing and swaying. Sometimes the outer two disappeared for a second, while the middle was blocked by someone regularly.

Then she heard the sounds that she hadn't heard in a long time: voices speaking words. "Still no signs of the villagers. It's so dark tonight; are you sure this is the right way?"

A matching metallic voice said, "Yes, according to the map, there should be a watchtower out this way. It'll be tall enough that we can send a signal over the dunes."

Then a third voice, different from the other two. "The night's dark enough that I might not need your assistance."

"It will cut down on the chance for interception."

"Fine."

Words, with meaning. They triggered memories in her mind, from when she was young. From a time when she spoke. She used to live in a village near the oasis with many other Pokemon. Working together, they kept a good supply of food and water no matter when it rained. There was no need to lie in the sand, waiting for prey to come to her. There was cooperation and happiness. Being here like this, only thinking about hunting, the rains, and the sand, this wasn't like her. But she had been here for many moons, so why?

The three Pokemon were closer now, enough that she could make them out. The one walking was an Ampharos, using the ball on the end of his tail as a light source. Beside him, there were two Bronzor, floating over the sands. Their bodies were well polished, enough that they reflected the Ampharos' light clearly. They all seemed strong and healthy.

Hoping that they were nice too, she carefully pulled herself out of hiding, trying not to expend more energy than she needed. Then she called out to them, her voice rough from disuse and lack of water. "D-d-d-d..."

"There IS someone here," the Ampharos said, changing his pace to find her.

"Careful," one of the Bronzor said, following.

"Do you have a-any food t-to share?" she asked.

"Sure, not a problem," the Ampharos said, opening a bag at his side and pulling out a large apple. "Here you go."

Without even a question? "Thanks," she said meekly, then gripped the apple in her claws and devoured it. It was surprisingly fresh and so juicy, smelling like a gift from heaven. Maybe it was how long she'd been without, but it was the best tasting apple she'd ever had.

"Hungry?" one of the Bronzor asked jokingly when she was finished.

"Sorry," she said. "I haven't eaten since the last rain, and it hasn't rained in a very long time. Were you looking for the watchtower? It's just over here, I'll show you." She headed that way, still careful with her movements.

"Yeah, the watchtower will help," the Ampharos said. "Miss Skorupi, do you know what happened to the village at the oasis? We came since we've heard nothing for almost a year now."

"I'm not sure," she said. "I hardly remembered up until I heard you three talking; couldn't even think at all."

"Then it is like the other lost villages," one of the Bronzor said.

The Ampharos agreed. "Yes, all the Pokemon living in those places went wild overnight. We'll just have to find the villagers and help them recover."

"I don't know if that's possible," she said, feeling a little sick realizing it. "Very little has moved or made a sound, since it's been a long time since the last rain. My kin were originally great survivors... maybe the only reason I'm still alive. I don't know how many we can find."

"She may be right," the other Bronzor said. "We haven't felt much life out this way."

"It certainly happened before the town of Goldsand," the other agreed. "What do you remember?"

"Sorry, I still need some time to think about that," she said. "Um, here's the tower." She looked at the stone steps that led up to the top. "I, I worked here, I think. The gate's not even shut." She headed up.

The Ampharos climbed with her while the two Bronzor floated up to the top. With such a small moon out, the sands of the desert soon blended into the darkness. She saw a darkened torch standing at one corner, reminding her that there were other torches on the tower and around the village. Maybe they had all gone wild and there was no one able to think well enough to consider lighting the torches. She certainly wasn't capable of crafting fire as a Skorupi.

At the top, she found some slimmer stairs that led up to a low safety wall. By using footholds on the wall, she was able to climb up top, as her low body stance made it hard to see over the wall otherwise. "Yes, I definitely worked here," she said, noticing how familiar the tiny stairs and footholds were.

"Were you working here when the village went feral?" the Ampharos asked, leaning against the wall. "Huh, can't even see the village from here."

"You could if the torches were lit," she said. "Um, let me think."

"You might want to go over to that corner if you're staying on the wall," one of the Bronzor advised. "We need to send a light signal."

"Okay." she backed up and watched them.

"Celestial signs and earthly position assessed," the other Bronzor said. "Direction of Watchtower 357 to Watchtower 019 discovered. Brother, I've got the deflection angles." He floated closer to the other and told him a series of complicated numbers.

The Ampharos jumped onto the base of the large torch that used to burn on top of the tower. Charred sticks crumbled under his feet as he dropped down on all fours. "Whenever you two are ready."

After the numbers were confirmed, the two Bronzor went behind the Ampharos, positioning themselves precisely. The Ampharos then caused a series of bright flashes from his tail orb, all in a brilliant yellow-white. Reflected by the polished steel, his beacon powered through the darkness. She could even see glimpses of the desert, in a thin trail underneath the beam. It took a minute to get through his coded message.

They waited for a little while in the darkness until another flash of light appeared on the horizon. She couldn't quite interpret the message. Thinking on that made her realize that she hadn't been working on the tower as a watcher for very long. Certainly not long enough to learn the light signals.

"What are the chances that there were survivors?" the Ampharos asked after the return message was complete.

"If there are any, they would probably be near the oasis because of the water," she said.

"I really doubt there's other survivors at this point," one of the Bronzor said. "We didn't even feel life near the water."

"What do we do about her?"

"Um, could I go with you, back to where you come from?" she asked. "Maybe if I have a few days, I can remember things better. And, if there is no one else here, not even any creatures to eat, I'd rather not stay and end up going wild again."

"That would be for the best," the other Bronzor said. "You're welcome to come with us."

"As long as you don't slow us down," the Ampharos asked.

"I'll try to keep up, but I still need to get my energy up," she said.

"We'll look around just in case. Go ahead and tell them we'll start heading back tomorrow night."

While the Ampharos went back to messaging the other tower, the Skorupi wondered if it was right for her to leave. She had a feeling that the oasis village was her home, a peaceful and friendly place. But they said the village was empty and she hardly remembered it. If she remained just because of the feeling, she might end up dying anyhow.

When she remembered her family and neighbors, she should return here to pay her respects. For now, it looked better to live on and figure out what happened with these travelers.

…

Bronzor B/W entry: There are researchers who believe this Pokemon reflected like a mirror in the distant past.

Ampharos Soul Silver entry: The bright light on its tail can be seen from far away. It has been treasured since ancient times as a beacon.

Skorupi B2/W2 entry: It lives in arid regions and can go without food for a year while waiting for prey.


	312. Purugly, Huntail, Grumpig

"If they really wanted to make it realistic, they would've made this place actually wet," the boy complained, annoyed that he'd been dragged along to the aquarium rather than taken to the amusement park.

"If it really was like the deep ocean, we wouldn't be able to breathe," his father pointed out.

The family Purugly huffed; he'd hoped that there wouldn't be an argument on this outing. But that may have been a bit much to expect out of them. Sometimes, the three kids got along. In most cases, they seemed to like nothing better than complaining and harassing their siblings. This place wasn't so bad. They were in a tunnel crafted to look like coral structures, with shifting watery light filling the whole area. Since it wasn't wet in the least, he wouldn't mind taking a nap in this place. Not now, but...

A movement and flash of light caught his eye. In a small hole near the bottom of the tunnel, there was a little gray fish with yellow eyes and fins. It was weaving side to side, but mostly staying in its spot. When the Purugly stepped closer, the fish's eyes flashed again. What was it doing trying to get his attention? Did it think it was better than him? Peeved at its insolence, he uncurled both of his tails, then wrapped them firmly around his waist so as to bulk up his front. Then the Purugly crouched and glowered at the fish. Before long, it should realize his threat and take off.

On the other side of the hole, there was a second tunnel where the ceiling displayed the largest tank overhead. A Huntail that lived in the aquarium was sitting in the hole, watching visitors pass by. Normally, he'd be in one of the tanks, keeping peace between smaller Pokemon. But he wanted something different to do today and being out of the water was an interesting experience. Like right now, there was a girl with a Grumpig entertaining a few others. "We're hanging out underwater with the Wailord! Why not dance?"

The Grumpig snorted, doing an odd stomping dance while waving her forelegs rhythmically. She had started it, with the girl soon copying. While the human was doing a good job, she wasn't nearly as fascinating as the Grumpig. The black pearls on her forehead and around her waist shimmered with power The Grumpig was smiling slyly, giving the Huntail a wink when their eyes crossed. Seeing that, he felt an impulse to start dancing along too. He made the lights along his body glow to the rhythm of the dance, swaying a little as there wasn't a lot of movement he could make in the tunnel.

At the other end, the Purugly growled as the little fish began bobbing more energetically. Why was it mocking him? It was just a little bitty fish out of water and he regularly snatched fish bigger than it out of the pond near home. He should take a bite out of its fins to teach it a lesson. After watching it a few moments longer, the Purugly pounced and chomped down on the fish.

Immediately, both the Purugly and the Huntail screamed in pain. The latter's fins were tough, making the former's mouth bleed. The false fish on the Huntail's tail had a few tiny dents, but the suddenness had startled him more than any pain. Furious but a little bewildered by the Grumpig's dance, the Huntail darted out of the hole and lashed out at the first one he saw, the dancing girl. His tail knocked her over, but then the Grumpig intensified her dance and pointed to him. Psychic power blasted the Huntail, knocking him through the tunnel wall and into the Purugly. The Purugly squalled, swatting the Huntail before running off with his violet fur all fluffed up.

The people there stared at the scene for a moment, stunned at what had happened. The Grumpig swayed and smiled as if innocent. After all, she couldn't have had anything to do with that. She couldn't have known who was in the other tunnel or what would happen if she made the Huntail dance. There was nothing wrong with dancing.

She was totally... not innocent. But they didn't need to know that.

…

Purugly Platinum entry: It binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. If it locks eyes, it will glare ceaselessly.

Grumpig Emerald entry: It stores power in the black pearls on its forehead. When it uses psychic powers, it performs an odd dance step. Its style of dancing became hugely popular overseas.

Huntail Emerald entry: To withstand the crushing pressure of water deep under the sea, its spine grew very thick and sturdy. Its tail, which is shaped like a small fish, has eyes that light up.


	313. Camerupt

It was a bad day. The caretaker was late in bringing the gruel, the generator pipes had been clamped to her in a way that left her unable to rest easily on the floor, one of the new Camerupts was crying and fidgeting, and the rising pressure of her magma bubble made her feel tense. Feeling like there was nothing to lose, she considered causing her volcanic humps to erupt. It would damage the machinery holding her just barely off the floor and cause it to melt metal on her, but to be secure on the ground and feel normal again, it might be worth the risk.

The metal door clattered open, letting in three humans wearing heavy boots and military-styled uniforms. "We're running 20% above the need," one of them said. "We can spare one."

"Are you sure just one Camerupt will keep the rebels from reaching the Pokethermal generator?" another asked.

"It'll slow them down, that is, if they get far enough in."

The third stopped in front of her slot. "Sir, this one has the highest magma pressure. She needs to blow it off anyhow, so take her."

"Right, then take her to the hall we spoke of."

The man operated the machinery, causing the clamp around her body to loosen. She immediately sunk down onto the ground, grateful for the unexpected respite. However, the man then tapped her with a thin stick. "Come on, get moving."

For a moment, she thought about erupting at them. But that would be a very unwise move. They had no hesitation about punishing those who were disobedient. In fact, the other two began discussing what to do with the crying one. Giving a small huff, she pushed herself up and walked in the direction she was being led. Hopefully she'd have a chance to erupt soon. Leaving magma to build up too long would end up painful, especially if she erupted on accident.

They walked up ramps, down ramps, through halls. Eventually, in one hallway with a long window to the outside, the soldier held his boot in front of her to have her stop. "You'll stay here for the time being," he said. "Attack anyone who comes through without the uniform. When security says it's safe, you'll go back to..."

The door at the other end of the hallway burst open rudely, letting in three people who did not have the uniforms. "There's one of those villains!" the leader of the three shouted, raising a fist already.

"Looks like they're extra reckless today," the uniformed man said. "What are you doing here?"

Speaking with grand gestures, the leader of the rebels replied, "We're here to free those Camerupts from your cruel device! This is your one chance to stand aside or we will not have mercy on you."

Was it all right to erupt now, or not since the man was standing next to her? The Camerupt looked up at him as he shook his head. "Are you lot even thinking? What's going to happen when you take the Camerupts out of the generator?"

"They won't have to be sacrificed for your evil schemes anymore," another member of the group said.

"They will stop running the generator and the entire region will lose 90% of its power," the uniformed man said. "This plant powers your homes, businesses, hospitals, Pokecenters. It's over a hundred degrees outside right now! If you cut off that much power, many will suffer or even die due to the heat."

"It's not worth sacrificing the freedom of a few Pokemon," the leader said, although the statement caused some second thoughts, at least by the expression of one of the others.

"They're just Pokemon, and you're overly idealistic," the uniformed man said, backing off. "Get rid of them, Camerupt."

She could erupt now? Good. Shifting her body stance so that her front half was lower, she released a burst of magma that had been churning inside her. It released a lot of pressure, although any subsequent attacks would be weaker from lack of magma in her system. Her attack nearly struck the leader, quickly melting a hole in the floor and wall; she only intended to scare them. But then he called out another Pokemon, one the Camerupt didn't get a good look at before she was struck by an icy deluge of water.

When she was revived later on, she found herself outside, laying in the grass and dirt. One of the rebels was crouching next to her. The woman smiled. "Good, you're up. Sorry that we had to attack you, but it was for the best. We want to see every Pokemon treated with respect and integrity. So, you're free now! No more being tried up to boilers and forced to work for everybody else. You can do what you want."

What she wanted? The Camelrupt looked around, seeing a road, more grass, a patch of trees, a chain link fence, and the energy plant. It didn't take long for her to decide to head back to the energy plant.

"Hey, hey, you don't want to go back there," the rebel woman said. "That's the plant."

The Camerupt knew that. But she also knew that she had an important job to do, using her magma to create power for many people and Pokemon. While she didn't know how it happened, the system could only run with Fire Pokemon, and it worked best with Camerupts. Sure, the military group were harsh, careless, and bad with food. But the job itself wasn't bad. It was easy, and if these people respected her by giving her good food, not kicking the ones who were anxious, and making sure the clamps were well-fitted, then she had no problem at all working in the power plant.

But the rebel group didn't want to believe that, so it continued being a bad day.

…

Ruby entry: Camerupt has a volcano inside its body. Magma of 18,000 degrees F courses through its body. Occasionally, the humps on this Pokemon's back erupt, spewing the superheated magma.


	314. Sawk, Hippowdon

The sun-baked rocks tried to scorch his feet. The vast expanse of packed sand tried to blind him by reflecting the relentless rays of the sun. Down below, past the cliff, he could see a lush green paradise created by the wide dark river. It would be cooler there, more comfortable. But being in that comfortable place would not build his spirit. He was traveling to improve his training, not to be pampered. For that reason, he took to the edge of the desert, letting it try to break him. He wouldn't let it.

Pulling his belt tight after a vigorous punching and twisting routine nearly made the knot come undone, the Sawk observed the remains of his target. A tall rock had stood here, sitting on its end with the help of other rocks. Now it was a pile of cracked and jagged reddish rocks, none larger than his head. Seeing one that was noticeably bigger than the rest, he slammed a fist into it, breaking it into five pieces. There, that was better. He turned and went back to running, looking for something else to punch.

He spotted another standing rock not too far from the one he had demolished. Who was putting these up? But, what did it matter who did it? It gave him good targets. The Sawk headed for that one, soon spotting a third standing rock. Only, it was in the process of being made to stand. A large murky brown Pokemon with a body that was wide in all proportions, it was gripping the stone with its mouth and using its forepaws to set up support rocks. Then it was a Hippowdon. Maybe this was its territory.

The Sawk hoped this area was the Hippowdon's territory. It wouldn't be a proper day of training without beating up some silly Pokemon who thought it could defeat him in battle. However, it wasn't proper to pick fights. That was something his father had pounded into his head when he was young, something he never really liked. If he didn't pick his battles, how would he get proper battle experience? But that so-called honor remained with him, leaving him to find indirect ways to provoke a battle.

Thankfully, he had a way right in front of him: the standing rocks. Making sure his belt was tight, the Sawk sped up and prepared his fists. He got in good range of the second rock and launched himself into the air. Controlling his body and momentum, he brought all his power into his right fist and slammed it into the rock. It promptly flew off the spot filled with huge cracks, then skipped along the sandy rock ground, breaking up as it went along. He dropped back into a moderate run, going after the largest piece. When he had it, he tossed it up into the air and made his fists go into a blur in pulverizing it to join the sand.

The Hippowdon couldn't help but notice and get angry. It made a bugling bellow at him, snorting sand out of its big nostrils. "Stranger, you have no right to destroy that!"

Keeping a ready stance, he turned to face the chubby Pokemon. "Who said so?! It's more like you don't have a right to interfere with my training."

"These rocks aren't being put here to be smashed," the Hippowdon said. "They're here for..."

"Why should I care?" the Sawk said, shrugging. "They've been great for practice. Shame they crumble and fall over so fast."

"It seems I need to teach you to respect the work of others," the Hippowdon said, stamping one of its feet down and sucking air in.

"And you'll learn to respect my fist," he retorted, dashing over to punch the Hippowdon in the nostrils. He gave a few more, then bounced backwards after it just took them. "Huh, as flabby as I thought. I don't see why they call you Hippowdon. It's more like Hip-sad-dorf."

At that, the Hippowdon released a truly staggering amount of sand, surprising since it didn't seem to take that much from its surroundings. Within seconds, it twisted up into a cyclone and pummeled him with millions of grains of sand. The Sawk shifted his body so that the sand wasn't blasting him in the face, determined to not let this faze him. He wasn't weak enough to lose.

Something seemed to whisper to him in the cyclone, an eerily familiar voice. "You've failed to hone your spirit and morals properly," someone said to him. His father? "If you continue like this, no one will like you and many will hate you. You will be remembered as a monster, not a warrior."

The Sawk narrowed his eyes. "How dare you scold me as if you were my father. Both you and he are too soft. I will be strong, the strongest ever."

He defeated the Hippowdon and the newest standing rock. But he couldn't defeat that voice. It would continue to haunt him, driving him mad. That is how he became the Mad Wayfarer who terrorizes the desert towns along the great river today.

…

Hippowdon Diamond entry: It blasts internally stored sand from ports on its body to creating a towering twister to attack.

Sawk White entry: Tying their belts gets them pumped and makes their punches more destructive. Disturbing their training angers them.


	315. Granbull, Claydol

Smokey the Granbull didn't see them move, so he went up to one of the two statues to sniff it. It smelled of clay and Pokemon. Was it a Pokemon? In his travels with his human partner, he had seen many strange Pokemon. This one had a large head with many eyes, on a body with detached arms. On the other side of the ruin entrances, there was an identical Pokemon statue. If they were statues. They were about his size, but they might just be heavier.

"It doesn't look like there's any traps just to get inside," his partner Toma said. The human shifted his hat, then patted Smokey. "Come on, let's head in. This is going to be our biggest adventure yet."

Wagging his tail, Smokey followed after Toma. These adventures were often crazy and dangerous, but they could be fun too. He mostly loved that his partner let him explore around too, seeing the world in full rather than just limited to battles and small fragments. True, it would be better if his partner didn't insist on exploring all these scary old places. But Smokey knew he was lucky to be where he was, so he didn't complain much.

They walked cautiously down a staircase, straight at first but then curving to the left after several feet. It wasn't a safe staircase, Smokey noticed. There was a wall on the right, but a large pit to the left with nothing to keep them from falling off the stairs. Except for the lantern Toma carried, there was no lights in here. The further they went down, the older the air smelled.

Smokey heard a hum somewhere behind and above them. Feeling a shiver up his spine, the Granbull paused by the wall and looked back into the darkness. For a moment, he thought he saw a yellow ring of light. But it vanished, if it was really there. So creepy.

"The scans of materials we gathered outside suggests that this place is nearly twenty thousand years old, if not older," Toma said. "I wonder if it was made by humans or Pokemon. The outer grounds doesn't offer much evidence, one way or another. There are theories floating around that Pokemon may have once been capable of making such buildings. If that's so, what happened to you?"

Hurrying down a few steps to keep up with his partner, Smokey wasn't sure what Toma was talking about. Pokemon didn't make things like humans did. But that didn't matter. It was important for him to protect Toma however he could. Although, there wasn't much a Granbull could do against falling down a dark shaft.

Eventually, they came to the end of the staircase, a circular room with one doorway. Past that, there seemed to be a larger room with many items in it. It could be one of those tombs they often explored. Although, they hadn't run into any Ghost Pokemon. Ghost Pokemon usually hung around old tombs.

It was then that Smokey realized that they hadn't come across any other Pokemon since the two maybe-Pokemon maybe-statues. There had been only one other ruin where they hadn't found other Pokemon and that was an experience that Smokey did not wish to go through again. Knowing that Toma might not notice due to looking for visible traps, Smokey tugged at his partner's arm.

"What?" Toma asked, looking at him right as four beams of light shot right by them. None of them hit, but they were too close for comfort. Warning shots?

They turned around and soon found the source of the attack: the two clay Pokemon statues from the entrance. Both were floating in midair, their many eyes glowing bright yellow. Poised with their arms pointing at the explorers, one fired again while the other caused many stars to appear in the darkness. These stars swirled around, blurring to Smokey's vision.

For a moment, he wanted to run away. He never did like being confrontational. But as an explorer's partner, he would invariably end up battling with other Pokemon in ruins, to protect Toma. Smokey clenched his paws into fists, trying to hold his heavy chin up.

Then the stars blasted outwards, causing the darkness to overtake the lantern's light. Smokey wasn't sure what was happened, just that he could only see stars. He couldn't even see the floor he could feel beneath his paws. What kind of attack was this?

One of the two clay Pokemon appeared then, floating downward. It pointed to the side and fired a different beam of light at something. With that, the starry field changed into a huge city. Strangely, there were no plants on the ground and ugly gray clouds in the sky. There were many humans around with cars going down the road. But no Pokemon other than the two of them.

A voice that was neither of them began to speak. "In the beginning of the third era, the humans had grown too powerful, ignoring the damage they did to the planet. They ignored the many signs that the planet's love and patience was being pushed to the limits. And so, to stop the humans from destroying the planet and themselves, a curse was laid upon all of the animals to turn them into Pokemon and punish the humans for their sins. The third era was one of destruction and death as what the humans had built up was destroyed."

As the voice spoke, the city turned into a burning disaster, then to rubble and char. Smokey wondered what this was about. This kind of thing didn't happen in most battles.

"Many millenniums have passed, many more generations have passed. The humans forgot what happened then. The Pokemon forgot why they came about. Granbull, do you see what must be done? Destroy the human with you."

Destroy Toma? That was never going to happen! Smokey couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but he could tell what had triggered it. He launched himself at the clay Pokemon, leaping up and punching all four paws wildly into it in hopes that at least one attack connected. As the clay Pokemon got knocked onto the floor, the illusion of the ruined city and the stars broke. Smokey ran over and kicked his opponent. The other clay Pokemon paused, pointing an arm down at them but not shooting yet.

"Smokey, use Crunch on it," Toma called.

Crunch was a biting move; Smokey's jaw had grown incredibly powerful, painful to those he bit even when he tried to bite lightly. He tried to avoid using bite attacks whenever possible. But if Toma asked for it, it had to be the right time. Smokey bit the clay Pokemon, breaking a hole in its side. It didn't bleed, but a yellow glow filled the spot to protect it.

The voice spoke again. "Good. Pokemon have forgotten about their origins because the third era is over. The humans have learned to be more mindful of the planet. As is normal with their nature, they have turned what was a curse into a blessing. But they are in danger of forgetting the lessons of history once again. More on the story I told you is within this place. Make sure that he finds it. The guardian Claydols will not attack you now."

Backing off, Smokey watched as the injured Claydol righted itself. A glow appeared around its arms, then it put them to its sides. The other made a similar show of non-aggression. They might be okay now.

"Did something change?" Toma asked. It seemed like he hadn't heard the voice.

Smokey turned and headed back to his partner's side. He took his hand in his paw and tugged at him to enter the next room. Since there was something of great importance in here, they needed to explore this place. It would be their greatest adventure yet.

After a glance to make sure the Claydols wouldn't attack, Toma smiled and walked with Smokey further in. "A change for the good, it seems. Let's get exploring, buddy."

…

Sapphire entry: Claydol is an enigma that appeared from a clay statue made by an ancient civilization dating back 20,000 years. This Pokemon shoots beams from its arms.

Granbull Heart Gold entry: It is actually timid and easily spooked. If attacked, it flails about to fend off its attacker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And 600 Pokémon covered now!


	316. Karrablast, Galvantula, Eelektross

"Boss!"

Alkar the Galvantula strummed his foreleg against a thick bundle of his silk. It was taunt, still strong. "Charge is low, but movement will no doubt correct that," he said, shutting the metal arm casing with a loud clang. Taking a drill in one leg and working some silk with three other legs, he securely shut the casing and set up a spiral of silk around the machine.

"Boss! Boss! Hey, can you hear me?"

"This is the last; after this, my machine should be ready for duty. But there's something..." Alkar paused, then looked around. There was some noise that was out of place. On the floor by the machine, he spotted one of his assistants waving his stubby little arms. Cid the Karrablast could be a pest at times, what with being a little eager for battles all the time. But he was a good worker once he had the right incentive. "Oh good, you're here at the perfect time. Well maybe a little early for perfect, but good enough. Give me a minute."

"Boss, I gotta talk with you," Cid said, but Alkar was already back to his work. It seemed like he'd have to wait. Sighing, he walked around and inspected the machine.

Every time Alkar built a new machine, it seemed stranger than the last. This one was no exception. It looked like a large version of a Galvantula, but with twelve limbs. At the bottom, eight were normal legs. Above, four more limbs acted more like arms: two held pincers to grab and hold things, one held a massive hammer, and the last held a huge pair of scissors with bladed edges. Its back held two sitting areas, one with large amount of switches and buttons, the other with a cushioned and protected seat. Most of the body was covered in Alkar's silk, made pale so as to not cover up the yellow and black paint job.

"There!" Alkar said, securing the last part of silk to the arm he was working on. He hopped off the machine and tossed the drill on the table. "It should be ready to go. And just in time, I believe. Come aboard, Cid, we're off to the beach!" He jumped back on and got into the cockpit.

Knowing he wouldn't get to talk to his boss in any other way, the Karrablast followed suit, getting into the passenger seat. It was rather comfortable; most of the town Pokemon would be able to sit in here. "What's this machine for, boss?"

"It's my ultimate Town Defense Vehicle," Alkar said proudly, putting on a pair of goggles over his red compound eyes. "It should take out that troublemaker who's been dragging folks into the sea."

Cid went to the edge of the seat closest to Alkar and put his arms on the side. "But this seems more like something that would attack, not defend."

"The best defense is a good offense, isn't that what they say?" the Galvantula replied. "It should help the town guard fight other invasive forces as well, although I may need to make a few more to be more effective. Hmm, and probably something that requires only two paws to work, and an electrical starter in case they can't do it themselves. All well, I'll fix that next design. Starting the steam generator!" The bristles on his body sparked as he fired a jolt of electricity into a port that would connect to the steam generator. This would produce enough steam from the water tanks to start up the machine. Once the system got moving, it would sustain itself.

The defense vehicle was soon hissing and humming. Once the pressure gauges equalized at a good level, Alkar pulled several switches, causing the machine to rise on its eight legs. He made a quick check of how things were running, then directed the machine to move towards the door. Thankfully, Cid saw fit to hop off and hurriedly pull the switch to open the way. Gears moved throughout the building and in the machine to lead to the grand entrance of his TDV onto the streets. As the Karrablast hopped back on by way of one of the legs, the workshop doors automatically shut behind them.

They didn't run into many Pokemon on their way to the beach. They did see some running off, afraid of the giant new thing tromping around their town. What ones did stick around stood at the sides of the street or at windows to gape in awe at Alkar's newest machine. The sky above was full of dark blue clouds, taking on streaks of yellow as the sun sent its final rays of the day across them. Most of the other 'mons in town would be heading home due to the recent disappearances around this time of day. Alkar and Cid were out to do something about that.

At the beach, Alkar parked his Galvantula vehicle a few yards from the water. He adjusted some dials to keep it running while they were waiting. "Right then, now to keep a look out for our culprit."

Cid hopped onto the back of the vehicle and went up to the cockpit, careful to not step on the silk. "Wow, this is great! It moves just like you do!"

"Hah, and you've only seen in walking on the ground!" Alkar nodded. "I mean for it to walk up walls, over cliffs, and across rough terrains too. I wasn't able to try any of that in my test runs so far; the workshop has so much stuff hanging on the wall, I never realized until earlier. It doesn't make silk, though. Doesn't need to, so we'll have to rely on existing structures. I'm glad you could be here to see it in action."

"Yeah, well, I had something I wanted to ask you, boss. Would you make a lasso out of your silk for me? It needs to be electrified."

Alkar lifted his goggles up. "What do you want that for? It's a piece of cake for me, but..."

"So I can prove that stubborn Saul wrong," Cid said, tapping a foot on the vehicle. "He says that a Shelmet and Karrablast must follow the old traditions and have a ritual battle during a thunderstorm to prove their worth to the legendary Pokemon. But I've been working with you for a while now and I have a different idea. See, I think it's just the electricity that matters. If I can get a lasso with your silk, I can hold it with one paw in a glove until I run into Saul. Then I lasso him good, put my ungloved hand on the lasso, and boom! That should do the trick to evolve us both without having to wait on a storm and the luck of a lightning strike."

The Galvantula rubbed his jaw with one foot. "I see, I see. In scientific terms, that should work. And I don't think the legends will be insulted or anything. It's been recorded that they don't know everything, and you'd be taking initiative so they should admire that. But Saul will probably have an issue with you lassoing him."

"Boo, it'll be good for both of us in the end."

He nodded. "Right, but it'd be better if you can get him to agree to it. He doesn't have to know that your goal is to evolve without the rituals, he just has to be in contact with my electrified silk along with you, both willingly. Let me think about it; I'm sure we can come up with something."

It wasn't what he wanted, but Cid grinned. "That's great, thanks boss! I'm sure you could convince him, one way or another." It would help prove that tradition wasn't everything, although his main reason for wanting a new way was that even if it was a ritual battle, he didn't want to take a chance of losing to that dumb brick Saul.

Although he seemed intent on thinking of a way, Alkar soon looked with interest towards the sea. Then he put his goggles back over his eyes. "Cid, head back to the passenger seat and hang on. Our target seems to be approaching."

"Gotcha," he said, hurrying back. Once he was there, he looked to the waters to see who was coming. There was a line of ripples moving along the waves, indicating something swimming their way. Then a dark-colored Pokemon emerged, its yellow eyes seeming to glow in the evening air. It had no legs on its long body, but its muscular arms were enough to pull itself around the sand surprisingly quick.

"Aw crud, I didn't consider an Eelektross as the culprit," Alkar said, bringing his machine into motion. "The static charge on the silk threads would have instantly crippled any regular sea Pokemon, but not this one. Thankfully, we can still brawl with it."

"Brawl?" Cid asked, before the TDV lunged forward. The Karrablast clutched at the side of the passenger seating, briefly considering clamping onto something with his headgear. But he also wanted to watch this fight.

The Eelektross hissed at them, pushing itself to slide across the wet sand. Electricity soon arced between it and the vehicle. Thankfully, Alkar's silk absorbed the shock, keeping the vehicle from breaking down. Alkar furiously worked the switches, causing the hammer arm to pound into the sand. Narrowly escaping that, the Eelektross grabbed hold of one of the TDV's legs and bit it. The metal casing was too tough for it to get through, although Cid briefly saw indentations of teeth in the leg as the Eelektross slithered underneath them. It was a powerful Pokemon; no wonder otherwise capable Pokemon were getting kidnapped by this one.

Finally, Alkar managed to slam the scissors into the Eelektross, stunning it long enough for one pincer hand to pick it up securely. The sea Pokemon was bleeding some from the hit, but was alert. Eyes full of bitterness, it said, "Submit or I will make you suffer."

"You're in no position to be making demands like that," Alkar pointed out. "What are you doing with the Pokemon of this town?"

The Eelektross growled with spite; that kind of attitude was usually meant a corrupted aura, a worrying sign of bad times to come. "I serve the fierce goddess of the sea. I bring tributes for her. Do not provoke her or your fate will be most dire."

Alkar shook his head. "You're going about this all wrong. A being who wants tributes like that does not deserve to be respected. We're going to bring you to justice." He turned the TDV around and headed into town with their captive.

"Going to kill me?" the Eelektross asked.

"We'll see what the court has to say about that," Cid said. Tradition didn't matter to him and Alkar, but they weren't going to ignore the law either. They were civilized Pokemon and they were going to act like it.

Although Cid still wanted to make a fool out of Saul. That jerk deserved it.

…

Karrablast B2/W2 entry: For some reason they evolve when they receive electrical energy while they are attacking Shelmet.

Galvantula B2/W2 entry: It creates barriers from electrified silk that stuns foes. This works as a weapon as well as defense.

Eelektross Black entry: They crawl out of the ocean using their arms. They will attack prey on shore and immediately drag it into the ocean.


	317. Larvesta, Cryogonal

"And they say, that at the top of the mountain, there's a Pokemon that never dies. No matter how many battles it gets in or how much time passes, it's always there, luring other Pokemon into its cave to their deaths."

Aria the Larvesta widened her eyes. "Really? But that sounds horrible. Why does it have to kill others because it can't die? And how would a Pokemon never die? Unless it's a legendary Pokemon, but we haven't heard anything like that living around here."

Her brother Crimson rubbed his forelimbs together. "Nobody knows why the deaths happen, cause nobody comes back. I heard about it from some travelers."

"But then how did they know if nobody comes back? You're making things up again." She made a small flame come from one of her horns. "I bet there's nobody like that at the peak. And you'd better not be telling that story to the visitors. We don't need to scare them away."

"You're just saying that cause you're scared," he retorted.

"I am not!"

"Then why don't you prove it and go up there?"

Aria swatted at him with a horn. "Because I can't, dummy. It's my week to keep the torches lit, so I have to stay down here."

"You're just using that as an excuse." He swatted back at her.

If this kept going, it'd end up with a fight and they'd get in trouble with the head priest of the volcano's shrine. "It's my responsibility and I'm not budging." She began crawling away.

But Crimson wouldn't give up. "You're just putting it off hoping that I'll forget about it next week. Coward."

"Well why aren't you offering to go up and check the story out?" she asked. Although she wouldn't trust him when he got back, it would at least give her some time to talk about it with the priest and get some advice.

"Because nobody would mistake me for a coward," he pestered. And he kept pestering her, even as she tried to get some chores done in an effort to shake him.

"Don't you have anything better to do than nagging me?" Aria finally snapped at him. "I have work to get done around here, and so should you."

"What, do you not like me? You're a horrible sister." He sniffled, tears appearing in his eyes.

"Are you two fighting again?" the head priest asked, coming into the room. The Mienshao crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it this time?"

"She's being horrible to me!" Crimson whined.

Aria rolled her eyes. "He won't stop bugging me about this story about a Pokemon that won't die on top of the mountain, and keeps trying to get me to go up there. He calls me a coward for not going up there, but isn't going himself and tries to get in the way of me doing my chores."

"That story, huh? Well why don't you both go up to check out the peak? I hear it centers around a certain icy cave up there."

"But what about the torches?" Crimson asked.

"That's my job, and why I'm not going," Aria said.

"I'll handle the torches for tonight," the priest said. "You two go on up and see what's there. I'll expect a good report out of both of you."

And that's how the two Larvesta ended up hiking along the trails that led to the snowy peak of the volcano. "Why do you always have to cause us so much trouble?" Crimson asked.

Aria was trying her best not to respond to him this time, no matter how much he blamed her. Sometimes Crimson wasn't so annoying. However, having to share the same small room and being around him constantly seemed to make him much worse than he had been before. She couldn't wait for something to come up that would get him out of her hair.

Thankfully, they did have a good coat of hair around their bodies or the cold up here would be bad. "Kind of strange that there's so much snow and ice up here when we know that it's a volcano," she said. "It must be sleeping hard."

"Like you do when you snore," Crimson said, kicking some snow at her. When she didn't say anything in response, he added, "Aw, come on. If you're really sick of me, why don't you move back to the other side of the mountain with mom? I can handle all the shrine chores and make a better priest than you."

"Is that what this is about?" Aria asked. "Look, being the shrine's priest isn't a job you can be a slacker about. And if you really want it that bad, then this is exactly the wrong way to go about it."

"What am I doing wrong? I'm just trying to be friendly, and encourage you to explore and be nice more. You're so abrasive, and cold, and stuck in drudgery." And he kept dragging her into arguments. She tried to hurry ahead, but Crimson followed. "That's exactly what I mean! You're so mean!"

"What are you kids doing here, making such a racket?" a strange voice asked them. It had a stiff but clear quality. This may have been because the speaker, when she looked up to see him, was made entirely out of ice. With sparkling tendrils of ice crystals following him, the stranger approached them.

"What are you doing interrupting our conversation?" Crimson said, acting like it had been terribly rude. "Who do you think you are, anyhow?"

"Crimson, he lives here," Aria said. "Sorry sir, we were supposed to be looking..."

"I'll explain," he said. "We're discussing important matters and looking for an ice cave, so if you'll just leave us alone, thank you."

"If you want an ice cave, they're all over," the stranger said. "But you would do well to be quiet, especially since you both are fiery in nature. Some of the more sensitive Pokemon might trigger avalanches."

He didn't like being told that. "If they're going to let some talking bother them so much, they need to toughen up. I've got every right to be here like any other Pokemon, and..."

"Crimson," she said in warning.

"Don't tell me what to do," he retorted immediately. "Just leave us be, it's nothing for you to be concerned about."

"Actually, I don't think I want you being here, not with that attitude," the crystalline Pokemon said. His icy surface glistened as he seemed to be gathering power.

Aria thought it prudent to get out of the way, while Crimson shook his horns. "What're you picking a fight with me for? I've done nothing wrong. You're going to pay for that foolishness." He launched several fireballs from his five horns while the stranger sent ice crystals that were nearly as large as the Larvesta at him. Crimson shuddered, but dug his feet in for another attack.

As for the stranger, his body hissed and turned into steam. Aria was shocked by that. "Huh? You, you destroyed him."

"That's cause I'm strong, and brave, unlike a certain somebody," he said.

"Not quite," the stranger's voice said. More ice crystals appeared and hurled themselves at Crimson.

That changed his tune. "Wha-wha-waaaaah! It's real, it's him!" Crimson hurried out of the barrage of ice, running as fast as his legs to carry him.

It was certainly strange. But, Aria felt it was important not to leave a bad impression on this Pokemon. "I'm really sorry about that. I'll leave if you don't like the trespassing."

Shifting the cloud of steam and condensing it, the image of the stranger appeared. "I don't mind visitors, but one must have respect. And some of the Pokemon here are indeed cranky this time of year. I am Hector of the Cryogonal clan."

"Ah. Well I'm Aria, a Larvesta. My brother and I live at the shrine at the base of this volcano."

Hector made a welcoming gesture with the stream of one of his crystal tails. "Ah, it's been many years since we've seen one of you up here. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"If it's all right," she said, nodding. "We came investigating a story that there was a Pokemon that could never die up here, and that it killed those who went into its icy cave. But so many travelers and explorers climb up and down the mountain that I thought it was an exaggeration."

By now, the Cryogonal had made some of his ice reform. "Is that story still going around? Seems strange to me, but it started with a rumor about us. As you can see, I have a tendency to melt and break easily. But I can remain conscious and reform, given that it's cold enough for me to do so."

"Wow, that sounds like it would hurt," Aria said. She couldn't imagine losing parts of her body, or even her whole body, on a regular basis.

He shook himself. "Sometimes, but times like now aren't that bad. And like you, our clan is rarely seen. Other Pokemon can't always tell the difference between Cryogonals. Then we tend to live in the same places for many generations, making it appear as if the 'one' living there never dies."

"That makes sense. And yeah, sometimes others can't tell me and my brother apart until we start talking." She rubbed her nose, considering whether she wanted to ask about the other part of the story.

Hector answered without her doing so. "And about Pokemon getting killed... it happens. The trail you're on is safe because it's maintained. Once you get off the path, there's many dangers, even to those of us who live here. The ice on top of a mountain that bears great fire in the caves below, it makes the ground and plants different here. Many are not prepared. But, that's partly why myself and generations of my clan before me live here. We find those in trouble and get them back to safety. That's partly why your shrine is below, as a place for them to recover, or prepare by asking for divine protection."

That made sense. "Oh, so you're like the Magmortar who lives at the shrine in the fire caves? That's great."

By now, Hector was almost entirely frozen again. "Yes. It's not always obvious, but the shrines share a purpose, and traditions that not everyone sees. Would you like to come see the ice shrine? You'll need to be careful; it shouldn't melt to your body heat alone, but it may become slick."

She lifted her front end up happily. "Sure, that's be great! I only knew about the other two shrines."

"It's still some ways off, so you should probably stay the night there. I can prepare the warm room for you to sleep in." Hector then floated over the snow, Aria following after him.

The following day at noon, she arrived back at the main shrine where she lived. The Mienshao priest was in the main room, cleaning the wall scrolls with Crimson. "Ah, I thought you'd be coming back soon," he said, nodding.

"Aria, you came back?" Crimson asked, surprised. "Wow, that's great! I was worried that you'd gotten lost." He sniffled.

"There wasn't any reason to worry," Aria said, feeling happy enough at her discovery that she didn't care about him being dramatic. "Hector watches over another shrine at the top of the mountain! And he knows lots of great stories."

"Then what about the story of the deadly unkillable Pokemon?" the head priest asked.

She shook her head. "That's a misunderstanding. The volcano's more dangerous than any Pokemon that lives on it, and it sleeps."

"And we pray that it continues to sleep for many years." He nodded. "Good work, Aria. You ought to be more like her, Crimson."

Crimson bristled his hair up. "What? But, but she..."

"No excuses," the priest said. "Aria, you can take a week off to visit your mother, or the other shrines if you wish to study more. Crimson will handle all of the apprentice work here, and then we'll discuss what he really wants to do."

"Why me?" he asked.

"Thanks, I'll make sure mom is okay and then study hard," Aria said. Maybe this would make her brother rethink his attitude and how he did things. That would make things much better.

…

Cryogonal Black entry: When its body temperature goes up, it turns into steam and vanishes. When its temperature lowers, it returns to ice.

Larvesta White entry: The base of volcanoes is where they makes their home. They shoot fire from their five horns to repel attacking enemies.


	318. Octillery, Shroomish

The Octillery found herself dry, gritty, and groggy. Grumbling, she opened her eyes to find that she'd washed up on a sandy beach near a thick forest. Last night had brought a powerful storm over her home waters, churning up the water so strongly that she got knocked out by some debris. This wasn't a familiar place. Of course, any area of land would be a strange place as she rarely left the ocean. She'd do best to head underwater soon, to wash this sand off and figure out where she was. But she was still waking up, so she looked around.

Over by the forest, she could see a group of brown and green mushroom Pokemon poking around and eating something off the ground. They seemed pretty happy, but there were more of them than of her. Probably best to leave them be. On the beach near her, there were more signs of the storm last night: strands of seaweed, broken shells, a human's buoy, bits of sea glass, and a large clay pot.

A pot? The Octillery crawled across the sand to investigate it. It was brown and wide, lying on its side. Finding the top of it, she saw that the neck was slightly narrower, but she could fit herself inside. She crawled in and found some water already inside. Not as salty as she was used to and it would get stale just sitting in here. Still, she could sit inside comfortably and come and go quickly. The narrower neck would give her more security in here too if she made it into her home. All in all, it was the perfect pot. Now she just had to get it underwater and find a place to set it up.

Then the pot was jostled, pushed into an upright position. The Octillery shrank down inside, afraid for a moment. Had something dangerous come by while she wasn't able to look outside? She missed the vibrations and sounds she felt in the water that would have told her something was approaching. She was able to hear some Pokemon voices outside of the pot.

"It's big enough to store a lot of spores," one said. "We'll have plenty in case our forest gets invaded again."

"But what about the strange Pokemon that was around here a little while ago?" another asked.

"It's not here anymore. We're fine. Come on, everybody, let's take this to the shelter!"

There were cheers and the Pokemon picked the pot up. The Octillery inside remained still, uncertain of what she should do. After a minute, she attached her suckers to the neck and pulled herself up to peek outside the hole. She could see the trees moving at her sides, but not the Pokemon that were carrying her. Looking in the direction they were going, she could see one of the mushroom Pokemon from earlier leading the way. Those Pokemon... they were called Shroomish, right? It seemed fitting. Their bodies were like puffy mushroom tops.

Dropping back into the pot, the Octillery considered an attack plan. She'd need to get away quickly. It meant leaving behind the pot, which was sad. However, that was better than getting hurt again.

"Oof," one of the Shroomish carrying the pot said. "Hey, careful making this pot slosh."

"I'm not the one doing that," another said.

"It's heavy," a third complained. "I'm still hungry and the dirt smells so good right here. Can we stop to eat some more?"

"There'll be plenty of time to eat before it all dries up again," the one leading them said. "Let's hurry and get this pot back."

"Well if you want to hurry, why don't you help carry it?"

"There isn't room for me to help carry, so I'll lead the way and make sure there's nothing to trip over."

"Lazy butt."

"It's not that far. Come on."

A short time later, the pot was set down on the ground. The Octillery pulled herself up to the neck, preparing to make a break for it. The lead Shroomish said, "Here, we've found the best thing to store the spores in, for the community defense program."

"My, that would store a lot," another said. "But we should wait on the Brelooms to return to decide what to do about it."

"I think we should start now. We'll impress them with how much we've done!"

"Or, they'll tell us to take it all out and put the pot back. We don't know what they'll think, so leave it and wait."

"Aw, come on. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this pot." The Shroomish hopped onto the lip of the pot. "See, it's perfectly fine."

The Octillery spat out a wad of ink at the Shroomish above her, knocking him to the ground. She then swung her weight and made the pot tip over, letting her scoot out of there. Now surrounded by the Shroomish, she found that they were in a small cave with sunlight coming from nearby. She could run past them and be free to hurry back home. This was not where she wanted to be.

Unfortunately, she hadn't accounted for how much harder it was to escape over land than in the waters. She could have jetted away using the water and been gone in seconds. Now she had to drag herself along the rocky ground while trying to get around dozens of panicking Shroomish. Clouds of spores spread from them, making it hard for the Octillery to breathe. Not only that, but some of them were painfully irritating, causing her muscles to stiffen or skin to burn. But she just had to get out of this cave and she'd be in fresh air, away from the spores. She stretched two arms out and tried to pull herself out quickly. She could make it...

She didn't make it and passed out.

* * *

As she had been left in charge of the shelter area, Loam the Shroomish shook herself in annoyance at the fuss going on. "Stop it, stop it all of you!" she shouted. "Now look at what you've done, Moss. You've made an innocent Pokemon get hurt."

Her fellow Shroomish (although she'd like to deny that he was anything like her) stopped trying to wipe the ink off himself. "Innocent? It attacked me!"

Loam pointed with some of her fronds. "She was trying to escape, can't you see? We probably scared her real good. She belongs to the ocean and the pot probably belongs to her. So go take them both back to the beach."

Hopping in anger, Moss said, "No, the pot was my discovery. It's just what we need. Maybe we'll take that oct-whatsit back, but the pot stays for spore storage."

"It's wet inside," Loam said, seeing water drip from the overturned pot. "It'll cause the spores to go bad, or sprout and get overcrowded and get bad. The pot's no good to us. Take them both back."

"Yeah, this is your fault Moss," another Shroomish said. "And you had better help carry them back instead of lazily give orders."

There was some arguing, but then one of the Breloom came back early. In his judgment, Loam had the right idea. Moss had to take the Octillery and the pot back to the beach.

* * *

For the second time today, the Octillery woke up on the sandy beach. This time was more painful, with her skin dry and body aching. She half opened her eyes and thought of dragging herself into the waves, taking the risk of resting in the shallows. Then she noticed an offering in front of her. It was a group of tasty-smelling berries, piled up on a large leaf. Was it an apology? Whatever it was, it was welcomed; she ate them all.

She felt a little better, so shook herself fully awake to head back home. But she spared one more look around. To her shock and delight, the large pot was sitting close by. She walked around to check it out, but there were no cracks, no Pokemon inside it, no Pokemon waiting around to snatch it. The perfect pot was now all hers.

Crowing in delight, she latched onto the pot with two arms and pulled it into the water with her. It made crawling and swimming a little awkward, but it would be worth it. This pot would make a wonderful home for years to come.

…

Octillery B2/W2 entry: It has a tendency to want to be in holes. It prefers rock crags or pots and sprays ink from them before attacking.

Emerald entry: It loves to eat damp composted soil in forests. If you enter a forest after a long rain, you can see many Shroomish feasting on composted soil.


	319. Exadrill, Cinccino, Druddgion

The world was a funny place. Boris the Exadrill reflected on that as he worked on digging new tunnels and rooms for the expansion of his underground hometown of Rock Springs. Some days were normal and quiet, but others turned odd without any warning. With all the kinds of Pokemon in the world, there were all kinds of thoughts and ideas. However, everyone managed to get along most of the time. Like his friends, which included a Glalie, a Slugma, and a surface-dwelling Skiploom. Boris disagreed with them on some things, like the ideal place to live, but they were still his friends and he'd even go up to the surface to stand up for one of them.

Since this area was easy to excavate, Boris had a lot of time to think over these things. He wondered if he should build a stairwell to a higher level and dig out a larger room, to better please Pokemon like the Skiploom. True, most of the underground town inhabitants wouldn't care or would want easy ways to climb around. But they had those visitors from time to time, and it might encourage more trade if such a 'skyroom' was made. Maybe if they could find some way to let sunlight into a place like that...

There was a metallic scrape as his claws hit another piece of steel, forcing Boris to pay more attention. This was unexpected. After clearing away some plain rock, he found that he'd hit a large flat piece of metal. It was far too regular and smooth to be natural. Was it another Pokemon, maybe a Steelix? He poked at it and sniffed, but it didn't seem to be living.

"What's going on?" a Geodude that was part of the rubble clearing crew asked. "What's up with that?"

"I'm not sure," Boris said. "But it's in the way; we're supposed to add some living burrows along this tunnel." He rubbed his claws across the steel horn on his head. "Looks like this will take my full strength. It's going to get noisy."

"Right!" The Geodude chucked some more rubble into the wheelbarrow, then headed off to the dumping point.

Having confidence that this wasn't another Pokemon, Boris brought his claws up by his horned mask, their tips a short distance away from the horn's tip. Different strengths of rock or metal would require different positions... he'd know better once he got started. He took a deep breath, then caused his horn to rotate rapidly to drill into the steel plate. There was a lot of shrieking and sparking as the plate resisted him; it was one of the toughest materials he'd encountered in his career of excavating. But even this gave way to his drilling prowess and he began to clear cracked steel out of the way with his claws. As he made his way through, the material changed to something softer that got shredded in an instant from the combination of his spinning horn and sharp claws. Then it changed back to the steel, now cold. Why?

Then Boris burst into a pocket of air, crashing through the barrier. But it was more than just a pocket. Close to him, there was a metal flooring, some pipes, a metal ceiling barely a foot over his head, and a large wooden crate. He would have dug into that crate if he'd been a few steps to the left. Not only that, but it was cold enough to make his breath visible and his skin tingle. Boris walked off the metal floor onto a concrete one, finding that he had been on some massive shelf. A long row of the metal shelves stood in front of him, and another behind him.

"What is this place?" he wondered to himself.

"Where'd you go?" the Geodude asked, hopping into the hole. "This... whoa, it's so cold in here."

"This isn't going to be suitable for what the town needs," Boris said. "Unless we want to make a cold room. Go back to town and find the metal workers. We need them to fix this hole so that our tunnels don't cool off too much. I'm going to look around a bit."

"Right!" His co-worker left, leaving him to explore.

He looked around, but didn't go far from where he'd come in. It seemed as though someone was storing a great many things here in the cold. But who? And what would need such cold storage... no wait, this would actually be pretty good for keeping a stockpile of food. Was that it? But that still didn't explain who made or owned this place. In all his years of living and working in this town, he had no idea that a dungeon like this was so close.

He heard something like a light footstep on the metal structures, so turned in time to see something gray and white drop just behind him. Acting on reflexes, he swung his claws back to give a warning shot. His claws passed right through soft fur as the Pokemon twirled around and slapped him with her tail. It wasn't much of a hit to him, though, so he tried a more forceful strike with his horn and claws. But again, he hit fur and nothing else.

Hopping back, the stranger curled her tail around her front. "Ho, a strong one, but a little odd to see around here."

"Why's that?" Boris asked, holding his claws up but not attacking for now. This might not require a fight. "My town's just a short walk that way, through the hole I just dug."

That changed her attitude entirely, causing her to flip her tail back and lean forward. "Oh, there's a town that close? Wow, that's great, just what we needed! Hey, sorry about attacking you then. Me and my partner have been on an exploration that's lasted a week already."

He put his arms down. "I see, so you're used to fighting back against any who show up. It's fine. We were planning on blocking up the hole, though, so if you want to go to town for supplies and pick back up, you'll have to make it quick."

"Uh... well, better to abandon this while we can." She pointed down the row of metal shelves. "My partner collapsed a while back and I've been hoping for a teleport circle or some other way out. I gotta get her out of this cold, but she's rather heavy. Could you lend me a hand? Either in carrying her or fending off the few wild Pokemon in here."

It was always good to help explorers; they would spread good word about the town and might have interesting things to trade. Boris nodded. "Sure thing. But was it okay for her to be left alone?"

"Thanks!" She started a quick walk back, enough that he could keep up with. "Haven't had a problem yet; if she lies still, most any wild Pokemon will mistake her for a rock. Oh yeah, and I'm Minka the Cinccino. Sorry about not introducing myself earlier, but I've had a lot on my mind."

"It is an emergency, it's fine. I'm Boris the Exadrill, from Rock Springs."

After a short while of walking, they came to a break in the shelving row. There was another row of shelves and crates in front of them, lining a wall perpendicular to the way they had come. Looking down the new row, Boris could see many more rows of shelves. Between the crates, he could see that there were even more open space with more shelves on the other side.

A short ways down that hall, they came across what indeed seemed like a pile of rough dark blue and red stones. But it had the smell of a dragon, which surprised Boris. He had expected a Geodude like his neighbors if Minka's partner could imitate rocks. This one could do just as well.

Minka dropped down and seemed to listen to the dragon. "Okay, she's still alive. Geez, if we'd known it would be this cold, I would've insisted that she bring something to keep warm with. Aegis can't move until she warms up, since a Druddgion is like that."

"We've got a lava room for some Pokemon that like that," Boris said, picking up the dragon. Aegis was quite hefty, but he could handle her. After all, he needed a lot of strength for his work.

"Maybe not in the lava, but close. Thanks, let's go." Minka then led the way back to where they had met, with Boris heading towards the hole once they got there.

When they got through, the Geodude had come back. "Magcargo and his crew are coming. Who's this?"

Boris put Aegis down for a moment, in a spot that was fairly clear of rubble. "Some explorers. We need to get them back into town. Could you ask the crew if they could make a door instead? The dungeon in there seems to be huge, but it could be useful to us with modifications."

"Yeah, I got it."

"That'd certainly be a quicker way to go investigate that place," Minka said. She petted her partner. "Oh, and since we're out of there, I won't do damage if I help out. Hope I don't bother you by making things sunny!" She put her paws together and summoned a warm light with Sunny Day.

It did make things a little uncomfortable for Boris. But as he sometimes had to do business on the surface, he kept quiet even though he had to squint briefly to adjust to the change in brightness. With that warmth, Aegis began to visibly breath again. "Thanks," she said in a voice as rough as her skin. "I thought... I might... get used to it. But while I was checking... on that writing... I went numb."

"We probably should have gone back through that huge door," Minka said. "There's a town nearby with a lava pool. That won't be as good as getting sunlight, but it'll get you to the surface, right?"

"Yeah, I could warm up there." She managed to push herself off the ground with her bulky arms. "I'm a little stiff now; how far is it?"

"A few minutes walk through the tunnels, but we do have to go down a level," Boris said.

"Can you walk that far?"

Aegis rubbed her snout. "Give me a minute to loosen up a bit more. If you keep up Sunny Day, I should be fine for a short walk."

"You can count on me," Minka said, smiling and curling her tail.

"What were you ladies doing in there if she doesn't handle cold well?" Boris asked. He was curious and it might help them to talk while Aegis recovered.

Aegis let Minka explain most of it. "Well we didn't know that it would get so cold. We're a team that explores human ruins! A while ago, we came across a big tunnel that had big straight lines of metal. According to our research, they're called rails and humans used to have big machines called trains that traveled really fast and powerfully on the rails. We were hoping to find a train and see if we could make it work, because no Pokemon alive as seen a train run. At least, we think nobody has. Anyhow, on our search, we came across a huge door that was cool to the touch. We managed to get it open and found ourselves in that place. It's a huge maze, but it's also a storage warehouse, a treasure trove of human artifacts!"

"Are you sure that's a human ruins?" Boris asked, looking at the hole. "Sure it's big and really well made, but Pokemon could do that, given a long time. At least, I've never heard of such a place near here and if it was a human ruins, we should have known something about it.."

"A lot of human places were forgotten," Minka said. "Plus, we know that the train tunnel was of human make."

"I'm sure the cold storage is of human make as well," Aegis said. "I've taught myself how to translate human text, by comparing it to Unown text. It's strikingly similar and many of the boxes are labeled. If what I read off that notice is right, then there's more levels to the warehouse which may be even colder."

Minka put her paws to her cheeks. "Even colder? Amazing! And to think, we've also seen human ruins which they made to be really hot. They were still hot! Humans were really clever creatures. I hope we find some clues to what happened to them soon, although we'll have to leave exploration of the cold storage to another team."

"Is it going to bother your town if other teams show up to investigate that place?" Aegis said.

"Rock Springs should be fine with that," Boris said. "We were planning on expanding, so this will change those plans. But I'm sure if you explain what this place means in terms of our world's history, the others will be interested in finding out what's there as well."

The cold areas would also attract more ice Pokemon to live here; adapting the human storage to food storage for Rock Springs was still an option. This definitely wasn't what Boris thought he'd find while excavating in this area. Even so, it was most likely a great thing that he had found a way in. While he helped Aegis and Minka to the lava room, he considered how to present this to the town leaders to be positive to everyone, local and explorer alike.

…

Druddgion Black entry: It warms its body by absorbing sunlight with its wings. When its body temperature falls, it can no longer move.

Cinccino Black entry: Their white fur is coated in a special oil that makes it easy for them to deflect attacks.

Exadrill B2/W2 entry: Forming a drill with its steel claws and head, it can bore through a steel plate, no matter how thick it is.


	320. Corphish, Slugma, Shellos

'Want a cool and easy to care for Pokemon that none of your friends will have the like of? A Pokemon that's ready to rumble and still friendly enough to be your buddy? Then register now for the opportunity to purchase a Corphish, a Pokemon sure to amaze and be by your side for years to come. Limited time offer!'

A clatter on his umbrella startled him from his study of these old advertisements. There was a shadow above him as well as a tear with a red foot sticking in, so he shifted the umbrella to knock off a Corphish. "Scoo?" the crustacean asked, turning around and looking up at him.

"Ugh, you wrecked my umbrella," he said kicking a foot out. "Go on, scram."

The Corphish nipped its claws at his boots, then scurried off towards the stream. What had it even been doing to fall on him? He tilted his umbrella a little to the side and looked up the cliff. There was a nine-foot waterfall nearby. One would think that a water Pokemon would come down that way rather than jumping down the cliff onto the ground. Or rather, onto his umbrella to wreck it. He put the magazine clippings away and looked around.

Nearby, his own two Pokemon were engaged in a curious kind of dance. Ever since being brought out in this rain, the Slugma had been crawling around in circles. There were a few scorch marks on the grass, but not as much as the boy would expect for all that movement. While his Shellos had initially gone to play at the river's edge, she had come back to figure out what the Slugma was doing. Now she was circling around an imaginary spot with him, making that blubbery noise of hers as if she was trying to cheer him up. But that was a silly thing to think, since they were just Pokemon.

"And what are you two up to?" the boy asked. As he grumbled, he shifted his umbrella and got the new hole in just the right spot to drip water on his nose. "Can I go back in time and not sign up for this? It was supposed to be something cool, getting to travel around and battle with awesome Pokemon. Not sitting around in this constant rain trying to count the stupid Corphish population. My whole summer vacation is going to be wasted on this now."

The adults had told him that this was important. Something about the Corphish being a foreign species to Hoenn and seeing if they needed to take tougher measures to capture and deport them. But this was the lamest summer of his life and it had only been four days. As far as he was concerned, the old ads were lies and there were too many Corphish even if there were less than a dozen in all of Hoenn.

"Pbbbbppbbt," the Shellos said, her pastel blue color contrasting with the Slugma's deep red. She wasn't a native species either, but he had traded a Spoink for her over the trading network. It would be a better deal for him in the long run, he believed. What was so important about native or non-native? They were just Pokemon.

The Slugma made a pitiful gurgle, slowing down his part of their impromptu dance. Normally his skin seemed to glow, making water hiss off him. Now his fiery skin was dim, even black in places. The boy looked at him, frowning. What was that about? He'd never seen that happen before.

Coming over to him, the Shellos nudged him with her nose. She didn't even flinch. The boy knew from experience that the Slugma was usually too hot to handle with bare hands. Then again, the Slugma might have seemed squishy, but she was tough. She probably wouldn't get burnt easily.

"Fiiii!" a squeal came from nearby. The grasses shuffled in several places as nine Corphish crawled out of hiding. They immediately went over to the Slugma, one poking him.

"Hey, what's this about?" the boy said, gripping his umbrella. Were they expecting him to battle all of them with just the two he had? Definitely too many Corphish around if they were being bullies like this. "Couldn't you just come one at a time? Dumb Pokemon. Shellos, scare them off with me."

Instead, the Shellos whined and backed up. This allowed the Corphish to swarm around the Slugma, pick him up, then cart him off to the stairs nearby. It was so bizarre that the boy was caught his his mouth open for a few seconds. Then he shut his umbrella and scrambled to put his backpack on. Once he had his gear, he went a few feet to where the Shellos was unsuccessfully trying to catch up to the Pokemon-napping Corphish. He picked her up then ran up the stairs after them.

"Why are they being so ridiculous?" the boy said, pausing at the top to find them. The grasses were being disturbed in a big way, indicating that they were heading towards the nearby Weather Institute. Running after them, he continued, "This doesn't make any sense. What do they get out of stealing my Pokemon?"

The Shellos squeaked as his grip tightened, causing her to release a violet slime from her skin in defense. He loosed his grip a little, not wanting to get those stains on his clothes again. Already, his jeans were going to be messy from crouching in the mud and running through the wet grass. He caught up with the group of Pokemon by the air conditioner unit of the Weather Institute. The Corphish had placed the darkened Slugma next to the warm machine for some inexplicable reason.

Looking over his Pokemon, he noticed that the Slugma wasn't moving much now. His eyelids were drooping and his skin was almost like volcanic rock. But that was impossible. The Slugma always stayed like molten lava even when attacked with water and ice. At least, he had stayed like that. The boy didn't usually keep his Pokemon out with him while he worked on this tedious study. In fact, the only reason he'd had them out today was because of a conversation he'd had with a friend last night, that all the really cool and powerful Trainers often kept their Pokemon out with them. It seemed like an easy thing to do in order to be a better Trainer. But it shouldn't have caused problems. Was this lukewarm rain enough to cause his Slugma trouble? If so, not even being by the running machine was enough to loosen the Slugma's skin up.

But how had the Corphish figured that out when he didn't know about it? And why had they tried to help like this, as futile as it was? The boy looked over the crowd of Pokemon there, several glancing at him for answers. Not a battle, but answers for what would help this Slugma that they had never met before. They were just Pokemon.

Just Pokemon? Maybe they were more intelligent than he thought... more caring too, as the Shellos crawled over to the Slugma once released from his hands, to nuzzle his face and try to keep him alert. The boy felt like some idea had come to light in his mind and it would never go out for the rest of his life. These Pokemon were more than they seemed, and he needed to respect them more.

For now, he recalled the Slugma and hurried back to Fortree, hoping that the Pokecenter there would have some method of recovering his Pokemon from turning to rock.

…

Ruby entry: Corphish were originally foreign Pokemon that were imported as pets. They eventually turned up in the wild. This Pokemon is very hardy and has greatly increased its numbers.

Slugma Leaf Green entry: It never sleeps. It has to keep moving because if it stopped, its magma body would cool and harden.

Shellos Platinum entry: Beware of pushing strongly on its squishy body, as it makes a mysterious purple fluid ooze out.


	321. Patrat, Numel, Hippopotas

The Patrat guard came alert, her ears holding still and her tail puffing up. There was a sound nearby... grumbling, kicking at the ground, complaining about a stubbed toe. From underground, coming up the tunnel. She relaxed, realizing who that was. But why him? It could be good... it could be bad.

Another Patrat popped up out of the hole near her. "Stupid rock. What right does it have to hurt me? Ah, there you are." He hopped out and bowed. "I'm taking over guard duty."

Wary, she listened in case anyone else come up the tunnel. "Are you? I thought you'd been forbidden to, after last time."

"Yeah, well," he rubbed one of his ears.

"You broke out into a musical number including an elaborate solo dance, attracting predators instead of watching out for them," she said. "We had to block up that hole and reroute a great many tunnels."

"I promised no more musical numbers while on guard duty," he said. "I talked them into letting me back up here."

More like he pestered the leaders into letting him be a guard again. But that was fine; she didn't like guard duty, as it was the most exposed position. She saluted. "Okay then. Changing of the guards, offered."

He saluted with an audible smack on his head, somehow not hurting himself. "Changing of the guards, accepted!" He stood up tall and began looking around.

"Um, you're supposed to ask for a report?"

"Don't need one."

"But it's tradition..."

The male Patrat groaned. "Okay, okay. What's going on, cute cheeks?"

That wasn't how it was supposed to go, but she didn't feel like arguing it with him any further. "Report as follows: Sand is blowing strongly from the desert across the wind, so it must be a desert Pokemon: danger level unknown. A predatory Pokemon passed through the grasses below this hill some time ago and may return: danger level moderate because it didn't look at me. A strange Pokemon has started climbing the hill: danger level moderate because I don't know what it is. That concludes the security report."

"Gotcha. You can go now."

"Please keep focused so we can be safe," the female Patrat said, then headed back into the underground tunnel network.

"Whatever," he said, then waited a few minutes. When he was sure he was alone, he pumped a fisted paw in the air. "Yeah, in the great outdoors at last! I was seriously going to go stir crazy if I had to spend any more town down in those stifling cramped tunnels. Maybe it's good for the rest of you, but I'm an outdoors 'mon. I need to feel the fresh wind on my fur, the warm sun on my head. I need to be able to see the stars and smell the grass." He paused a moment, the coughed some grit out of his mouth. "Bah, but I can do without the sand. Yeah, you heard me, desert! Keep your gritty sand to yourself!"

The desert didn't respond. This hole was an outpost of his group's tunnel network, the one furthest from the main hub. Here, the prairie gave way to a desert. The grasses grew less thick and strong, until they reached the land where water rarely came. The plants here were different than around any other tunnel exit, including a few that gave prized fruits. In order to have access to those rare treats, the colony kept up this hole even as very few lived or wanted to go this far. Today, the desert couldn't be seen well due to a small sandstorm. While its center appeared not that far from the hill the Patrat guard stood on, he could see clear air from his vantage point.

"Not that there's much to do out here," he said. "But being bored outside is better than digging inside the tunnels. That much is certain." He looked aside and saw the strange Pokemon the other guard had mentioned. "Hey, watch yourself! I'm a mighty Patrat guard, and trespassing on our grounds is not taken lightly!" At least, by himself. With any other Patrat, they'd duck back into the hole and watch until the Pokemon was gone.

The strange Pokemon didn't seem to pay him head, keeping his black eyes ahead towards whatever goal he had. He had a yellow-tan and green body that looked quite hefty. In contrast, his legs were short and stubby, leading him to crawl by at a quick steady pace.

"You better not be here to make trouble, or steal our food," the Patrat said, putting up a fist. "I warn you, I know kung-foo! Hi-yah!" He punched the air with his other fist, then kicked a leg out in a way that would have made any Fighting Pokemon roll its eyes or slap their forehead. For a little while, he kept demonstrating his imaginary skills. It did not stop the stranger, nor did the increasing amount of sand in the air. "Hey, hey! I'm not letting you get away without a word!" He ran after him and stopped in front of his tracks.

Finally noticing, the stranger raised his head up by stretching his long neck back. "Oh? Hello."

"Don't 'oh hello' me," the Patrat said, holding a paw to his face to keep the heavy sand out of his nose and mouth. "What are you? What is your purpose here? What kind of trouble are you plotting?"

The stranger tilted his head. "Ummmm, hmmm. I am Numel. My purpose? um..."

"You must have some purpose here. And it can only be trouble if you're lurking by our den! Hi-yah!" He kicked one of the Numel's forelegs.

And the Numel hardly seemed to notice. "My purpose... hmmm..."

"Quit stalling and confess already," the Patrat insisted, shaking a fist at him.

A stream of sand suddenly hit him from behind. When he turned around, he finally realized that a Hippopotas had come to the base of the hill. From its darker colors, it had to be a female. "You're wasting your time trying to get answers out of him," she said. "They're so slow about everything, even noticing that they're not clean."

The Patrat hopped around to face her. "That's no reason to go blasting me with sand, you jerk! Are you freaks still trying to make the desert overtake the prairie? Well we're not going to allow it!"

Snorting, the Hippopotas replied, "Well aren't you a feisty one. Maybe you might fight back, but I doubt any of the rest of your kin will. Even so, you cowards will find a better life in the desert than in the gross prairies. There's so many germs hiding in all those plants and trees, waiting for the right moment to sicken and kill all Pokemon. It all needs to be scrubbed and polished clean with sand."

He put his fists up. "You're just making excuses cause you're embarrassed that you move slower than this fool thinks when there isn't sand everywhere."

"Purpose?" the Numel said. "I'm hungry." He then lowed his head to devour the grasses around him, not even minding the sandy grit.

"I'd say it's more embarrassing that you so-called 'watchmen' can be fooled just by having someone sneak up on your back," the Hippopotas said.

"Why you... you jerk!" The Patrat punched at the air and kicked. "Come on up here and fight like a real 'mon."

"Nah," she said, sending another blast of sand at him. It wasn't even a damaging move, he realized. Just one to obscure his vision and irritate him into a rage. So he tumbled aside, out of the way.

That made the sand attack strike the Numel instead. He tensed at that, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm eating!" he shouted, causing smoke to appear from the top of his hump back. Then a stream of molten rock blasted into the Hippopotas.

"Ow, that stung," she said, shaking bits of the magma off her. "I'll leave you be for now, but I'll be back, you unclean furballs." The Hippopotas than lumbered off to find sand she could swim in. The sandstorm went with her.

The Patrat stood up and shook himself off, then tried to brush sand out of his fur. However, it was never easy. Once he got a decent amount off, he trotted back over to the Numel's side. "Hey, that was pretty cool," he said. "You might not be so bright, but you're pretty strong. Hey, I know!" He snapped his fingers and grinned. "I've been thinking for a long while about ditching my colony. They're a bunch of loser tunnel-lovers who are terrified of the outdoors, but I love it out here. Even though that should earn me a permanent guard position, they're idiots who thought they could keep me underground as punishment. I'm just about fed up with them. So how about it? You and me, out exploring the great wide world, away from jerks like that Hippopotas... or maybe going around getting the best of such jerks."

The Numel brought his head up, chewing on the grasses. The Patrat watched him until he swallowed. Then, the Numel said, "ism going somewhere. I'll know when I get there. That's my purpose."

"So, can I go with you?" he asked, hopeful.

"Mmm... you must think quick. That would help. Okay." The Numel smiled.

And thus their great journey together began, Numel and Patrat, exploring the wide world.

"So, ah, where are we going?" the Patrat asked.

"I'll know when I get there," the Numel repeated.

"Which way do we go?"

The Numel thought on it a long time, going back to chewing on grasses while he did. Then he replied, "I don't know."

Slapping his forehead, the Patrat asked, "You don't know? How can you...? Oh, never mind. Let's just go explore."

…

Patrat B2/W2 entry: Extremely cautious, one of them will always be on the lookout, but it won't notice a foe coming from behind.

Ruby entry: Numel is extremely dull-witted – it doesn't notice being hit. However, it can't stand hunger for even a second. This Pokemon's body is a seething cauldron of boiling magma.

Hippopotas HG/SS entry: It shrouds itself in sand to ward off germs. It travels easily through the sands of the desert.


	322. Carvahna, Cobalion

Oh dear... where had they gone, where had they gone? The lone Carvahna lingered near a fallen tree, using the muddy river bottom to disguise her normally bright coloration. Last night's rain had been heavy, so the water was still murky. But the vibrations and sounds in the water told her all she needed to know. Through that, she couldn't find her school. They must have moved on when she got stuck due to the storm currents. Where had they gone?

Not wanting to get caught out in the open, the Carvahna swam into the shallows, in the shadow of a large rock. Her school had to be upstream. But how far? This was one of their usual areas to swim in, since the jungle river was wide enough here for all of them to swim freely. There were only a couple of spots further against the current. Or, had they gone further? There had been talk of seeing if there were better places outside their normal territory. Did they know she was gone?

Heavy footfalls came running her way, on the shore. She froze as one of the land Pokemon stomped into the water. From the sound of it, he was strong. Looking up at him, the Carvahna wasn't sure what he was. His four legs were tall, his torso was muscular, his blue fur had a dull metallic quality, his head was held high with two long bladed horns growing back from his ears. If she was with her school, there'd be no reason to be worried no matter how strong he was. But alone, he was a terrifying presence. Another Pokemon, one with many scars on his legs, rode on the stranger's back.

"Is this the place?" the stranger asked, in a stern voice.

"Yes, this is where they attacked me," the other Pokemon said. "I wasn't even doing anything to them, just trying to cross the river, and they were on me in a snap. I barely got myself out of it; there was no way I could fight so many."

"I'm not sure if they're here now. We'll have to look."

"Yeah, they do swim up and down the river. Thanks for your help, Cobalion."

This strong Pokemon was looking for them? That was obvious, from the wounds on the other Pokemon's legs and the fact that no other Pokemon lived in this part of the river. The lone Carvahna swam as quickly as she could upstream. She had to tell her school, so they could prepare.

They weren't at the next spot, but they were at the one past that. This area of the river had an uneven bottom, making the currents rough. However, the Carvahna were strong. They could thrive in this area where other Pokemon might shy away from. They could find lesser fish to eat swimming near the bottom, as well as catch foolish Pokemon who got trapped in these waters. She called out to them, happy and braver as she was with the rest. They welcomed her back as a missing part. While there was news of that stranger Cobalion, it did not cause fear now. They could handle him.

Several minutes later, Cobalion entered their territory. The injured Pokemon was no longer with him, so he hopped between stones, roots, and logs sticking out of the river. Thinking as one, the Carvahna school pulled together for attack. They sent four off their members to leap out of the water and grab hold of his legs. A second wave would help pull him into the water, which would allow the rest to swarm him with attacks. Even if he was bigger than their usual prey, they weren't afraid.

Much to their surprise, Cobalion seemed to sense the attack before he saw the first Carvanha. He readied himself with his head held low, then slashed at the front two Carvahna with his horns before kicking the back two. His attacks were so quick that they barely saw them before the initial wave was knocked back into the water, bleeding. Agitated by this, the Carvahna school shouted curses at him. "Get out of our waters! You don't belong here."

"Do you really need to attack everyone who enters the water?" Cobalion asked. "Or even comes near the river?"

"It's our water and nobody is going to take it from us!" They coordinated another attack to pull Cobalion in, this time with ten leaping after him at once. Overkill for most Pokemon, but this one might require it.

Cobalion attacked swiftly again, knocking all but one back into the water immediately. The last clamped onto his left foreleg and bit as hard as he could. Unfortunately, Cobalion's skin was incredibly tough, like the strongest of rocks. The Carvhana could draw blood, but it was painful to his jaw to do that much. Once Cobalion struck him hard in the side with a horn, a flexibility that seemed inexplicable, the Carvahna was forced to let go and drop back into the river in pain.

On the other side of the water, Cobalion held his injured foreleg up, but showed no fear or pain. He glared fiercely into the river, causing much of the Carvahna school to shudder. Even its most violent members saw the wisdom in ceasing this attack on Cobalion. But, what would this stranger do to them? Was he going to take the river from them?

"Answer my question without violence," Cobalion said in a dangerous-sounding voice. "Why must you attack everyone who comes into the river?"

"We need food to support us all," the Carvahna school said. "And if we don't drive other Pokemon away, they'll crowd up the river and take all of our water from us. They can have the land; we own the river."

Cobalion snorted at them. "The predatory hunts I can understand, although we would prefer you not hunt other Pokemon. But the river belongs to all, just like the land. Sharing parts of it is not going to lead others to steal your home."

"Yes it will!" the school insisted. "None of them like us. They'll keep pushing and pushing us aside, taking us out of all the good parts of the river and leaving us with just the small parts with not enough fish or space for all of us. We can't give them any part of it or they'll take it all."

"It's not like that. Besides, I've heard that you don't always attack just for hunting. You've crippled other Pokemon, then let them out of the water to suffer from their injuries. That's a cruelty I can't abide." He still had that intimidating glare.

But they were together. They could withstand this bully. "It's not our fault they get out," the Carvahna school said. "We would kill them for consumption, but they squirm and thrash away. They can't be that badly crippled, as they couldn't get out of the water if they were. Besides, it's their fault if they chose to enter our river. All the Pokemon around here know the consequences of that action. They shouldn't complain if we attack when they know fully well that we will."

"Don't ever blame the victims," Cobalion said, especially angered at that. "You ought to be taught proper respect and manners."

The Carvahna school felt divided between anger at this Pokemon's attempt to force his morals on them and fear in that he could possibly defeat the whole school. "But we're the victims because they want to take our river from us. If they just stayed out of the water, there wouldn't be any problems."

"You'll change your minds," Cobalion said, then jumped back to shore with something on his mind. The Carvahna school celebrated driving him away, but soon found out that he hadn't given up. He had gone for assistance in squashing their independence with defeat.

…

Carvahna Sapphire entry: If anything invades Carvahna's territory, it will swarm and tear at the intruder with its pointed fangs. On its own, however, the Pokemon suddenly turns timid.

Cobalion White entry: It has a body and heart of steel. Its glare is sufficient to make even an unruly Pokemon obey it.


	323. Mienshao, Deino, Terrakion

Lately, people have been complaining that we humans have been mistreating Pokemon with the culture that has grown around the idea of the traveling Pokemon Trainer, out to become a Master. It confused many who heard those speeches, and rightfully so. A long time ago, humans were much more unfair to Pokemon than they are these days. The cruelty grew to the point where the Pokemon fought back, in a war that was damaging to both sides. It's an old epic of many events, but the stories are still told today...

Some humans recognized early on what their kin were doing wrong, but others were determined to subjugate the Pokemon so that humans held dominance in the world. Both factions were relatively small, though. Most humans were afraid as the previously cooperative Pokemon turned on them. They begged their leaders, almost all of them being those who wished to dominate, to protect them. So humans build massive stone and concrete walls around their cities, with steel and wood protecting the hefty gates. The majority of Pokemon couldn't even leave a mark on such castle walls, save by wasting the whole of their energy. Such was the superiority of the materials under human craftsmanship.

Within the walls of one such castle town, a group of Pokemon remained. They were forced to work for the humans still, kept under tight security to satisfy the townspeople. One of them was a Mienshao; she was kept just outside the house of the ruling lord. With a tight collar around her neck, she was chained close to the door. She was to keep unwanted humans and Pokemon out of the home. Under the threat of a cruel form of training, she was to attack anyone who came within her reach unless they passed the approval of the door guard. Only those guards knew the secret command to get her to stay still.

She watched humans go in and out, hating all of them. But no matter how dismal things seemed, she still had hope. This life was wrong and the guardians of the land couldn't ignore the plight of downtrodden Pokemon like her. One day, she would be free of this.

* * *

Gnaw gnaw.

Terrakion woke up to little teeth pressing into one of his legs curiously. Opening his eyes and looking down, he saw a dark blue Pokemon back up, then tackle him very weakly. Shaggy black fur covered much of its face, but the rest of its body was made up of battered scales. Must be a very young Deino, he thought, wandered away from its nest. "Leave me be," he said to it.

"Momma?" the Deino asked, tilting its head to hear him better.

"I am not your mother," Terrakion said. "Go back to your nest."

"Nest, go." The Deino sniffed the ground, then turned and retraced its wandering path. Every now and then, it gnawed on something to remember what it was.

After shaking himself awake, Terrakion decided to follow after the Deino. Its kin weren't good at getting along with others, but he could handle them. The child wandered through a number of tunnels, eventually coming to one that was marked with bones as a warning. Inside, there was the nest and a dead Hydreigon. From the looks of things, she'd been struck with human weapons, but survived long enough to return to her nest. The egg pieces seemed to indicate that the child must have been born only a few hours ago.

This wasn't looking good for the young Deino. Terrakion could try to find another Hydreigon or a Zweilous, but there was a strong chance that they wouldn't accept a hatchling not their own. If times were quieter, he wouldn't mind looking after the Deino himself. However, there was now a war being waged between humans and Pokemon. He couldn't stay away from those battles, not as one sworn to protect innocent Pokemon and fight for their freedom.

"Deino, come over here," Terrakion said, stopping the child from tackling its mother to awaken her. "I've got somewhere to be today, but we'll figure out what to do with you."

"Okay, Momma," the Deino said, coming back over to him.

Terrakion caught the child gently on one of his horns, then flipped it onto his back. "Hang on there," he said, then headed out of the nest to run through the tunnels. The Deino clung close to his rocky back, but occasionally made pleased noises at how fast they were going.

In a few minutes, they exited onto a cliff of the Durant colony that made the tunnels. Terrakion made a tremendous bellow to call on his allies. The Deino crowed along, although its young voice was rather squeaky. Then he climbed down the cliffs to head to the woods that led to his destination: one of the castle towns constructed by the humans.

He waited and was soon met by a crowd of Pokemon. They were all strong ones that lived around here: Durants, Mienshao, Sawk, a Braviary, a Hydreigon, and more. Once enough time passed in his mind, Terrakion stamped a hoof on the ground and called for attention. "We're here today to free some of our peers from enslavement within this town," he said. "From intelligence gathered, we know that they were up late last night for a celebration of some kind. They are unlikely to be at full strength this early in the morning due to that. Our priorities are to find the other Pokemon and free them. Take them into the forest to one of our safe zones, unless they wish to fight with us. Show no mercy to any humans who get in your way. Also, would someone take this Deino child to the safe zone and act as a guard there? It was alone and I'm not going to take a newly hatched Pokemon into battle."

"Oo, I'll watch over the little one, yes," the Hydreigon there said, grinning.

For a moment Terrakion was hesitant. He doubted the Hydreigon would want to stay away from the battle. But, none of the other Pokemon there volunteered to take the Deino, although a couple of Sawk agreed to guard the safe zone. So he let the Hydreigon take the Deino.

That left one obstacle to starting their battle and rescue effort: the town walls. But Terrakion wasn't going to let that stop them. He positioned himself within sight of the walls, with nothing standing in his way. After a moment preparing himself, he lowered his head and put all of his power into his horns as he charged at the wall. A yellow light of power shone as he collided with it, punching his way right through the thick rock wall. It hurt a little and rubble fell on his back, but he didn't let himself show that pain. Instead, he bellowed again within the city, a warrior's shout that preceded the other Pokemon pouring through the hole and running into the streets.

Today's battle had begun.

* * *

Overhead, the Hydreigon held the Deino with his legs. He watched as Terrakion moved to another street to charge at the wall again. The Hydreigon laughed. "How marvelous," he said. "I am so glad that I was born during this time, so that I get to see this glorious war first-hand. Mehehehe, such beautiful battles, held without restraint."

There was another booming crash as Terrakion put another hole in the castle wall. "Momma?" the Deino asked.

"I'm not your mother, squirt," he said, not caring to know anything about this whelp. Might be his, might not be, but whatever the case, he only agreed to get a good look at the chaos before joining himself. "That was Terrakion wrecking all the humans' hard work, bless him." He headed off towards one of the larger buildings in the town. That looked like an interesting place to start.

The Deino opened its mouth and tried to chew the air. "Flying!"

"Yes, you dolt, I'm flying. You're just being a dead weight. Here, die with honor and make good of yourself!" He dove in front of the large building, dropping the Deino to the ground and laughing as he took off.

Bouncing on the pavement, the Deino got back to its feet. Just a couple of feet away, the captive Mienshao tensed, gripping her paws tightly into fists. It was in her reach; hurt it, attack it. Then the Deino sniffed the air. "Where's Momma?"

The Mienshao relaxed at that. Even with her training, she couldn't bring herself to attack a hatchling Pokemon. Not even one of such a notorious lineage. "Get away from here," she growled.

Instead, the Deino wandered closer. "Hi," it said, then came alert to the moving of the chain. It walked over there and gnawed at one of the links. "Umph, tough."

"Of course, it's metal," the Mienshao said. "It's all metal and I should be able to break it myself. But it's much too strong; I hate it!"

The Deino put its head on the chain, then followed it to the stake that was secured into the ground. It put its mouth over the stake, causing the Mienshao to grumble and look away. What had that Hydreigon been thinking, dropping its child down here? And what was all the noise? Was there a battle going on? Then her thoughts were broken by the crunch of wood. She turned around and the Deino was eating the stake. "Mm, wood," it said.

Bu-but... it was metal too, she was sure. Stuck firmly into the ground to where she couldn't yank on the chain and get it out. Her thoughts stumbled for a moment, remembering the many times in the past months when she tried to stretch out the chain and it always held, always secure. And now... the stake was actually wood painted to look metal? The child was continuing to eat it.

There was a bewildered call from one of the hated door guards, coming out of his little hut to see what was going on. Snarling, the Mienshao leaped straight into action, turning her movements into blurs as she whipped her arm fur at the guard in retaliation for all the times they taunted her. He shouted in fear; if it hadn't been for the metal chain still attached to her neck, she could have dispatched him before he made a sound, before he even saw the attack. Once he was down, she searched his belt for what she knew was there: keys, one of which could take the metal collar off her neck. The shape of her paws and the thickness of her fur made it awkward to use the keys, but she gave it a try.

Thankfully, the third key she tried twisted inside the lock. A twist more and the collar popped open. The Mienshao pulled it off immediately, then turned to look at where the Deino child was. While she had been busy, some other guards had come out of the house, trying to figure out what was happening. One was looking at the Deino with greed. She grabbed up the chain and hurled it and the collar at the man, keeping him away from the Deino. Then the Mienshao dashed over to attack them. They retreated into the house, slamming the door shut behind them.

She could have kicked the door down and pursued them anyhow. But, the Deino would be left alone. It was still oblivious to what was going on around it, now testing out the mud and grass on the ground for edibility. The Mienshao went to the child's side. "You freed me, hatchling. I owe you greatly."

The Deino looked up at her. "Owe?" Then, on hearing the loud sound of hooves running, it looked to the street and smiled. "Momma!"

Puzzled as that didn't seem right, the Mienshao braced herself as a group of Pokemon came running down the street. With them was the great Terrakion. Then, she really could get her vengeance. "Great Terrakion, you came," the Mienshao said, bowing. "I've just been freed by this child, but I'm ready to fight with you against the humans. I'll put my life on the line so that they don't win."

"Hi Momma," the Deino said, trotting over to Terrakion.

Terrakion looked at the child and grumbled, something about not trusting a Hydreigon even with one of their children. Then he looked to her. "Mienshao, I appreciate your passion, but your body does not look well enough for a battle like this."

"I can handle it," she said, showing her fur whips off. "I don't care, I just want to fight."

"Later, when you are stronger," Terrakion insisted. "For now, would you please take this child out of town to a safe zone we set up? There should be Pidoves along the way to guide you."

The Mienshao frowned; she really wanted to fight. But, the Deino had saved her and thus she should see it to safety. "I'll hold you to your word," she said in warning, then went over and picked up the Deino. "Come on, little one."

"Momma?" the Deino asked sadly.

"Go with her," Terrakion said. "You'll hear me later, I promise."

"Okay, Momma," the Deino said, then didn't give the Mienshao any trouble as she took it out of town.

It was a victorious day.

…

Terrakion White entry: Its charge is strong enough to break through a giant castle wall in one blow. This Pokemon is spoken of in legends.

Mienshao Black entry: It wields the fur on its arms like a whip. Its arm attacks come with such rapidity that they cannot even be seen.

Deino White entry: They cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings. Their bodies are covered in wounds.


	324. Virizion, Petlil, Cottonee

Lately, people have been complaining that we humans have been mistreating Pokemon with the culture that has grown around the idea of the traveling Pokemon Trainer, out to become a Master. It confused many who heard those speeches, and rightfully so. A long time ago, humans were much more unfair to Pokemon than they are these days. The cruelty grew to the point where the Pokemon fought back, in a war that was damaging to both sides. It's an old epic of many events, but the stories are still told today...

Virizion ran through the trees, following no path but his own. His hooves moved so quickly through the undergrowth that nothing caught him in place. Yet no matter how fast he moved, not a tree or branch struck him. He weaved through them with little noise, ducking his head and keeping nimble to avoid any obstacle.

He only slowed when he came to the edge of the forest. It was clearly defined due to the number of stumps left behind from the humans' tree harvesting. Using his green coloration, he kept hidden while he observed the pen close by. Made of wood, it was constructed into a large square to hold many small Petlils and Cottonee; the humans wanted the items these Pokemon produced. Spikes of metal were placed on the bottom to prevent them from trying to squeeze past the posts. On one side, there was a human-made device that sprinkled water over the group. The Petlils didn't mind, but it soaked the fluff of the Cottonee, making them heavy and miserable. Just as he'd been told.

Checking over the humans there, Virizion saw one knight and two caretakers. Although, he wouldn't call them caretakers, since the pen and sprinkler proved they didn't really care about the Pokemon's happiness. The knight would be harder to take out. But, Virzion wanted a good fight, to show them what he was capable of. That should make them wary of bothering his little neighbors again.

He walked around the edge of the clearing until he was fairly close to the sprinkler. The humans weren't looking his way; even the knight was relaxed. Well that had to change. Virizion dashed out of the trees, sending a storm of sharp-edged leaves at the sprinkler's hose and one of the caretakers. Leaks sprung out all along the hose, sending little fountains of water up from the ground; the sprinkler slowed to a dribble. Meanwhile, the caretaker had his clothing ripped to shreds. He yelped and ran off, not even looking to see what caused the attack. The other caretaker soon followed, leaving the knight to draw his sword and face him.

Virizion skipped ahead to the side that the knight was on, giving him a moment to get ready for battle. Meanwhile, the curious Petlils scurried as close as they could to the fence without getting poked. "It's Virizion, hooray!" one called out, getting cheers from the others. Meanwhile, the Cottonee were still trying to crowd on the side of the pen furthest from the sprinkler, leaving them looking like a soggy white blanket.

Lowering his head in challenge to the knight, Virizion said, "Petlils, bring out the sun for your friends to dry out. I'll have you free shortly." Then he charged at the knight, looking to strike him in the side.

The human wore leather armor banded with metal, so it wasn't as good of a hit as Virizion would have liked. In retaliation, the knight swiped him in the side with his sword. It hurt, even though he did his best to twist out of the weapon's path. But he wasn't going to let that stop him. As the air brightened from several Sunny Day castings, Virizion hopped away, then made to headbutt the knight. It knocked the man back, but he kept on his feet, readying another attack. Aiming to strike Virizion in the head, the knight came for him. The green Pokemon kept still, then moved aside so that he could bodyslam into the man's right arm. That caused him to lose his sword.

Virzion backed up a step, then darted around to block the knight's way to his weapon. Lowering his head again, he made a warning call. "I'll give you this one chance," he said, although not in a way the human would directly understand. "Leave or I will kill you."

Fortunately, the knight took the chance and ran off the way the caretakers had gone. They might get back-up, but Virizion hoped to be away before they returned. Behind him, the Petlils and the Cottonee cheered. "You came to save us, really!" one of the Cottonee said, sounding overwhelmed in emotion.

He turned back, seeing the green leaves and white fluffs bouncing around behind the fence. Smiling, he walked over to them. "Of course; I couldn't leave you in captivity. Back up a little." He leaned over to catch his horns on one of the support beams, then pulled up with all his strength. The wood creaked in protest, eventually snapping into a smaller piece and making Virizion stumble back.

But that left a wide enough hole for the little Pokemon to hop over the pointy wire barrier. Many of the Cottonee were still shaking as they came out, trying to get the cold moisture out of their cotton. But the Petlils immediately swarmed around his feet. "You were sooo amazing!" one said. "You beat up that human good!"

"But you got hurt," another said. "Here, you can take one of my leaves; it'll make you feel better."

"You can take mine too!" other Petlils added.

He chuckled. "I don't need that many," he said. "But thank you." He carefully plucked one of the Petlil's darker top leaves and checked on the graze on his side. The sword had left a long mark, so he pressed the leaf firmly on the largest spot. Then he took another to eat. It was bitter enough to make his tongue and skin sting, but it was a wonder in healing. "Now let's hurry before they return. You Cottonee, are you able to float or run?"

"I think I can float a little from the sun," one said.

"I can't float, but I can run," another said. More of them felt like this, still damp enough that they couldn't catch the wind.

Virizion lifted his head. "Good, then go into the forest. I'll be behind you." He didn't run as fast into the trees as he had out, since he had to keep an eye on the slower Cottonee. But by the time the humans returned to the pen, there wasn't a sign of any of the Pokemon being nearby.

…

Petlil B2/W2 entry: The leaves on its head grow right back even if they fall out. These bitter leaves refresh those who eat them.

Cottonee White entry: They go wherever the wind takes them. On rainy days, their bodies are heavier, so they take shelter beneath big trees.

Virizion Black entry: This Pokemon fought humans in order to protect its friends. Legends about it continue to be passed down.


	325. Throh, Keldeo

Along the golden stretch of sand, a sparkling blue bay stood the divide between land and ocean. It was a beautiful day to be there: warm breeze, white comb-stretched clouds, clean water. Among the Pokemon that had decided to spend the day at that beach were five Throh, all standing waist deep in the water. Their dark red skin and white gi contrasted greatly with the vibrant blue water.

"My gi is going to be soaked if we go any further," one complained, patting the surface of the water. "And what if one of us loses a belt? It'd be a shame to be seen without one."

"Don't worry about that last one," the leader said, pulling out a vine from inside his clothes. "I came prepared."

"Of course you thought of everything," one of the others said gleefully. "You're always the smart one."

He nodded as he tucked the vine away securely. "That's why I'm the leader. And don't be afraid of getting soaked, because if we don't dare go deeper, we can't accomplish our newest and grandest goal!"

"Really?" the nervous one asked. "What're we doing?"

Their leader pointed out to the ocean. "We are going to enter next year's World's Sports Tournament as the first ever non-Water mono-type synchronized swimming team! They may laugh at us initially, but once they see our strength, teamwork, and grace, the gold medal and the global glory will be ours!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then a splash as another Pokemon burst out of the water in their midst. The group soon recognized him as Keldeo, a roaming legendary Pokemon that was occasionally seen at this beach. "That's awesome! I can't wait to see it." He grinned as he tread water.

"But, swimming?" one of the other Throh asked. "Why? We're usually not in the water."

"The water resistance is excellent for building your strength," the lead Throh said. "This is why I've been telling you to start training in the bay too."

Keldeo nodded. "Exactly so. You get great kicks out of water training."

"It would be nice to have better kicks," one of the Throh said thoughtfully.

"I thought we were going to train for the wrestling and karate portions," another Throh said.

The lead Throh frowned. "That's exactly what other 'mons expect out of us. Sure, there'll be a good showing for our skills, but they won't remember it a few days later. On the other paw, if we enter something unexpected and win, they'll be talking about it for years to come. We could become famous all over the world! I looked at the events we could join and decided on synchronized swimming as our best bet. All our competitors will be frilly fish; we'll stand out above them all."

"I think that's a great idea!" Keldeo said. "Can I help?"

"No, you're too scrawny, even for a legendary," the lead Throh said.

Keldeo huffed, shaking his mane and sending water droplets everywhere. "Scrawny? Bah. I'm as big as you guys, probably as strong too." He stopped treading and put his hooves on the sandy bottom, putting himself eye to eye with the lead Throh. "See?"

"You're not," the lead Throh said, getting some worried and admiring faces from his group. Very few Pokemon would dare speak like this to a legendary. "You may be as tall as us, but you're skinnier than a typical Psychic. I've hurled 'mons that are three times your weight for a hundred yards."

"Prove it," Keldoe said, narrowing his eyes.

"Fine, but remember that you asked for it." The lead Throh then grabbed Keldeo by his front shoulders. Not impeded one bit by the water, he circled around and threw Keldeo so hard into the sky that he seemed to become little more than a twinkle among the clouds.

"Wow, you really are amazing!" one of the Throh said, clapping.

"Are you sure you should have thrown a legendary Pokemon?" another asked. "It seems disrespectful."

"Don't worry about it," the lead Throh said. "He's of our type, so I'm sure he'll acknowledge it as a show of strength. Now about the competition, we need to start with some basic swimming. All of us are going to swim out to the tip of the bay and back to this beach as our starting practice. Understood?"

"Sure thing!"

"All right."

"Yeah, gotcha."

"I'll give it a try."

Glad that they would try, he nodded. "Good, then on your mark..." he turned around and saw something odd. Two large arcs of water, like tall crescent-shaped fins, were racing across the water towards the beach at blistering speed. He caught a glimpse of Keldeo skating on the water's surface and sending up those sprays before the legendary made a quick turning stop a few feet from them. Without losing momentum, the waves and arcs from Keldeo's wake were flung over all of them, dousing them completely with salt water.

Once the water cleared from his vision, he saw that Keldeo was somehow sending jets of water off his hooves to remain standing on the surface, making it froth into thick foam. "And that's why you should let me coach your team!" he said. "Maybe you can learn to swim well enough on your own, but if you want to be flashy enough to win a synchronized swimming tournament, you need to learn from an expert."

"That's a strong argument," one of the Throh said.

One that was hard to argue against, so the lead Throh accepted Keldeo's help. After months of drilling and preparation under him, they went to the World's Sports Tournament. They were at a great disadvantage, ending up with the silver medal instead of the gold. But their performance was indeed talked about for years afterward, far longer than the gold winners.

…

Keldeo Black entry: By blasting water from its hooves, it can glide across water. It excels at using leg moves while battling.

Throh White entry: When they encounter foes bigger than themselves, they try to throw them They always travel in packs of five.


	326. Blitzle, Roggenrola, Ducklett, Foongus

Hopping down a sidewalk, Itake the Foongus made his way to a warehouse. He crouched down to resemble a Pokeball whenever humans walked by him. It was an instinctual habit, one that was hard to break. Many times, he wished his predecessors had not chosen the red and white look. It was supposed to make them look like a harmless item. Unfortunately, they managed to look like a desirable item to humans, so the camouflage didn't work as it should. More often than not, he was bothered less if he simply kept hopping.

The right warehouse was easy to pick out even before he learned to read human numbers. His partner had placed a small staircase by the entrance, giving Itake access to the card reader. Bringing his card out of his cap, the Foongus hopped over and slid it through the reader, using his weight to pull it through. This opened the flap on the lower half of the door. Once inside, he bumped a button that locked the Pokemon entrance again.

Okay, today's plan required... good, the warehouse workers had moved the crate to the front of the building. He flipped a switch that opened the crate to prepare for today's job.

* * *

After school, the three girls and their Pokemon partners met up at a sushi bar. Darla, who had blond hair in large poofy curls, place a dab of wasabi on one roll and a swirl on a second. Then she took two sets of chopsticks, one to give the wasabi-dabbed roll to her Blitzle and the other to eat the wasabi-swirled roll herself. "This place is seriously the best in town. I don't know what it is about the others; they don't put as much skill or effort into it."

Ashley, an athletic beauty with short dark blue hair, poked Darla with her one set of chopsticks. Her Roggenrola was sitting on the table in an empty spot; he didn't eat sushi, but his one large eye showed no disappointment. Instead, he twisted his single ear (poking out of the top of his head) around to listen to the girls. "Yeah, but you should really stick to the shashimi if you don't want to get chubby," Ashley said teasingly.

"I am not gonna get chubby," Darla huffed. "I have a naturally high metabolism, you know that."

The third girl at the table, Melanie, wasn't sure how to get into the conversation, so she looked over her sushi rolls. Darla had said a few kinds were milder, since Melanie had never had sushi before, she went for one of those. Her white hair often fell into her face, so she tried to push it aside while she tried it. In the seat by her, her Ducklett happily ate the wetland Pokemon salad she had, pushing some of the peat moss aside to fully enjoy it after the seaweed. Lucky Pokemon, not having to worry about how to talk to two super-popular girls who, a week ago, probably wouldn't have even looked at Melanie. There was always the reason why they invited her out today...

After a few minutes of Darla and Ashley having friendly arguments and trying to outdo each other with jokes, Darla looked over at Melanie. "So how do you like the sushi? It's great, isn't it?"

"Oh, um, yeah, it's really good," she said. "So, um, about that thing we do... how does it work?"

"Don't worry about it," Darla said, shrugging. "It just works, and it's real easy if you follow your heart."

"It would have to be easy or Darla wouldn't be so good at it already," Ashley said.

The blond haired girl stuck her tongue out at Ashley, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, I'm the first one who answered the call. That means I'm the leader and you shouldn't be the one to antagonize the leader."

"If I don't, then you'd never try to improve," her friend said.

"Um, but aren't you curious how it works?" Melanie asked. "It's... well... it's not normal for humans. I've found some records of incidents that seem remarkably similar to what happened to me the other day, but it's rare. There is something that Pokemon can do that's kind of like it, but you don't see it often either due to rarity, something called Mega..."

"You can look into it if you like," Darla said. "I just need to know that it works, and that we can use it to do something great! We're going to be famous someday, I know, and all kinds of people will admire us. Why worry about it?"

Melanie blushed. "There has to be a reason for everything."

"It'll probably be a confusing reason, like most anything else," Ashley said with a shrug.

At that point, all three of them got an alert from their phones. But it wasn't just any alert. It was that alert. Darla and Ashley immediately had their phones out; Melanie took a moment longer to get her's out of her purse. "We're all here, what's going on this time?" Darla asked.

When Melanie connected, her screen showed the other two girls along with a strange silvery shadow. "I've got a mission for you three," their benefactor said. After a brief discussion, Darla and Ashley immediately agreed to take it.

On the other hand, Melanie hesitated. "Wait, er, sir? Who are you?"

"I'm your angel," the benefactor said. "If you perform well, I may let you know. But for now, the public is in danger and you'll have to trust me."

It was very odd. But then, she wasn't going to get a chance like this ever again. "Okay sir," Melanie said. The girls went to pay for their sushi snack, then headed out with their Pokemon.

* * *

"I am the stone-tough beauty, healthy and strong! I stand up for the weak and will not tolerate intolerance! I am Rockella!" Ashley transformed into the mysterious heroine that had only appeared recently, fighting the strange crimes that police couldn't stop. She had dark blue armor, including a helmet with orange diamond-shaped ear extensions. Although it was an unusual costume, there was nothing that should have hid the fact that she was also Ashley, just fused with her Roggenrola. Magic, maybe? "See, just with that, I get great armor and power."

Melanie put a hand to her lips. "Um, armor? It looks like rock armor if it came in a monokini style with some tall boots."

"It's protected me so far," Ashley said.

"Okay, you try it," Darla said.

"Uh, I dunno," Melanie said. "I thought you were both going to demonstrate."

"But I'm the leader, so I should transform first or last," Darla said, acting like that was obvious.

"I guess." Melanie took a deep breath and looked at her Ducklett. The blue Pokemon spread her wings out, looking happy to cooperate. Follow her heart... she still wasn't sure what to say. "I am the studious student, um, responsible and curious. I, um... will fight for the quiet and meek to be heard. I am... Swanlett!"

That feeling of power filled her once again, cool and refreshing. For moment, she didn't see anything. A glittering glow must be surrounding her like it did with Ashley. When it passed, she found herself dressed in a sparkling leotard in the blues of a Ducklet. It was skin-tight, but somehow made her look like she had a better figure than she thought she had. A dark blue mini-skirt and a short white top lay over the leotard, but most impressively, a pair of pale blue cherub wings sprouted from her back.

"The name's nice, but the recital could be more exciting," Darla said. "I'll help you out with coming up with a better one later. Okay then! Watch a pro, or someone like it. I am the friendliest sweetest girl you'll ever meet! I stand for the rights of all girls and I fight to break down false beliefs! When you see a thundercloud of justice and love, I will be there! I am the Storm Queen!" She then transformed into a girl wearing an awful lot of black wires with bright yellow rings, and an outfit (for lack of a better term) that covered even less than Ashley's outfit. She got to wear a black tiara with large lightning bolt decorations that resembled a Blitzle's mane.

"I'm still not sure that's age-appropriate," Melanie said.

"Oh forget about that," Darla said. "We look fabulous, even with your modesty. Okay girls, let's get into action! After that robot!"

As their benefactor had said, there was a nine foot tall human-shaped robot tromping around the streets. Although it looked like it had shoulder guns, it kicked in store windows like it was looking for something. Darla rushed straight into battle, running so fast that sparks flew from her shoes. She fired a spark attack at the robot. If it was a normal robot, that would have severely impaired its abilities. But like the robot that had kidnapped her, it was only a minor irritant. Ashley followed after, a little slower due to being fused with a Roggenrola. When she hurled a rock at the robot, it did leave a sizable dent.

Melanie hung back, trying to get used to her Swanlett form. To her delight, she soon heard her Ducklett speaking in a way she understood. "Aw, there's no water. We can swim really really good! But, well, I was never good at walking on land."

"I don't have flippers," she said, glancing at her feet. She ran closer, looking around. A car screeched to a halt as it came upon a crash caused earlier by the robot, getting another car to smash into it from behind. She flicked her wings in worry, then had a thought. "Hey, can we fly?"

"Maybe," the Ducklett said. She thought about what it was like to fly. "I don't like flying as much as I do swimming. But I can do it, so maybe together we can."

Melanie focused on flapping her wings, then jumped into the air where she stayed. "All right1 let's see if we can help from up here." She thought of a water attack that her Ducklett could perform and in a few motions, she managed to call on it herself. How did it work? She didn't have time to think about it as the robot was fighting back, punching the other two girls (as Rockella, Ashley could take a punch without flinching, but Darla's Storm Queen form didn't fare as well) and firing its guns at Melanie. When she tried to dodge, she tripped over a store's sunshade and fell to the ground.

After getting back to her feet, Darla struck a determined pose while a thunderstorm brewed overhead. The storm only covered the area of a city block, but it rumbled like the worst of them. "You're not going to get the better of us, robot!" she declared, right before a strong bolt of lightning struck her. Because she was fused with a Blitzle, it didn't hurt her at all. The lightning didn't even mess up her hair. Instead, she redirected the energy into a punch that knocked the robot to the ground. A large stone barrage from Ashley destroyed it entirely.

Melanie flew back into the air in time to see a dozing Foongus tumble out of the robot's wreckage. It looked at them in a startled daze. Wondering how it had gotten into the robot, Melanie flew over to the small Pokemon. "Oh, what are you doing in there? Are you okay?" She reached down to pick it up.

"Don't go near it!" Darla called, but too late. The Foongus shook itself in a fright, causing a cloud of spores to fly into Melanie's face. They made her skin itch and her nose get stuffy. When she flew back and sneezed, the Foongus hurried away.

"Here, take this Antidote," Ashley said, handing a Pokemon's medicinal spray to her.

"Thanks," Melanie said, although she hesitated for a moment before spraying herself in the face with it. It worked, but she still felt like she was going to sneeze again.

"You'd better listen to me next time," Darla said. "And don't be so passive. We're heroes; we need to be ready to act right away when danger's about. Well come on, let's go practice somewhere!" She ran off down an alleyway.

"W-wait!" Melanie said, flying for a few feet before dropping down to run. That was easier, as she had the Ducklett's weak flight but not its feet. "What if there's more robots around?"

"I don't hear any more of them," Ashley said. "And believe me, I would hear it. Roggenrolas have better hearing than most people think." The two girls ran with each other, trying to catch up with their leader.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Itake the Foongus swiped his way into another secured doorway, entering the office of a very powerful human: his partner. Itake hopped along the floor, then climbed up a wire planter that had been re-purposed into another staircase for him. Up on his master's desk, he saw that a video of his fight against Storm Queen, Rockella, and Swanlett was playing on the display monitor. It hadn't been a good battle for him. Then again, he'd been told to use one of the weaker robot suits. There were much much stronger ones in the warehouse, but it wasn't time to use them yet.

His master waved him closer, then stroked him on the cap. Itake nuzzled against the hand, keeping his spores in his cap. He would never hurt this human.

"The new girl is asking questions," the master said. "She may be more trouble than she's worth. But we need a girl on the team with intelligence... just not enough to figure out the truth." The recording was rewound to check what made Swanlett fall out of the air. "When they get their full team going, we need them investigating what I want them to find, not me."

Itake looked up curiously. Even though he had his master's confidence, he didn't know what the ultimate goal of this strange plan was. But for his master, Itake would do anything.

…

Blitzle White entry: When thunderclouds cover the sky, it will appear. It can catch lightning in its mane and store the electricity.

Roggenrola Black entry: Its ear is hexagonal in shape. Compressed underground, its body is as hard as steel.

Ducklett B2/W2 entry: They are better at swimming than flying, and they happily eat their favorite food, peat moss, as they dive.

Foongus Black entry: It lures people in with its Poke Ball pattern, then releases poison spores. Why it resembles a Poke Ball is unknown.


	327. Simipour, Pansear, Pansage, Panpour

I hope it's all right if I sit here by the pond for it. I just know that once I start talking, my throat's gonna get dry, and then I'll draw water from my tufts so I don't get hoarse, and then my hair will look all wilted and dry by the end of it. We don't want that going out as a representation of our group.

(The camera is tilted askew, giving an odd view to the Simipour talking. She is sitting by a pond with her tail in the water and a few colorful pansies clipped to the blue tufts draping from her head. As the camera moves, a farm is seen around her: a bright red barn, clean white fences, fruit trees, berry bushes, and a yellow farmhouse. Various monkey Pokemon, mostly Pansages and Panpours, go around doing work. The camera tilts to the other side before straightening up; it jerks a few times.)

Do you need help with that camera, Pansear?

("No, no, I've got it," the voice of the cameramon is heard. A red and brown hand covers the lens for a moment, followed by a large brown eye and a nose. Then the view settles down, showing the Simipour looking worriedly just off frame. "You've been having me roast berries and dry leaves, but I want to help more like the others. I'll get it right.")

Okay. When do we start?

("Well..." the video turns to static, before turning back on with the Pansear's hand back in front of the lens briefly. "Oh, it was running before. I can fix it in editing. Sorry, could you start again?")

Sure. Ahem. Ah... Welcome to the Panfruit Farm, where all the goods are fresh and bountiful. I am Elma Simipour, owner and manager, and I am here today to teach others what our farm is all about, as well as clear up some false rumors that have been spreading around.

Here at Panfruit Farms, our goal is to bring you the best produce and goods made with all natural processes. Our plants are grown organically, our methods are simple and pure. Even our recipes are made with whole ingredients, processed as little as possible without any of artificial flavors and chemicals that other food producers have used to streamline and cheapen their processes. Of course, this means that our goods are more expensive than the rest. But you can rest assured that everything made and sold here at the farm is pure and natural, from the Combee honey, honeycombs, and wax, to the fruits, vegetables, and berries grown right here, and even the premium clean spring water we bottle and use for everything. This makes Panfruit Farms the healthiest and tastiest choice.

Now I will introduce you to some of our workers who make it all possible. First up is one of our Pansage. Pansage? Would you come over here?

(A small green monkey hops into view, rubbing his leafy head until one comes off. "Hey Simipour. You look kinda nervous. Here, want a leaf to chew on?")

Um... (She speaks quietly) No, and watch it. We're trying to record something here.

("Oh, all right," the Pansage says, then starts chewing on the leaf himself. The Simipour looks mildly irritated, but puts on a smile and continues normally.)

So Pansage, you're in charge of choosing the plants and taking care of them. Would you explain how you do so?

("I am?" the Pansage looks puzzled, but then nods. "Oh yeah, I'm one of them." He smacks on the leaf a bit. "Well, we go out into the woods and fields on good days and search out ripe fruits and berries. Now most Pokemon will just take what they get, but we taste everything carefully. When we find a fruit of utmost quality and taste, we harvest seeds and fruits from that plant to bring back here, to cultivate on the farm.")

Yes, that's wonderful. And...

("And for taking care of the plants when they're here..." he pauses, scratching his head. "Uh, we make sure they don't die?")

And take care of them in an organic way, with natural assistance to keep down pests, make the plants healthy, and enrich the soil, right?

("Yeah, that too. You sure you don't want a leaf? You've been awfully stressed over that jibber-jabber going around. My leaves will help you relax." He plucks another and offers it, but is denied and shooed off screen.)

Pansage, no. I'm trying to stop those rumors that we use steroids on the plants and distribute addictive medicines.

("But the leaves are natural, and well..." he says out of frame.)

I know it's all-natural, which is why we can offer them without worry of liabilities, but people are becoming convinced... (She looks at the camera and blushes) Oh, it's still running, right?

("Don't worry," the Pansear cameramon says. "I can fix it, or we can just use this for practice. You might want to have the others know what they're supposed to say next time, though.")

All right... I was hoping to get this done today, though.

("Hey, can you give me a few leaves?" the Pansear asks the Pansage.)

Well then, let's practice... and next, we will bring out one of our Panpours. Panpour? No, not you, you. Come over here and help out.

(A blue monkey Pokemon comes into view, a big smile on his face. "Hi Simipour! What're we doing?")

Practicing for a big video announcement to others.

("Oook, on TV? I can be on TV? Wow!")

Yes. (The Simipour takes a deep breath, then taps the Panpour's tuft.) So then, you're in charge of water management.

(He scratches his lower back. "I am? I just help out, I thought.")

(She speaks as if her patience is being pushed.) Just explain what the job is and why it's important.

("Gotcha, Simipour," he says with a vigorous nod. "Well I water the plants! And the water in here, in my tuft, it's really powerful stuff. I bulk it out with nutrients and good food, so that when I water the plants, it's like filling it out with those plant steroids the Steel and Psychic Pokemon make! Only, all natural, cause I make it all naturally.")

(The Simipour buries her face in her hands.) That's... that's not what I meant you to say. It's not like the steroids! That's what's freaking Pokemon out about buying our goods, that they think the all-natural and organic label is false. It's water! Just enriched water from pure sources because I won't take anything otherwise!

("You sure you don't want a leaf?" the Pansage asks off-camera.)

("It's only practice now," the Pansear adds. "Or you can just write an article for the newspaper.")

Right, right. The article's safer. Oh, I wish I knew who started all this fuss. We're just trying to do some good. Okay, give me a leaf. I'll reconsider the rebuttal.

(The Pansear's hand appears over the camera lens once more before the video ends.)

…

Pansage White entry: It shares the leaf on its head with weary-looking Pokemon. These leaves are known to relieve stress.

Pansear B2/W2 entry: Very intelligent, it roasts berries before eating them. It likes to help people.

Panpour Black entry: The water stored inside the tuft on its head is full of nutrients. Plants that receive its water grow large.

Simipour B2/W2 entry: It prefers places with clean water. When its tuft runs low, it replenishes it by siphoning water up its tail.


	328. Sylveon

"Hooo," the Sylveon whined, lowering his large ears and making pitiful baby doll eyes. He backed away from the Trainer he was with.

"What'd I do wrong?" the Trainer asked. Her excitement over getting this strange evolution to her Eevee (she'd been trying for an Umbreon) was quickly evaporating as the Pokemon was not happy with it. He kept looking down the road and was slow to respond. "You..." she double checked the name that had popped up from her search, "Sylveon, what's the matter with you?"

The Sylveon crouched down, looking at the ground. Maybe he was tired? They had been out battling and training a lot today; he'd evolved when she was trying to figure out how to work a new move of his into her strategy. Although she didn't recall any of her other Pokemon being worn out soon after evolution.

While she was serious about staying competitive and ahead of the game, she didn't want to push her Pokemon to exhaustion either. "Well let's go home for the night. Come on." She left him out of his Pokeball, so he soon fell in step quietly beside her.

At first. As they got closer to town, his mood picked up. His ribbon-feelers picked up and began swaying together. He stood up taller and raised his tail. Despite how he looked earlier, now he looked ready to stay up and active for a few more hours even though the street lights were on. Then what did the Sylveon want? Most Pokemon could be counted on and read easily; she could tell when most of them were hungry or tired. But then some were strange, not acting like the rest and a lot harder to tell what to do with. She just hadn't expected an Eevee to turn out to be one of the strange ones.

Before they got home, they came across her teacher at the Pokemon School. "Oh, now this is a surprise," the teacher said, smiling as she looked at the Pokemon. "This was your Eevee, right?"

She nodded, feeling a bit of that excited pride coming back. "Yeah, this is him. I was training him at night so that I would have a dark and lovely Pokemon partner to make an entrance in style. But he turned into a Sylveon, so the outfits I was planning don't quite work. But I think it'll be much more stylish now, and cute, for us to be together."

"I see," the teacher said, sounding disappointed for some reason. "Style and flair helps, but it isn't everything. Oh, but you should tell me everything you were doing with him. There isn't much information out on Sylveon yet."

She didn't really want to; having such an exclusive Pokemon was sure to make her stand out of the crowd. But being a person who helped discover something new, that might give her a more lasting recognition. "Sure, if I can think of it all. I've mostly been working on getting him stronger, since that's the easiest way to get an Eevee evolved unless you can find a stone. At least, so I've heard. But he learned a new move tonight, Charm, and while we were practicing that, he evolved."

"That sounds about right," the teacher said, nodding.

All of a sudden, the Pokemon began barking and ran off. "Sylveon!" the Trainer said, running after him.

Thankfully, he didn't go far, just to their house. Her younger brother was outside, in the process of taking the garbage out when the Sylveon bounded over and stood up on his hind legs briefly. "Oh wow, is that you Toffee?" the boy asked, dropping the trash back to hug the Pokemon. "You don't look like toffee anymore." He laughed when the Sylveon licked his face.

"Sylveon, don't be running off," the Trainer said, although the Pokemon just flicked an ear in acknowledgment of her talking. "Sylveon!"

"Don't be mad at him, sis," her brother said, without much force behind his words. "Um, he just wanted to say hi to me, I think."

"He's my Pokemon," she said fiercely, putting her hands on her hips. "I caught him and I've been training him. He needs to be listening to me."

The Sylveon whined again, dropping down on all four paws and lowering his ears.

"Hold on a moment," her teacher said, having caught up to them. "Didn't you let him watch your Eevee at times?"

"Well yeah, I did, if I wasn't training him," she said.

The teacher nodded, then went over to the boy. "And what do you do with him?"

"Huh, oh," he looked away and turned a little pink, not used to talking to many people. "I, um, I don't battle with Toffee, or any Pokemon, because I can't leave home for long because, ah..."

"He has diabetes and has to be careful of whatever he does," she said for him.

The boy rubbed his head. At his side, the Sylveon rubbed his head against the boy's side, making him smile. "Yeah, that. But he watches me when I do puzzles, so I talk to him about it. I brush him too, and the other day I gave him a bath all on my own. Messed up the bathroom doing so, but mom wasn't too mad about it. And if I feel good, we go walking around town. Toffee likes that."

"I see," the teacher said. "Why don't you take Toffee inside for now?"

The boy brightened at that. "Oh, yeah! Thanks." He pushed the trash can to the end of the driveway first. Then the Sylveon caught hold of his arm with his long feelers, walking inside with him happily.

"I did all the work getting him to evolve," the Trainer said, annoyed.

"Not all of it," the teacher said. "You still aren't that attached to your Pokemon, taking them in and out of your team all the time."

She shrugged. "Well yeah, that's what it takes to keep ahead."

"No, that's not quite it," she said, shaking her head. "There's still some things left for you to learn."

Several months later, the girl was with her family in their home, helping her brother convince their parents to let him travel around on a Pokemon journey. "I took Toffee to a special training course so that he can sense blood sugar levels," she said. "So when he smells that it's gotten in a bad range, he'll let him know if it's too high or too low, and he'll even know what will help him get better."

As usual, Toffee the Sylveon was by the boy's side, his ribbon feelers wrapped around his arm. "I'll be careful, I promise, and he'll be there if there's trouble. I've been trying to take longer walks every day too, so I can handle it."

Their parents were reluctant, but the fact that Toffee would be there and knew what to do was a good argument in his favor. In the end, the girl Trainer didn't get the Pokemon she wanted for stylish entrances. However, there were more important things than that, like seeing the excitement in her little brother and his Sylveon as they set off on a journey that the boy had been thought incapable of going on. That was a more wonderful thing to be proud of.

…

Sylveon Y entry: It wraps its ribbonlike feelers around the arm of its beloved Trainer and walks with him or her.


	329. Gurdurr

Not that long ago in a place not too far from here, there were two Pokemon brothers. They were twin Tumburrs, remarkably alike in every way. They liked the same foods, liked the same activities, and liked the same cliff to train near. When it came to contests of strength, they always ended in a draw or with the two brothers having so much fun that they forgot it was a contest. Their days were good and their talk filled with boasts of how strong they would eventually become.

The twins even got caught on the same day, but not by the same Trainer. Being on two different teams, they were forced to separate for the first time in their lives. Both were upset about this, but soon resolved that they'd find each other sometime in the future. And then, they would see how strong the other had grown.

This was the day that they met again as Gurdurrs.

* * *

The two Trainers met again in a trading club. "Hey, you're that kid who caught a Timburr at the same time as I did," the girl said. She was a rather intimidating fashionista, with her heeled boots, bold make-up, and clothing all of which could have come straight from a fashion runway.

"Um, yeah," the boy said, not sure if he should feel attracted or if he wanted to run from her. Since he was probably as old as she was, he was leaning towards leaving. He wore boots with week-old mud on them and clothes dusty from the trails.

The girl pulled a Pokeball from her team holder. "Do you still have him? I came here hoping to get him evolved; heard it could be done with a trading machine. Might as well kill two problems at once, huh?"

"I do have him; he's one of my best." He took the Gurdurr's Pokeball in hand, hoping that it would work. "Although I wouldn't put it like that."

She raised an eyebrow. "One of your best, huh? Must not have very many good Pokemon then. Oh, how about we battle them before trading? It'd be neat to see, since we got them from the same place and time."

The boy nodded, so they moved the the battle circle. After registering to battle with just the two Gurdurr, they entered the circle and released their Pokemon. The boy's Gurdurr greeted the other happily. "Brother, good to see you again!"

"How do you know who I am, punk?" the girl's Gurdurr asked.

"Weren't you listening to them? We were captured together by these two Trainers, and here we are, together again!" He smiled. "It's great!"

"I don't listen if I'm not in battle," he replied. "Not important." Then he smirked. "But it is interesting to meet you again, brother. I want to see how strong you are. I am called Facekicker."

He looked over his brother, but he seemed like a normal Gurdurr, bulky up top but not so much at the waist and below. "Really? That's... an odd name. My name's Bruno now."

A whistle came from the computer referee, calling for the battle to begin. Bruno whirled the large steel beam over his head, while Facekicker grasped his beam with both hands and flexed his muscles. Once orders were given, Bruno went first, tossing his beam in an arc, rushing over to punch his brother in the shoulder, then catching his beam once the attack was complete. "Haha, my Trainer plays with me, so I picked up that trick quick," he boasted.

"Ain't strong enough," Facekicker said, taking his steel beam and bashing it full force into Bruno's head. "That's strength."

"Ngh, well you're not taking me out yet," Bruno said, gathering his wits to ignore the pain and prepare himself for a stronger hit.

"But I will; I have to." Then Facekicker gave Bruno the same punch he had done first, only stronger. It was enough to cause a bruise to form, remarkable for the tough skin they had.

"Hey, I wasn't trying to hurt you, cause you're my brother," he said, backing up and pulling his arms in defensively.

The boy took notice of that. "Do you think these two remember each other?" he asked.

"What does it matter?" the girl asked with a shrug. "A battle's a battle and we fight to win."

Facekicker nodded. "Yeah, why haven't you realized that? Come on, if you're going to fight with me, fight properly."

"I thought we were just going to show off and shove each other, like we used to," Bruno said, feeling upset.

"It's battle!" Facekicker said, pointing at him before going to attack again. This time, he missed as Bruno stepped aside. "Don't get soft or your Trainer will get rid of you. Or worse: never call you out again."

"He wouldn't do that to me." He shoved at his brother, still not taking it seriously. Bruno would fight seriously when it was called for, but he could hurt others badly and his Trainer didn't like seeing Pokemon get injured. Because of that, he tried to hold back, using enough strength to win but not enough to cause lasting damage.

"Humans do that all the time," Facekicker said. He'd seen a number of teammates come into their group but then leave when they didn't perform to their Trainer's satisfaction. She gave them a harsh, though not abusive, training regimen. He liked that and had grown accustomed to it. Could his twin brother really be so naïve about humans still? Facekicker geared up for another attack, but the fighting method he used did make moves harder to use as he went on. It was best to give a strong move right off to finish enemies quickly.

Bruno felt annoyed that he would lump his Trainer in with careless humans. "Not mine!" he said, now punching Facekicker in the head with his steel beam in hand.

With the hit jarring his thoughts, Facekicker winced as he began seeing double. "Wha, what are you doing?" He slammed his body into Bruno, hoping to knock him out.

It very nearly did; Bruno felt like dropping out of the battle to get some rest and healing. But that would mean letting down his Trainer. Even against his twin brother, Bruno did not want to disappoint the boy. He respected him too much for that. "If you want me to get serious, then I will, for the honor of my friend!" He struck Facekicker in the gut, the blow knocking him to the ground and out of the battle.

"What?" the girl asked, clenching her fist. "My super training regimen should have made my Gurdurr far stronger than yours."

Ignoring her, the boy went to Bruno's side. "That was pretty rough," he said, gingerly rubbing the Gurdurr's arm and trying to avoid the bruised areas. "But don't worry; we'll get you healed up and well again."

"I know you won't let me down," Bruno said. Still, he felt a pang of sorrow for his twin brother. A harsh training led to a harsh Pokemon. Hopefully, he was happy with it.

…

Gurdurr White entry: They strengthen their bodies by carrying steel beams. They show off their big muscles to their friends.


	330. Minccino, Mienfoo, Simisage

The office was busy with activity, as usual. Not just the humans, who were paid, but the Pokemon that they brought along with them were busy as well. This was a battle office, where pedestrian Trainers could stop in to challenge the workers. This lost some productivity, but it was good publicity and it allowed for first-hand testing of new devices and observation of trends in techniques.

However, this day was not a battling day. Other floors and offices were open for that. Instead, the eleventh floor group needed a closed work-focus day in order to met deadlines. While human workers were busy at computers and drafting tables, a Minccino busily swept the tile floors with her gray tail. She hummed happily, even though it was what she did most days. She didn't even need to do it, as the nightly cleaning crew kept things spot free. But the eleventh floor workers had grown used to the Minccino's habits, walking around her so she could sweep uninterrupted

Also in the office today were a Mienfoo and a Simisage. The Mienfoo was new to the office, having been brought in by an engineer after he caught her on a long weekend trip. For the first part of the day, she stood on a stool, observing all the going-ons to get used to the new environment. On the other hand, the Simisage was a familiar Pokemon there, even if in an unfamiliar form. The engineer who owned him had been trying to find an alternative method of evolution rather than simply using a Leaf Stone. The stone market was pricy and difficult to predict, save for insiders who knew that market inside and out. But there was proof that alternative methods were possible, in wild Pokemon that should require special evolution methods but showed up in the evolved forms naturally. The engineer had come in today with the Simisage rather than the Pansage it had been, but had yet to give an explanation. He was currently busy writing a paper, so his methods may have worked.

The Mienfoo's owner was busy at another project; he looked over a test piece he had just finished. It was an accessory that he had designed based off of natural items that provoked certain reactions in Pokemon. Checking it over and finding no obvious problems, he thought that it was too bad that this was a closed office day for their floor. A battle, particularly a Double or Triple match, would be ideal to test this. The next battle day, he'd have to see about borrowing a second Pokemon. Maybe the Minccino (if he could get her to stop sweeping for a short while). Maybe one of his wife's Pokemon, even the one that had helped him catch the Mienfoo in the first place. He usually didn't have time to raise more than a single Pokemon at once.

"Here you go," the engineer said, giving the item to the Mienfoo. "We'll see how you are with it."

"Miooo," the Mienfoo said, quickly taking the item to look at it. It was shaped like a starfish on a chain bracelet, with sparkling gems set in it to reflect light in pleasing ways. She put it over her wrist, seeming pleased with it.

"Go on, take a look around now," the engineer said, gesturing her to leave her perch. "You'll be fine here."

The Mienfoo hopped down to the floor, looking closer at things and people. While she did, the Simisage spotted her from his perch atop a file cabinet. In particular, he saw the new sparkly accessory on her wrist. "Ooooo." He liked it very much, even from a distance, but thought that it was better suited for himself. Swishing his green thorny tail, he climbed onto the partition walls and crept along them. The walls wobbled under his weight far more than they did when he had been a Pansage. But he was determined to stay up there, as he was used to.

The Mienfoo came up to the Minccino, querying her about something. But the Minccino didn't care, continuing to hum and sweep. After a bit, the Mienfoo shrugged and gave up on talking with her for now. Then the Simisage jumped down from the partition wall, calling a challenge as he did. The Mienfoo made a graceful curving series of steps to get out of the way and face him. Pleased by her trick, she smirked and whistled insultingly at him.

That enraged the Simisage. He gave a growl and shook a fist at her. While he would have liked to shout, he'd been in this office for many years and knew that he should only let out a moderate level of noise if the floor was on a closed work day. He tried to snatch the bracelet away from her, but the Mienfoo pulled her hand away in time. Not only that, but she stepped back as well before hopping aside and roiling into a series of punches with her other fist. The Simisage clawed and hissed and whipped his tail at her wildly. However, she kept moving and weaving, keeping out of the way and blending all of her moves in smooth succession, as if in a martial dance.

Finally, the Simisage jumped back, then rushed into a full body tackle at the Mienfoo. He was going to use all of his strength to beat her and get her shiny new accessory. Yet again, he missed her. But this time, she had positioned herself just right so that when she slipped aside, he crashed straight into a tall potted plant. The plant was knocked right over, spilling dirt and leaves all over the floor.

And before any of the humans could comment or outwardly react, the Minccino shrieked and rushed out of the cubicle that she had been sweeping. She looked over the floor, at the spread of the dirt, then looked at the Simisage, shaking his head and getting back to his feet right in front of the toppled plastic pot. When he turned to see where the Mienfoo had gotten to, he saw the Minccino with an unexpectedly fierce scowl on her face. She darted over, grabbed the Simisage, somehow lifted him off the floor, then slammed him back down as if she were a wrestler. Amid some chuckles at the scene, the Simisage bolted away as soon as he could. He wouldn't come out of hiding around the Minccino for a long time after that.

The Mienfoo gave a whistle of appreciation and bowed to the Minccino. The Minccino made a happy sound, then noticed the shiny starfish bracelet. She stared at it for a little bit, then smiled and gave a cheery sound before going to fetch the hand broom and dustbin. This was just a bit too messy for her tail alone.

Having observed the whole incident, the engineer who owned the Mienfoo made some notes on his tablet computer. 'Star Target – makes the wearer the center of attention of many Pokemon. Makes the wearer more likely to be targeted in a group battle; higher chance when attacker is wild or acting independently, moderate chance for trained and guided Pokemon as well. Not 100% effective at making the wearer the focus of attacks, though.'

…

Mienfoo White entry: They have mastered elegant combos. As they concentrate, their battle moves become swifter and more precise.

Minccino White entry: These Pokemon prefer a tidy habitat. They are always sweeping and dusting, using their tails as brooms.

Simisage White entry: It attacks enemies with strikes of its thorn-covered tail. This Pokemon is wild tempered.


	331. Crustle, Ferroseed, Scraggy

The humans were building again, a huge castle in the desert this time. Which meant a lot of work for the Crustles who were owned by them. Shortly after the sun rose, it began. A Crustle would pick up a massive stone block that other Pokemon had obsessively sanded down to a perfect square form (that obsession having been instilled in them by the humans). Then it would follow a line accompanied by a couple of human guards (with Pokemon to do the fighting work) all the way across the sandy city to the building site, carrying the stone block without dropping it. There, the blocks would be passed off to the Gurdurr and Conkeldurr that were in charge of stacking the blocks to the humans' precise demands. Then the Crustle would walk all the way back to the block crafting site two miles away to pick up another block to return with.

"The walk back is the worst of it," one of the Crustle told a new Pokemon at the work site while he waited to be able to pick up a new block.

"Why is that?" the small metallic Pokemon asked. It called itself a Ferroseed and was covered in green spikes. "You don't have a huge block to carry."

The Crustle rubbed one of his claws over his exposed back. "That's exactly why. I like hiding under the huge stones; anything that's out to get me would have a tough time moving my rock. Being like this, anything could attack me and I would be helpless. They make us walk all this way without any more protection than before and if we get stalled at all, I start to feel like a nervous wreck."

"Still, that's a lot of work," the Ferroseed said. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Um, I dunno." He thought about it. "I don't mind carrying the stones, although it does get tiring to do the same thing day after day. The palace is only half done; a year, I think?"

"That's a lot of work. Do they feed you well?"

"It's a little dull, but we get fed every day." He crept forward as the line moved, the Ferroseed hopping in the sand nearby. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen a Pokemon like you here before."

The Ferroseed blinked, retracting his thorns a bit. "I don't know exactly. They pulled me out of my home cave and brought me here into this bright sunlight. Something about security?"

"Oh, then you're probably in one of the guard's fighting teams. You'll be fighting off some of the city Pokemon that try to interfere with the work line."

"Good to know they're stepping up the security teams," the Crustle in front of him said. "Those pests have been causing far too much trouble and delay. We got stopped for an hour yesterday when we were on our way back."

"That was horrible," he agreed.

The Ferroseed tilted itself. "Fighting off pests, huh? I guess I'm okay with that. What Pokemon exactly are causing the problems?"

"A pack of Scraggy," he said. "They've been trouble all along, but lately they've been awful about headbutting stones off our backs and breaking them."

"Huh. I dunno what that is, but if they let me shoot others, I'm fine with it." The Ferroseed half-hopped and half-rolled at the Crustle's side until they got to the area where the blocks were being picked up.

The Crustle was going to pick up a block, but then the nearest human supervisor stepped in front of him. "This fellow has the Ferroseed? Get it to take the blocks over there today; those ones shouldn't have iron in them for that one to weaken the blocks with."

"Bah, there goes my idea that this was an easy meal," the Ferroseed said, extending its thorns in annoyance.

"They don't make it easy for any of us," the Crustle said, walking over with the guard to pick up one of the special blocks.

For instance, once he had the block, the guard picked the Ferroseed up carefully with his thick leather gloves, then began to attach him to the block. "He-hey, you don't have to tie me down!" the Ferroseed complained fruitlessly. "I can attach myself to this rock."

"You okay?" the Crustle asked, not able to see the Ferroseed well now with the block in way of his vision.

There was grumbling, but then the human snapped his whip on the ground, getting the Crustle to get back to his usual place in line. "I guess, but they tied me down," the Ferroseed said. "I hate that. I wouldn't have a problem sticking to a moving block, but if they're going to keep me from rolling away in case I get in trouble? I don't like this anymore."

"You should've rolled away earlier."

The Ferroseed sighed. "Yeah. But they have fire, so that wouldn't be easy either."

Compared to the stone block, the Ferroseed didn't weigh much. This made the walk to the building ground the same as usual. But on the second round, they got stopped halfway to the site by the troublesome Scraggy. There were five of them, clutching their skins in one hand while they shook the other as a fist. "Stop working, you fools!" one of them called out. "We'll break all your blocks if we have to to make you stop!"

"Yeah, you'd have to fight the humans first and that's not happening," the Crustle said, lowering his stance so the block protected him better.

"Ferroseed, fire at them before they start headbutting blocks," the human guard ordered.

"Why...? Aah, get that fire away from me!" The Ferroseed fired off dozens of his sharp green thorns into the Scraggy crowd, in order to get the guard to move the torch away. That must be it; the Crustle had wondered why that guard had a flaming torch during the day instead of night. Not that there was much he could do to help. The humans might decide to punish him as well.

The thorny barrage did make the Scraggy group scatter a little. A couple of them tripped over themselves and got hit. Another of them took a few steps closer and lowered his head. "Ha, you won't scare us into giving up! We're the thick-headed Scraggy! And we're going to support the war against humans when it comes here!"

"War against humans?" the Crustle asked to himself. That was the first warning he had of the chaos that was soon to come to this city, war that would end this drudgery. Yet it wasn't going to make his life any easier.

…

Crustle White entry: It possesses legs of enormous strength, enabling it to carry heavy slabs for many days, even when crossing arid land.

Scraggy B2/W2 entry: Proud of its sturdy skull, it suddenly headbutts everything, but its weight makes it unstable too.

Ferroseed Black entry: When threatened, it attacks by shooting a barrage of spikes, which gives it the chance to escape by rolling away.


	332. Flabebe

Drifting in the chilled air, the tiny voice of a tiny Pokemon sang. "It's a glorious sight, surfing on the wind tonight! 'cept it's not night when the sun's so bright, but no matter the light, I'm surfing, surfing, surfing on the wind tonight! Whee!" A violet dot of a saffron flower could be seen in the sky, whirling around among the snowflakes. "No matter the cold, no matter the weather, me and my flower are forever together, free to surf and play. Whee!"

Down below on the snowy path, there was a gasp, then jumping footsteps as another song filled the air. "Flabebe, Flabebe, pretty as can be; Flabebe, Flabebe, who will my love be?"

The Flabebe gripped the stamen of her saffron and made it slow in its whirling in order to tilt. There was a human girl own there, dressed in a most glorious pink, flowery, and frilly dress with a pretty hat to match. "Why do you girls always think that I know that?" she asked, then shifted her flower's drift so that it began descending. "I'm not a rose Flabebe, or even a lily. Still, it's so much fun when you sing to me! Flabebe, Flabebe!"

Before she got into the girl's reach, though, a gust of wind grasped her flower and flung it far down the road. The Flabebe laughed and laughed, making her flower twirl again. A good gust was too much fun to miss out on! As she was still descending, she crashed right into another human, a boy with orange hair. It dazed her for a moment.

"Hmm?" the boy looked around, eventually cupping a hand under her. "Oh, it's a Flabebe. Odd; I would think that this isn't the right season for you. There were so many of you in the spring, then I haven't seen any wild ones since."

"What do you mean it's not the right season?" the Flabebe asked. "I'm never on time! I had to live as nothing but a mote for months and months until my perfect flower bloomed in autumn, so I'm going to savor every moment I have with my flower."

Not understanding her, the boy took the computer device in his other hand and moved it oddly. "I should record you, though, what with the unusual flower and season. But that's more contradictory evidence about whether you're born with the flower as part of your body or if you choose the flower in the fields and can't use your powers until you do."

She frowned, shaking her yellow-crowned head. "What, are you making fun of my flower? You better not be."

The girl she had been blown away from then came running down the road towards them. The boy holding her tensed immediately, but it seemed more of a shy nervousness than fear based on his scent. Ignoring that, the girl breathlessly asked, "Hey, have you seen a Flabebe in the wind? Oh you do have it! It's even prettier than it was in the air!"

"Er, if you saw one just now, it was probably this one," the boy said in quiet tones. "I'm trying to get a picture of it for the Pokedex, so, um..."

"Oh, okay, you take the picture and then I'll see if it wants to play with me," the girl in the frilly dress said. But then she leaned forward and looked at his face. "Hey, aren't you one of those kids that's part of the Defenders of Kalos? The ones who beat up Team Flare?"

There were a few clicks form the device as the Flabebe watched the two talking. "Yeah, sort of," the boy said. "If you really want to meet the ones who did that, you'd need to find Calem or Serena. I just helped. Um, I'm Trevor."

The girl grinned. "That's so cool! I wish my friends would go do awesome things like that with me. But they just want to have tea parties and garden, not go on an adventure, even when I tell them that you're not going to find a handsome prince by just staying at home."

"I... guess not," Trevor said, puzzled and uncomfortable with the conversation. He held out the hand the Flabebe's flower was sitting in. "Okay, I've got her pictures."

"Yay!" the girl said, jumping in place. "Come on, Flabebe, we'll go on an adventure so I can become a princess!"

Since she seemed done here, the Flabebe shook her saffron flower, then whirled up into the air. "I don't know about that," she said. "I need to catch up on all that I missed out on while waiting for my flower to bloom."

"Oh yeah, and what about my question?" the girl said, calming down and watching her eagerly.

"Huh?" The Flabebe tilted her head, then smiled. "You mean the song? I have no clue who your true love would be. But for the sake of giving an answer," she pointed at Trevor.

"It's you?" the girl asked in wonder.

"What about me?" he asked warily.

"You're the prince I love!" the girl said, tackling him into a tight hug. Trevor's eyes went wide and he struggled unsuccessfully to get out of her grasp until she let him go; he immediately dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. "This is so amazing! I decided to go out looking for my prince this morning and I find him just a few minutes outside of town! Wow, this is going to be a wonderful winter! We can go out on an adventure until we can find the mysterious quest that gives us royalty status, and then we can live in a castle and make cookies to give to everyone, and..."

After a moment of staring at the girl, Trevor decided he wanted nothing to do with her. He grabbed his computer equipment then got up to run away. As she was lost in her own fantasy world, he got a fair distance away.

But not out of sight before she noticed he was gone. "Huh? Hey, come back here! This is our destiny! I'll prove my love to you!" She rushed off after him, quick enough that things could go either way.

The Flabebe burst into laughter, making her saffron flower twirl and spread its sweet scent.

…

Flabebe Y entry: When it finds a flower it likes, it dwells on that flower its whole life long. It floats in the wind's embrace with an untroubled heart.


	333. Lillipup

As it is time for my early afternoon water and stretch break, I, Official Lillipup Supreme Household Security Chief And Beloved Of Whole Family Pokemon Pet (also known as Mr. Wuffles), will give the morning overview and report to my underling security officers, Mr. Raggy PokeDoll and Mr. Jingles the Ball. Today went off to a good start as I was let outside promptly at dawn by family member known as Mom and the grass was nice and dewy. Examination through perky eyes, sharp ears, and radar fur showed that the yard had been been visited by some wild Pokemon during the night, but nothing destructive. I made certain to reassert my claim to this territory for the sake of protecting my humans.

Upon returning to the house after my morning walk and check, I set about to inspecting the house as usual. Mom was in a hurry to get to work and nearly left behind her lunch, but I was able to get her attention in time so she did not. Sniffing around the hall made me sneeze, so after this break, I will go point out the need for sweeping and mopping to Dad. As he is currently working on the computer, it may not be easy. I may need to roll around and get dust fluffs on me, no matter how unprofessional that will make me appear. That usually works.

In the middle of house inspection, there came time to send the children of the household to school. Child known as Sam has been leaving her toys on the floor lately, so I pushed a doll by her bed on the spot where she would put on her foot on it as an argument for why she should clean her room. Yes, Mr. Jingles, it was a potential hazard, but I believe it was effective as she was upset to have hurt the doll's feelings by stepping on it and Dad told her she should pick up her toys so it will not happen again. Meanwhile, child known as Kevin nearly overslept, but I licked his face until he complied in getting out of bed. He complains that I have bad breath.

Thank you, Mr. Raggy PokeDoll, I am glad to hear that you think my breath smells fine.

The preparations for school are always hectic with four children around, even if only three attend. But with my excellent fur, I can see objects on top of tables even when underneath them, so I can easily keep track of school items and make sure none are left behind. Once the three had left for school, I attended to the rest of my house inspection. All I found was further evidence of need of dusting.

Then I went to my next duty, of watching after child named Peter with Dad. You should remember this part, Mr. Jingles, as you were part of the activity 'Fetch'. This went on without unusual incident.

At noon, I was allowed back outside for my noon investigations of the yard while Dad prepared lunch. It was during this investigation that I came across my arch-nemesis, the neighbor's Purrloin. This insidious, underhanded, and sneaky individual had climbed into a tree in my family's yard in order to scratch at the bark. That is unacceptable! I barked loudly and ran around the tree to worry her, but the enemy Pokemon just sat up there smugly. I believe she had some plan to swindle my family when she already has a family of her own who foolishly pander to her extravagant feline demands. Thus, I struck the tree with a mighty headbutt to knock her off her lofty perch and chased her out of the year. Enemy plans foiled once again!

I did not return to the house until I was certain she would not be sneaking back into our yard, hence why I am late in coming back for my water break. I'm sorry about that, but it had to be done. Dad must have noticed my heroics in defending the yard as he offered me a tasty treat as a reward. While my main concern is my family's safety, I do appreciate the gesture. As for my afternoon duties, convincing Dad to do some cleaning is high in priority. Which means I need to go pick up some dust fluffs, unfortunately. But perhaps he will brush me so that the fluffs don't cling all day.

Or... I'm picking up movement past the couch, in the hallway. Peter is walking around and leaving the sight of Dad; Dad must be engrossed in his work again. I suppose that means that I should go observe Peter and make sure he is safe first. Very well, I must leave you to your posts, Mr. Pokedoll and Mr. Jingles, and return to my proper duties. Mr. Wuffles out.

…

Lillipup White entry: The long hair around its face provides an amazing radar that lets it sense subtle changes in its environment.


	334. Aurorus, Chespin, Binacle

The bridge over to this side of the canyon had been a tight squeeze, but now they were on a nice wide path of dirt road that gave Aurorus plenty of room to walk on. In this chilly area outside of the ice cavern, the tall dinosaur Pokemon kept her neck fins folded up so that she kept more body heat to herself. On her back, her Trainer Shauna was bundled up in a cute pink coat, snow pants, fluffy hat, and boots to tolerate the weather. There was also a group of four Chespins riding along, even one on Arurorus' head, but as long as the sun shone they didn't seem bothered by the cold.

"This looks like a good place!" Shauna said, patting Aurorus' neck. "People will be coming and going from the cave to get Pokemon, so we might even get an audience. Come on, set up a booth so we can record images for the PR video."

"Auuurrrooo," Aurorus called, stopping so her passengers could slide or jump off. The crystals imbedded in her skin began to sparkle as she built energy for what had been requested.

Meanwhile, Shauna brought out her smart phone to access her computer storage account. But a look over the items inside revealed a problem. All the equipment she'd brought had been packed away in boxes, so the storage program had decided to label every single one of them 'Box' instead of anything helpful. She frowned, but since most of it would help, she began materializing all of the 'Box' items. She didn't want to get in Aurorus' way, so the boxes were called out in stacks, hopefully not too precarious.

The air began to crackle as the humidity in the area was forced into becoming a solid sheet of ice. Aurorus formed a six foot tall and nine feet wide ice wall, setting it firmly on the ground. Since a structure was needed, she created two narrower walls and set them on either side of the bigger wall. That allowed her to craft an icy ceiling to finish it off with.

"Great job, Aurorus!" Shauna said, taking a box and opening it to find a camera. "Now we just gotta figure out what's in each box..." There was a crash beside her as one of the Chespins had tried adjusting the other stack, only to get the upper boxes to fall on top of him. "Hey, are you all right?"

The Chespin popped up from underneath the boxes and grinned, giving her a thumbs up. He was just fine. However, the hard wooden shell on his head seemed to have put a crack in one of the boxes. That one had the spotlights and the portable generator. Fortunately, she knew there were replacement bulbs somewhere and the generator seemed fine. This was only a slight delay, so she kept opening boxes and directing the Chespins in how to set things up.

Once they set up the gong and the drums, though, the Chespins were soon distracted in hitting the instruments with their heads, leaving Shauna to finish setting up. She found the replacement bulbs and got the lights hooked up to the generator. Then she examined the ice structure that made up their backdrop. "That looks really nice, Aurorus," she said, smiling up at the tall Pokemon. "Hey, you know, the area around Snowbelle and here stays cold all year long. I bet you and I could build a whole house out of your ice! Oo, or even a castle! Wouldn't that be magnificent?"

"Rrruuurrooo," Aururos said, pleased with the idea. Then she nudged the roof of the structure. Of course, the flaw in that plan was that she worked best at making walls. Learning how to make a partial shelter like this had taken a lot of doing.

"Yeah, in order to pull it off, I'd have to learn how to carve up ice," Shauna said. "But it could still work! You'd make flat pieces of ice like big boards of wood, and then I'd cut them up and make them into furniture and whatever else we wanted. If I was real careful, then I might even be able to make a chandelier out of ice. We'd have to put it in a room with a really high ceiling so that you didn't bonk your head into it."

All of a sudden, there was a shout from far overhead. Something large and gray fell out of the sky and crashed into the ceiling of Aurorus' shelter, breaking it into thousands of ice shards. It also landed on top of a Chespin, but she merely paused in her drumming and looked at the newcomer with a curious tilt of her head. Meanwhile, the Binacle pair stuck to the large rock shook themselves to recover, one pressing down on the ground to flip onto their proper side.

"What, what was that about?" Shauna asked, puzzled more than mad about losing the structure. It could be rebuilt. However, the Aurorus whined sadly and hung her head.

One Binacle stretched its striped body out to pull their rock out of the rubble, while the other Binacle held itself high and said, "All right, cut the script right there. We're gonna have to scrap this story and start all over again."

"Wh-what?!" Shauna said. "Why? We were doing just fine until you showed up."

"Yeah, and you were the idiot who broke the frame by speaking," one of the Chespin retorted.

"No way, this story wasn't going right in any fashion," the Binacle said, with the other one snapping its head fingers now that they were in place. "It wasn't going anywhere at all! And what kind of scenario are you trying to accomplish anyhow?"

"I was gonna shoot some film for a PR video and have fun with my beautiful Aurorus and my gang of adorable Chespins," Shauna said, putting her hands on her hips. "And we could have done a perfectly fine story just doing that! It would've had music and everything!"

"How can you pull off music in text form?" the Binacle countered. "Not only that, but what kind of plot is that? It's nothing, it's horrible, and this story had better get erased right now."

"No, no way!" Shauna insisted, stamping her foot down and scattering snow in doing so. "Trevor got to do a story months ago and I want to do one too! But mine would be all about fun, not serious stuffy..." she waved a hand while thinking of a word, "stuff like plots and whatever."

"Besides, I think we've cleared the qualifications anyhow," one of the Chespin said. "She's not a strict author, you know. Now can we go back to playing? I was hopping to get a xylophone solo in at some point."

"This is ridiculous," both Binacle said, sighing and shaking one of their heads.

"My pretty little building is ruined," Aurorus said sadly, crying a bit.

Shauna crossed her arms over her chest. "You're the one who wrecked our story, Binacle, so you'd better fix it. What are you gonna do about that?"

"Well first we need an actual plot," one Binacle said. "And some sun-dried seaweed would be nice; I'm hungry."

"No, we need to clear up this wreckage first," a Chespin said, pulling out a very comical looking bomb with a sparkling fuse. "And explosions fix everything, so I hear."

"W-wait!" the Binacle pair said, while another Chespin hurried over to Shauna and jumped to cling onto her chest. The bomb exploded in a colorful cartoon fashion, not troubling the Chespin at all due to their natural wooden helmets, and not hurting Shauna because the Chespin protected her. Aurorus was fine too, since she was far too big to be affected. However, the Binacle found themselves near unconscious and covered in black soot. One coughed and then they both fell over.

Unfortunately, the explosion also wrecked Shauna's equipment. "O-kay then," Shauna said, dropping the Chespin in her arms. "Well that was weird. So, um," she looked around at them. "Anybody know the point of this story now?"

"Dunno," the Chespin by her said, while the others shrugged or scratched their heads.

"It made me sad," Aurorus said mournfully. "How can we build an ice castle if Binacles are gonna drop out of the sky and ruin everything?"

"Aw, I'm sorry, Aurorus," Shauna said, going over and hugging the huge Pokemon as best she could. Aurorus nudged her head with her snout. "We can still try, but like I said, I need ice-carving lessons and we need a better plan for it."

"Hey, how about we go over to Laverre and have a tea party instead?" one of the Chespin suggested. "Would that make a good PR video?"

"Oo, I think that would be really classy," Shauna said, getting excited. "Let's go do that!"

And they left to do so, but this story is already over. Good night, dear readers.

…

Aurorus Y entry: Using its diamond-shaped crystals, it can instantly create a wall of ice to block an opponent's attack.

Chespin Y entry: Such a thick shell of wood covers its head that even a direct hit from a truck wouldn't faze it.

Binacle Y entry: They stretch and then contract, yanking their rocks along with them in bold hops. They eat seaweed that washes up on the shoreline.


	335. Dragalge, Tympole

"Did you ever wonder what else life could have given you?"

"Hmm?" The Tympole looked over at his partner, a rough and scarred Dragalge. The slippery dragon was coiled around the ship's rails as usual.

"Like, what if we weren't out here passing through the same old swamp day after day," the Dragalge said, looking over the murky muck of vegetation they used the boat to get over safely.

The Tympole shook himself. "That wouldn't be good. Trainer says there's valuable things he harvests out here and that's how he gets his money, to take care of himself and us."

"Well that isn't the only way to get money," she said, sliding along the rail. "There must be other ways because if not, other people wouldn't be able to pay him for this stuff."

"And someone else would have to pay those people," he considered. "But where would that money all come from in the first place?"

"I have no idea," the Dragalge said. "I'm no human. Besides, I didn't want to talk about money. I want to talk about life."

This was odd, but hardly the first odd topic she brought up on quiet days like this. "You sure you want to talk about it? Life can be a sensitive thing."

Her eyes narrowed and her seaweed fronds shook. "Don't be twisting my meanings, stupid! I mean about what our lives could have been like."

"Hmm." The Tympole closed his eyes, but he kept his ears open so he could keep doing his job. His nose was telling him that they could be getting in trouble shortly.

"Nothing says that if we were to repeat this life that it would go exactly the same way,"' she said, missing the cue for a moment. "Change one little thing and it might be different. Like on the day we met. I hate acknowledging a loss, but if I had won that day, I would still be out in the swamp trying to attack this boat like all the other Dragalge do. And some other Dragalge would be here talking to you, maybe about life, maybe about something else. What do you think? What little thing would have sent you down a different life?"

He remained with his eyes closed. This wasn't going to be pretty. But after having dealt with her for so long, he knew it was the best way to get her to realize things.

As he thought, she got mad at first. "What're you ignoring me for? A nap? That's so stupid, we have a job we need to do and while we can talk, we certainly can't nap and ignore it entirely. You're the one who taught me that, so you should know better."

There was a worrying splash nearby, not loud but typical of a certain Pokemon. The Tympole used his cheeks to send out a piercing warning croak, including information on which direction the threat was coming from and how far away. Their Trainer, at the controls of the swamp boat, slowed the vessel's speed and watched them for hints as to where the trouble was. Passing up her anger for a moment, the Dragalge brought her head up and looked in the direction he gave to spot another of her kind paying attention to them and preparing to attack. They could easily take down a far bigger and sturdier boat than this one, so the Dragalge with them spat a few poison balls in quick succession to deter the one in the swamp.

The disruption gave her the moment she needed to realize what happened. "Aw no, I called you stupid again, didn't I? Tympole, I'm really sorry about that. You know how I am; that kind of thing just slips off my tongue when I'm not thinking about it. I wanted to talk about something serious this time, that's all." He opened his eyes in time to see her shake herself. "You and Trainer are so calm and civilized that I can't quite get used to it even after all this time with you two."

"I do know that you wouldn't bring up stuff about life with anyone else," the Tympole said.

"Yeah, because I know you aren't going to snap at me for thinking of such weird stuff," she said. "I sort of like you for that."

"Only sort of?" he asked.

"Hey, don't push it!" She looked off into the swamp rather than at him, usually a sign that she'd embarrassed herself. "But anyhow, even if our life went on so that we ended up with this human and each other, things could have been different. He could have used us in battles with other humans and Pokemon; we could've been evolved to more powerful forms already."

"Well it would be nice if I did evolve," he said. "Then I could know the swamp better and be a more accurate scout."

The Dragalge sighed. "If you were evolved, we wouldn't have to be making this swamp trek nearly every day. We could be earning a lot of money and respect as a battle team."

The Tympole curled his tail's edges some. "I dunno. I like this. We get to talk to each other a lot and Trainer makes us good meals, then we go back to a nice home every night and sleep out of the weather. If we were a battle team, we'd be in a lot of battles and be resting to heal a lot. We couldn't talk much then. And Trainer would have to be traveling around so we couldn't always come back home. And he couldn't always make us good meals because he wouldn't have his kitchen. Maybe if it was another life, I wouldn't mind that, but as this is this life, I would mind it. I'm happy with how things are, being here with you and Trainer every day. Wouldn't trade this life or you for anything."

"St… Stop embarrassing me!" she said, tensing up and trying to stay a prideful wild Pokemon even though she'd been in a human's possession for over a year now.

At least she hadn't called him stupid. But he'd still like to know if she honestly like this life or not.

…

Dragalge X entry: Their poison is strong enough to eat through the hull of a tanker, and they spit it indiscriminately at anything that enters their territory.

Tympole Black entry: They warn others of danger by vibrating their cheeks to create a high-pitched sound.


	336. Magneton, Magnezone, Probopass

It's impossible! It goes against the rules of the world. Look, it's plain a day that there are limits to Pokemon evolution. Some Pokemon never evolve; nothing that is done to them will make them change. Some Pokemon can evolve more than once. However, such Pokemon only ever evolve twice! They have three stages and that's it. It's a rule.

So many disbelievers, stuck with thoughts of what was obvious. They thought there were rules to the world, and there probably were such rules. But the Mallus group felt that what rules the world had weren't what people understood them to be. In the past century, science and technology had advanced by leaps and bounds. It didn't even have to be that long to see mankind's progress. There were machines that were once thought to be impossible, such as the holocaster, as little as ten years ago. But now they were commonplace, so light and sturdy that a holocaster unit could be comfortably worn on the arm in any conditions. That meant that what was thought impossible might in fact be possible.

Like surpassing the limits of Pokemon evolution. There was evidence that the three stage upper limit wasn't so. There was Mega Evolution to account for in that, as third stage Pokemon such as Gardevoir and Blastoise could do so. Charizard even had two possible mega-evolutions! While it was only temporary using old methods, there might be a way to make the mega-evolved form permanent instead of temporary. There might be a way to make any Pokemon mega-evolve. Thus, there might be a way to make any Pokemon evolve even further.

Some critics still thought they were using bad logic, but the Mallus group wasn't one to adhere to standard ideas.

They decided to work on the leader's favorite Pokemon, the Magnemite family and the Nosepass family. Making a Probopass evolve would be nice, although it wouldn't necessarily prove their theories unless they could get it to evolve twice more. On the other hand, getting a Magnezone to evolve would be perfect proof, opening up a whole range of possibilities. They just had to find how to do so.

As both Nosepass and Magneton would evolve under similar circumstances of a powerful magnetic field, the Mallus group had theorized that any further evolution would require the same. Perhaps more powerful? They had managed to recreate those circumstances within their lab, which was designed to contain such magnetic fields to not disturb the city they were located in. The resulting Probopasses and Magnezones had been taken out to do intensive training. For most evolutions, a build-up of particular biochemicals that were produced in result to winning battles was the cause. The energy from that might be required for this next evolution.

When the test subjects appeared ready, they were taken back to the electromagnetism lab. The group had analyzed various stones related to Mega Evolution, coming up with their own synthesized stones that should work with them. However, as all the Pokemon involved could generate their own strong electromagnetic fields, it wasn't a good idea for the human scientists to go into the lab when the Magnetons, Magnezones, and Probopasses were all in there. But they did have three Probopasses, each with three satellite units. The nine rocky Mini-Noses darted in and out of the lab, bringing in the hold items to pass out and relaying orders.

“We do have the synthesized stones set to one of each proper and one of each improper?” the leader asked, going down a checklist. Giving the Pokemon the wrong mega stone was said to do nothing, but just because it was said didn't mean it was so.

“Yes, you can trust the Mini-Noses.”

“I've got them detected that way,” another said, turning from a monitor.

“Good, good.” The leader continued down the list until the first part was confirmed done. “All right, seal the door!” The concrete dirt-packed door rumbled to its closed position, machines clattering into position until a solid heavy clunk signaled that all of the pieces were in place. Nothing would be getting through that door, not even electricity. “Get the Magnetons into position and building the field.”

One worker on the radio unit gave the orders for the Pokemon. While the Probopasses also generated a magnetic field, they could not direct and empower it like the Magnetons or Magnezones. And the latter of that group stood a better chance of evolving if they weren't focus on using so much energy. The Magnetons got themselves encircling the six other Pokemon, holding their magnet arms towards each other. As the electromagnetic field grew, the Magnetons pulled closer to each other.

Meanwhile, the three Probopasses and three Magnezones were in playful moods. One Magnezone kept sculpting the nearby Probopass' mustache into various forms, which it stoically reformed each time the Magnezone gave a buzzing laugh. Another Magnezone had produced a pair of satellite units of its own, much too simple for being new Magnemites. It and two of the Probopass were trying to juggle their satellites with each other. The last Magnezone shifted around and made sure none of them, not even the satellite units, left the circle of Magnetons.

Then the juggled satellite units started slowing down. “We're at the field strength needed to evolve the Magnetons.”

The leader nodded. “Have them maintain it for five minutes.”

However, nothing changed them. Not even the Magnetons. The jugglers had switched over to playing some game with the satellites that resembled a dance.

They'd suspected this would be. But initiating a battle wasn't easy with the number of field supporting Magnetons in the group. There needed to be more to gain that kind of space. “Increase the power of the field.”

The Magnetons began shimmering in their efforts to comply with the orders. The visibility into the room became blurred. Not badly, they could still see… the jugglers had to put off their game as the units were becoming difficult to move. In fact, all six Pokemon within the circle were having trouble moving now. Whistles and clicks came through the speakers; at least one of them was becoming anxious. Then the Magnezone that had been monitoring the rest attempted to wave its magnet arm and scold the others into obedience. Its hull shone as it started contributing. Before long, the other five cooperated as well.

Then, a serious of brilliant flashes made the monitor turn white briefly. In the observation room, the scientists hoped it had worked… they wanted it to work… but no. That was all of the encircling Magnetons evolving in reaction to electromagnetic field. It was growing so powerful that the electronic equipment started flashing, giving off warnings that even with the shields, they might not be able to withstand it much longer.

“What now?”

The leader was determined to see this through. “We've got to maintain this level for a time, see what happens. Shut off the delicate stuff if need be, switch over to other equipment to keep measurements.”

Within the lab, the newly evolved Magnezones found themselves full of energy. Excited, they put all the effort they could into this field. The speakers crackled, making it so that the human giving orders couldn't be heard clearly. The six within the circle figured things had to be going well for the others to evolve, so they put all their efforts into it too. With the electromagnetic field continuing to grow, the few things left inside the lab with the Pokemon began to vibrate, even lifting off the ground in defiance of gravity. There was a wave cracks and snaps as the concrete walls could not contain the energy.

Shrill sirens from outside. “****, we triggered the Magneton alarms,” the leader said, annoyed again at the laws restricting their research.

“Should we get them to stop?”

“No, let's see how far this can go.”

Not even a minute later, the walls of the electromagnetism lab crumbled like cheese. The lights in other parts of the building grew intense before crashing into darkness. And the wave of the blackout spread through the entire city, only slowing down twenty-five miles outside its borders. Even worse, none of the Magnezones nor the Probopass had evolved in the incident.

The Mallus Group nearly lost everything as a result, but they managed to slowly rebuild with sales of the synthesized mega-stones.

...

Probopass Diamond/Pearl entry: It exudes strong magnetism from all over. It controls three small units called Mini-Noses.

Magneton Omega Ruby entry: Magneton emits a powerful magnetic force that is fatal to mechanical devices. As a result, large cities sound sirens to warn citizens of large-scale outbreaks of this Pokemon.

Magnezone Platinum entry: A group tried to use scientific means to make Magnezone evolve, but their efforts ended in failure.


	337. Drillbur, Krokorok

Turn, turn, turn, through the dirt and the rocks. He enjoyed the feeling, so much so that he'd tunnel underground without purpose or destination, until he got tired and had to sleep. Then he'd tunnel again. Well, that's what the Drillbur would like to do. But, he had things he had to do, others he was working for. He paid attention to where he was going, eventually coming up in the middle of town.

There was a diner here, one that had the front part of a propeller-driven plane attached to its wall like it had crashed through and just been left there. The people here were nice; they'd even installed a button by the door that made it easier for Pokemon like him to get it open. If he tried to use the handle, his claws might poke holes in the door. He walked in and went over to the counter. There weren't many people in this time of day, so he could tap it to get attention from the staff.

A waitress he was familiar with came over and patted him on the head. “Oh, hello dearie, nice to see you again! Here for the usual?”

The Drillbur nodded. This was a common enough errand that he was recognized here. To pay for it, he offered a nice stone that he'd found while tunneling around the other day.

Taking it, she put it by the register. “Newbie, we need to get a package for the soldier together.”

“What soldier?” a cook on duty asked.

“There's this guy out on one of the rocky beaches that thinks the Great War is still going on. This Drillbur comes by to pick up food for him.”

As usual this person couldn't believe it at first. “Seriously? It's been years since the war ended.”

“Right, but nobody can convince him of that. He still has his weapons and armor, so if we don't help him out, he'll come shooting up town just to get some food. Most of the town agrees, but we can't go up to him directly.”

“I guess that works?” the cook said, but he helped out with putting together the package. They made sure to put it in an unmarked back, then set it in the side bag the Drillbur wore. After patting the waitress' arm in thanks, he left the diner and drilled back underground to get back home.

The ground changed, becoming harder. He headed towards the ocean. When he found a comfortable familiar scent, he emerged between a pair of free-standing rocks. This whole beach was scattered with them, giving many places to hide. On top of one of them, a Krokorok stood guard, watching over the beach. She'd been up there all night on watch, since her eyes were adapted to see heat as well as light.

Happy to see his beloved okay, the Drillbur called out and waved his paw at her. She waved back, then jumped off tall stone with a flip.She nuzzled her head against his. While it wasn't a long trip, it still took him out of their home territory and they were technically free Pokemon that could be captured. They did have a human they belonged to, just not with Pokeballs that would keep them from being taken away by other Trainers.

Their human was in a small fort he'd built up of stones and dried leaves. He didn't speak much, but he had helped them out when the Krokorok had gotten ill while they were waiting on a group of their eggs to hatch. For that, they would watch over him even if others thought he was crazy. He thanked the Drillbur for getting the food, then told the Krokorok that she should get some sleep. She was a hard worker, sometimes more than was good for her. Agreeing with their human, he patted her side and made sure she went off to sleep.

When she was, he took up her position as guard to make sure the area stayed safe.

* * *

 The Krokorok usually slept through the morning and early afternoon, spending the rest of the day with her beloved Drillbur. They liked to toss around the smaller rocks, playfully practice battles near the larger ones, and sometimes even just sit to watch the ocean waves come in. As long as they were together, it would be a good day.

That day, he had picked up on someone coming into their territory first, a vibration in the ground that he identified as a car. She jumped to the top of a nearby boulder, then hopped over several to get to a taller one. While good jumping skills were not a skill her kind was known for, there were Pokemon in her bloodline that were. From up there, she could see the car coming their way. It didn't turn at the usual intersection, so she waved down to her partner and indicated he should go intervene. It was safer than letting their human know, since the human tended to use his gun against trespassers.

He gave her a responding wave, then rapidly dug underground to get to the road. He was good enough to be able to emerge at the side of the road well ahead of the car, in order to wave for the car to stop. While they did stop, one old man emerged and spoke with the Drillbur. The human was dressed in a uniform similar their humans', only fancier and in better shape. Her beloved dug back into the ground while the man walked over towards their human's shelter.

Flipping herself off the boulder, the Krokorok considered what to do. She didn't want people to be hurt, but she should bring this to the attention of her human. Maybe the uniform would make the difference. Hoping it did, she went over to fishing in the ocean. “Krokorok,” he said in words that weren't like the others on the island. “What's the matter?”

She pointed out towards the road, giving him a hand signal that indicated it was a stranger she didn't know how to respond do. The soldier put up his fishing gear ad headed back towards his fort. Staying outside, he waited until the other human could be seen. The Krokorok waited, thinking it might work out. After all, the human hadn't hurt her beloved.

The Drillbur popped out of the ground, giving a signal that this wasn't something to worry about. The other human called out their human's name, which surprised him. “Admiral? I didn't think someone like yourself would come to me.”

“It's something I had to come take care of myself,” the admiral said. “We've wondered where you wereall this time. What's your status, soldier?”

He saluted. “Sir, I was assigned this post and told to hold this ground. I lost contact with the rest of my unit and a large number of people have attempted to give me false orders in order to get me to surrender. But I was not trained that way and have held my ground all this time. In the past few years, these two local Pokemon have helped me out greatly to get by, although we can't do more than continue to maintain this post.”

“That's fine,” the admiral said with a nod. “Your devotion to duty is remarkable, truly unmatched. Even so, the war is over. You are now to return home with me.”

Although their human hadn't listened to anyone else, he agreed to this. “Yes sir. It's too bad that we couldn't fully take this island, but I have done my best.”

The Krokorok took her human's arm and patted it affectionately. He was odd, but he was a good person at heart. At his other side, the Drillbur clapped his steel claws together in celebration.

“You did well for your circumstances,” the admiral said, glancing over at her. “And it is good you've gotten some Pokemon to assist you; they seem to be excellent companions from how they reacted to my arrival. Would you like to bring them back with us?”

“Can that be done?” the solider asked, surprised to hear that. “I would miss them greatly if I had to leave them behind.

The admiral nodded and handed over two Pokeballs for him to use. And with that, they were able to travel to an entirely new place, to see the homeland that their human was so devoted to.

...

Drilbur White entry: It makes its way swiftly through the soil by putting both claws together and rotating at high speed.

Krokorok White entry: The special membrane covering its eyes can sense the heat of objects, so it can see its surroundings even in darkness.


	338. Venipede, Froakie

Hungry. Need meat. Leaves and berries are nice, but not enough. Venipede needs meat. Feel the air around, fore and back. Feel…

Kurrr croak.

Ahead, near bush bearing flowers. Amphibian, female, small. Venipede opens eyes carefully. Blue and white, stretching up to sniff flower, giving it a tentative lick. Kurrr kurru kuroak. Froakie must be pleased with flower. Does not eat flower, only sniffs and looks. Strange creature. Good meat. Closing eyes, Venipede crawls carefully. Quietly. Do not want to startle, nor let her get away.

Froakie brushes paw along head, finds something unsatisfactory. Putting her paws to her mouth, she blows a bubble. She places it into her mane of bubbles, shifting it aside until it hits bothersome spot. Good, she is busy cleaning. Will make it easier to catch her.

Pause. Fallen leaves on ground head. Dry? Touch carefully with feeler. Not dry, freshly fallen. Not dry, not dry… dry. That will crinkle when walked over. These bushes are regular, not good cover on the other side of the trunks. Froakie is still busy making new bubbles. Checking ahead… mostly new fallen leaves. Venipede crawls along them, avoiding dry leaves.

Closer, closer… good, this is good. Froakie has not yet noticed Venipede. She is blowing harmless bubbles. Now, move quick! Lunge out to grab and immobilize.

Venipede gets a mouthful of bubbles that pop weirdly. Landing from the hop, Froakie turns and observes her. No fear. Strange creature. Croak croak!

No good. She doesn't want to lose this meal. She fires a stinger to poison the Froakie, wear her down bit by bit. Unlike usual, the Froakie hops out of the way.

Shoes on the ground, human scent coming close. Not good? Human yells something at Froakie. Venipede is not happy with giving up meal. No, won't do! She fires another stinger. Misses again. Kurru. Froakie hops around, licks her with strange bubbles. Wearing her down? Venipede shakes, wants to get bubbles off. They stick, especially near legs. It is hard to move. Something pulls at her.

No, not going! Will have meat today, will get that strange Froakie. Breaks the hold. Prey is close, Venipede bites. Froakie does not worry, licks again. Then, hops away, leaving a cloud of smoke. Where is she?!

There! The pull comes again, this time clearly from round object trying to collide with her. Venipede smacks round object with her tail, sends it flying back to him. She throws a stinger at Human. This time, Froakie jumps into the attack, not letting Human get hurt. Why? Must be stupid. Another pull, another break. Will not let them win, will get meat today.

Another pull… but immensely stronger. It grips and muddles the mind with an invitation. No, don't want! Venipede is proud Pokemon, lives on her own and survives by her own power. She does not need Human. She fights.

The grip lets go. Venipede is back under the bushes, on the same road. Still home? But Froakie and Human are not there. Strange. Where are they? It is quiet. Where is everyone else? Strange.

Then, her mind grows fuzzy. Waking from a dream, perhaps. It is disappointing, to dream of a fight but not get the meal. Then she senses them again, the Froakie and the Human. The Froakie is back to blowing bubbles and putting them in her mane. Venipede could get her now.

No. Some thought comes into her mind, no. The Froakie is not to eat. But, she smells like good meat, would be a good meal. No. she is not to eat.

Human crouches down near her. Says things, but this time, Venipede understands. “Man, you took a lot of effort. But it should be worth it. Here, you hungry? I got some beef snack sticks.” Unknown material crinkles, letting loose the smell of salty meat. Human offers it freely. Strange creature.

Venipede takes what he says is a stick and chews on it. Not stick, not fresh meat. But, very good meat. Not like any other meat. And she didn't have to hunt for it? Strange, that is too easy. If he gives her this, then she will have to fight for him. She will have to protect him just the same as Froakie did.

But, perhaps it is worth it. Good food. Venipede finishes off the beef stick; she thinks of how this new life will work.

...

Venipede B2/W2 entry: Using the feelers on its head and tail, it picks up vibrations in the air to determine its prey's location and state.

Froakie Y entry: It protects its skin by covering its body in delicate bubbles. Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings.


	339. Elgyem, Axew, Fraxure

“YOU?! What idiot would capture you?”

Immediately, a silence fell. The Pokemon Amie Cafe was normally a happy peaceful place, filled with friendly Pokemon who liked to gossip about their Trainers and each other. The regulars would let those they hadn't seen around know that they were welcome. After all, this latest advancement of human technology meant that they didn't have to stay alone in their Pokeballs if their Trainers weren't using them. Nearly every Pokemon was grateful for that.

There were still those that caused trouble. Right now, it was a pair of Fraxure that happened to enter around the same time. “Someone smarter than your idiot, obviously,” one of them retorted, shaking his head to show off his long sharp tusks.

Over at one of the tables, a smaller Axew put her head in her paws. “Great, part of the reason I let myself get captured was to get away from them,” she muttered while they started off a new squabble .

“They should be able to tell that this is a no combat zone,” the other Pokemon at her table said. He was an Elgyem, hovering a few inches off a cloud cushion.. The Axew much preferred the stump seats like she had now. As she was short, it helped her reach the table.

“I bet you're deadweight, can't bash anything worthwhile!”

“You were the one who lost our last road dispute, you're the one who's gonna be let go for being a drag before long!”

“Doesn't stop arguments,” she said.

“True, and there are ways around limitations,” the Elgyem said, shifting his arms. “I just don't want anyone to disturb my snack break.”

Some kind of power came from him, but the Axew wasn't sure what it was. Over at the entrance, the two Fraxure grimaced at the same time. “Now you're giving me a headache, dummy .”

“I am not, you are to me,” the other argued, not as loud as before.

“Ah, forget it, I don't want to be at a place with a loser like you.” He took off, disappearing after a few steps to get back to his Pokeball space.

“Hah, I win,” the other said. She shook her head, then came into the cafe. Unfortunately, she saw the Axew and came over to the free droplet cushion there. “Say, hope you don't mind the company, little sister.” T hen she fell into the cushion, dropping her face onto the table with mumbled complaints of headaches and idiots being a pain too.

“As long as you keep peaceful,” the Axew said uncertainly. After a moment, she looked over at the Elgyem. “Did you make her faint?”

“No, she's just being dramatic,” he said, levitating a frosted green puff to eat it. “It should already be fading since I didn't use much force behind it.”

That was with not much force? The Fraxure remained faceplanted for a couple of minutes before she gripped the edge of the table and looked up at them. “Sorry, that sort of thing usually doesn't happen to me,” she said. “ What is this place anyhow? Some of my teammates were raving about it and I came mostly cause they wouldn't shut up.”

“Wouldn't you have heard what it is from them?” the Elgyem asked.

“I heard it but I don't listen to most people I don't respect,” she said.

Same as before, the Axew thought. She'd grown up with that pair of Fraxure constantly arguing and fighting within hearing of her mother's home. Of course, all the Fraxures, even her mother, were always arguing about one thing or another. For that reason, she'd left to get caught by a human as soon as she could. “It's a cafe where you make friends and have good snacks, not a place you fight in,” the Axew said.

The Fraxure snorted. “Sounds like a bore.”

“It's an oasis of serenity, especially for those of us who aren't called upon unless our human wants a battle,” the Elgyem said.

“Who wants that kind of serenity?” the Fraxure asked. “I find serenity in kicking butt.”

“That's not serenity,” he said.

“Here, try the Pokepuffs, they're the reason I come here,” the Axew said, pushing a plate with some mocha puffs towards her.

“Is that really food?” the Fraxure asked, looking at them skeptically. “And you've really got to take better care of your tusks, don't just use them for mundane stuff like that.” She picked a plain puff up and turned it around.

She raised one of her stubby arms. “My limbs aren't that useful, if you don't remember.”

“I don't like thinking of times I was weak,” she retorted, then took a bite. After chewing thoughtfully, she said, “It's okay, I guess. Don't see what all the fuss about, I mean they're nice, but too cute to be good.”

“They all taste different, and those are just the most basic ones,” she said. “That one wasn't even frosted.”

“The looks were the whim of the designer,” the Elgyem said. “And the puffs are food. Just not food you'll find outside this cafe or the Pokeball space.”

“But I 've seen puffs in a bakery that looked a lot like these,” the Axew said, looking at him.

“Did they taste the same?” he asked.

“I didn't get to try those ones,” she admitted.

He shook his large head. “They're not the same. You see, these puffs,” he held up a frosted mocha puff, “are a technological facsimile. When you get captured, you get changed so that you can be reduced to electronic data.”

“Really?” the Axew asked, leaning forward in interest.

“That's a myth the Electrics tell to make themselves look best ,” the Fraxure said, turning aside dismissively and getting a green puff to try.

“It's the reality of our lives now,” the Elgyem said. “Or rather, a virtual reality. And these puffs are fabricated through computer programs specifically to please our taste buds and make us feel full. Though, they did program in a good amount of nutritional data so it's not junk food. It's just, they do this to placate us and make sure we don't rebel against them.”

“You make that sound bad,” the Axew said. “I think they just want to be friends. My human talks to me a lot, he's nice.”

“Probably a sentimentalist that can't bring out your full potential,” the Fraxure countered.

“Do you have to take everything for an argument?” she said, looking to her. “You haven't changed since I last saw you.”

“Oh, do we know each other?” The Fraxure rubbed her chin, then shrugged. “I don't recognize you.”

“I didn't think so,” she said, then pushed herself up. There was a new plate with a really tasty looking orange puff, with little flower decorations on it. Even when she reached with her tusks, she couldn't get it. Then the plate slid right towards her, following a hand motion from the Elgyem. “ Thank you.”

“No problem,” he said, moving his plate aside and glancing at what other offerings were there. “Maybe they want to be friends, maybe they want to control us. Whatever the humans want, I'm happy to go along with them now that the cafe exists.”

“Right!” the Axew said with a smile touched by frosting.

“I much prefer the training grounds,” the Fraxure said. “The roar of the crowds, the satisfying end of those dumb balloons, and those punching bags! I busted up one so bad yesterday, all pow pow pow! And it burst into cotton everywhere!”

“My human sent me in there for a little while yesterday,” she said.

“Well get them to send you in all the time! And really, learn to take care of your tusks! They're the weapons we live and die by, and there will come a time when they won't be growing back in anymore. Then you've got to know the best way to keep them clean, sharp, and tough constantly. If you slack on yourself and get one broken, then you'll be humiliated for life, worth nothing more than a slave among other Fraxure. Hmph, so start learning now, little sister, or you'll regret it.”

“I take care of them,” she said, brushing a paw along one although she had to tilt her head to do so.

“Whatever, this place isn't as cool as the training grounds; I’m going there.” The Fraxure left the table and was gone in a few seconds.

“You know, I almost don't want to evolve because all the Fraxure I knew are combative and, well, clueless like that,” the Axew said. She sighed. “ But I know I 'm getting close.”

“Then don't,” the Elgyem said. “You can delay evolution with enough willpower, or if you find the right kind of rock..”

“But I would like to get a form higher than them, so I can do my best on the team,” she said.

“If you delay long enough, you can keep the time you spend as a Fraxure to a minimum.” Deciding he was done, he left off hovering over the cushion. But he did stop by her. “Of course, it depends on your human. There is also the possibility, if you have that strong will, to keep an instinct towards aggression low. I wish you good luck in that.”

“Thanks, I'll try that,” she said, giving him a wave. “Nice talking to you, Elgyem.”

“Same to you, Axew.”

...

Elgyem Black entry: It uses its strong psychic power to squeeze its opponent's brain, causing unendurable headaches.

Axew Black entry: They use their tusks to crush the berries they eat. Repeated regrowth makes their tusks strong and sharp.

Fraxure B2/W2 entry: A broken tusk will not grow back, so it diligently sharpens its tusks on river rocks after the end of a battle.


	340. Amaura

I dreamed of vast lands covered in hardy grass and sprinkled with giant billowing trees. I t is a cold place, snow coating the ground, but the plants are still strong. On some days, the sun never set. On others, it never appeared, just a glow shifting along the horizon. The dark days were hard, but the light days made one strong for the dark ones.

As I was viewing the dreams of the Amaura, I was with the Amaura. Our long necks rise above the grass, our sturdy bodies plow through shallow snow. It is melting, the sun's light grows longer. The grasses will grow better soon, but it is time to move on. While the rocky refuge is good shelter when the winds and ice of the long dark are blowing, the rolling fields are best when the long light is growing. Moving on will allow the earth to always provide.

It should be cold, but I am not cold. i am one with ice. In spite of that, the long dark is still dangerous. Not much to eat, sickness hits harder. Strangely, there is no worry about with predators. There is no fighting. There are long days of walking, good days under sunny blue skies, bad days under rumbling storm clouds. Nothing to fight. No reason to fight.

Times change. The light of the sun is not as long, but stronger. It is warmer, not as nice. Also not as nice is the fighting. As the Amaura, I was alone. No other Amaura to be with. There were other Pokemon that I was getting used to. Also, the amazing creatures called humans. They were great leaders, intelligent and kind. But the humans want me to fight. I don't want to fight. Long days walking, slow easy pace, peace and satisfaction. There is so much activity that I can't keep track of it. when the battles aren't happening, though, the human is nice to me. They help to clean and get food, even play. Is that worth it all? I am still deciding.

(Researcher's note: I'd recommend to this Amaura 's Trainer that they keep her out of battles for a little while longer. Have her watch them and socialize with other Pokemon. On the other hand, the unique way this Pokemon was revived means she still holds memories of prehistoric eras. Her dreams may hold interesting information that we can't find out otherwise. I would like to go within her dream world a few more times.)

...

Amaura Y entry: This calm Pokemon lived in a cold land where there were no violent predators like Tyrantrum.


End file.
